Nipsey Hussle's Murderer Sentenced To 60 Years In Prison After Months-Long Trial

Eric R. Holder, Jr., who was found guilty of first-degree murder last July for killing Nipsey Hussle, was sentenced by Superior Court Judge H. Clay Jacke on Wednesday to at least 60 years in prison. 

Holder shot the Grammy-nominated artist, 33 at the time, in the parking lot of Nipsey's Marathon Clothing store in South Los Angeles in 2019. The deputy medical examiner said Nipsey Hussle had suffered 11 gunshot wounds. Two bystanders were also hit and injured in the incident. 

In addition to Nipsey's murder, Holder was also found guilty of two counts of attempted voluntary manslaughter for the two bystanders injured in the shooting after a months-long trial. 

Holder's attorney told ABC News he planned to appeal the verdict. 

"It was always going to be tough given the high-profile circumstances surrounding the case," said the attorney, Aaron Jansen.

Prosecutors said during the murder trial that the attack was premeditated, while Holder's defense team argued it was the result of a heat-of-the-moment argument. 

Nipsey Hussle And His Community

Nipsey, whose original name was Ermias Asghedom, had opened the Marathon Clothing store as a way of investing in his community. Before his death, he'd been in touch with the LA Police Dept. to discuss ways to help prevent gang violence in the neighborhood. 

When he was 19, Asghedom's (Nipsey) father took him and his brother Samiel on a trip to Eritrea, East Africa for three months in 2004. Nipsey credited the trip with inspiring him to become a community activist with an "entrepreneurial spirit"

Nipsey's estate and his brother Samiel opened a cannabis dispensary, The Marathon Collective, in LA in June 2021. The store features Nipsey’s Marathon OG strain and other cannabis products.

Community Stunned By Murder

Nipsey's murder shocked the music community and his millions of fans and admirers. Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna, Drake, YG, and more posted tributes to the rapper.

In 2020, Nipsey Hussle won a posthumous Best Rap Performance Grammy for “Racks in the Middle” and a Best Rap/Sung Collaboration trophy for his appearance on DJ Khaled’s “Higher.” He was also awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Photo by BP Miller on Unsplash