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The man who murdered Nipsey Hussle in a daylight ambush outside the beloved rappers clothing store in Los Angeles was sentenced to 60 years to life in prison, The Associated Press reports.

Eric Ronald Holder Jr., 33, appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom Wednesday, Feb. 22, and received his punishment after his conviction last July. Jurors found that he murdered the Grammy-winning rapper with premeditation following an initial conversation in a strip-mall parking lot on March 31, 2019.

During the hearing, the court heard from one of Hussles friends, as well as a letter from Holders father. Holder was not eligible for the death penalty, and a life sentence was largely expected.

During the trial last summer, prosecutors argued that Holder Jr. left the scene of the initial conversation and ate some food, and drove around the block before he stalked back to the parking lot about 10 minutes later and opened fire with a black semiautomatic in one hand and a silver revolver in the other.

Public defender Aaron Jansen argued that Holder Jr. acted in the heat of passion because he believed Hussle had accused him of being a snitch.

The conviction for first-degree murder and personal use of a firearm meant Holder Jr. was facing up to 50 years to life in prison.

In his closing argument during Holder Jr.s trial, Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney John McKinneycalled Hussle a favorite son of South Los Angeleswho transcended the pockets of concentrated poverty and perils of gang life gripping his Hyde Park neighborhood to become an acclaimed recording artist, visionary entrepreneur, and noted philanthropist.

The streets he used to run as a young man became the life material that he used to become a voice of those same streets. While some people get successful, they make money, they leave their neighborhood, they change their address, this man was different. He wanted to change the neighborhood. He invested in the neighborhood. He kept the same friends and the neighborhood loved him. They called him Neighborhood Nip, McKinney said.Editors picks

He was a father, he was a son, he was a brother, he was a human being, the prosecutor said, showing jurors a photo of Hussle crouching down to take a photo with a young child just moments before his death.

Shortly after the trial started June 15, Jansen conceded his client fired the 10 or 11 bullets that struck Hussle from the top of his head down to his feet, ripping through his liver and lungs and severing his spine. But the lawyer was adamant Holder Jr. acted in the heat of passion after Hussle allegedly mentioned he heard about some paperwork related to Holder. In gang parlance, paperwork means documentation showing someone is cooperating with law enforcement. Jansen said his client considered the allegation asnitch jacket that threatened his life.

Holder Jr., like Hussle, joined the Rollin 60s Neighborhood Crips as a teen, but by 2019, he had moved to Long Beach, started working at a restaurant, and put his gang membership in the rearview mirror, Jansen told jurors. When Holder Jr. happened upon Hussle the day of the shooting, it was a chance encounter, the lawyer said.

Think about Erics state of mind at this point. I just came over to say hello, havent been around for a while. Im just waiting for [a food] order to be ready. Im not involved in that lifestyle anymore. And the famous the great Nipsey Hussle is saying that they have paperwork on me,' Jansen said, arguing that the provocation triggered rage and powerful emotions in his client that ran out of control. Jansen said his client, who wasbeaten up and slashed with a razorby fellow inmates amid the high-profile trial, was willing to take responsibility for his actions and admit to voluntary manslaughter.

McKinney, meanwhile, scoffed at the suggestion Hussle provoked his own slaying with the mention of paperwork. He said the people who witnessed the paperwork conversation including Hussles close friend Herman Cowboy Douglas and Holders friend turned unwitting getaway driver, Bryannita Nicholson described the parking lot exchange as short and civil, nothing that raised a specter of imminent danger.

It wasnt hostile. It didnt look like a fight was about to happen. No one was agitated, McKinney said in his closing.

According to McKinney, Holder Jr. had plenty of time to reflect and cool down. He said in the 10 minutes between the initial parking lot conversation and the shooting, Holder Jr. rode around the block in Nicholsons car one and a half times, loaded bullets in the magazine of his semiautomatic, ate some chili cheese fries, donned a shirt, ordered Nicholson to wait for him in an alley, stalked back to the parking lot wielding two loaded guns, and unleashed his surprise attack. Theres plenty of evidence of premeditation and deliberation, McKinney argued. And either way, a cold, calculated decision to kill can be reached quickly, he said.

I submit to you that the motive for killing Nipsey Hussle had little or nothing to do with the conversation they had; theres already a pre-existing jealousy,McKinney told the jury. Here you have Nipsey Hussle, who is a successful artist from the same neighborhood, [and] Mr. Holder, who is an unsuccessful rap artist.Trending

Hussle was a mixtape veteran on a clear upward trajectory when his life was cut short at the age of 33. A month before he died, he attended the 2019 Grammys with his daughter Emani and girlfriend Lauren London in support of his debut studio album,Victory Lap, nominated for best rap album. A year later, he was awarded two posthumous Grammys for his performances of Racks in the Middle, and the uplifting track Higher, a collaboration withDJ KhaledandJohn Legend.

London, who welcomed a son with Hussle, told mourners at the rappers Staples Center memorial that shed never felt this type of pain before. She then read a heartfelt text message that shed sent to Hussle two months prior. I want you to know I feel real joy in my heart when Im around you, the message read. I feel safe around you Protected. Like a shield over me when youre around.

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Nipsey Hussles Killer, Eric Holder, Gets 60 Years to Life in Prison

The man convicted of gunning down Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist Nipsey Hussle has been sentenced to 60 years to life in prison.

On Wednesday, after hearing testimony about the immense loss of the hip-hop star and neighborhood leader, Superior Court Judge H. Clay Jacke II handed down the sentence to Eric R. Holder Jr., who was previously found guilty for the 2019 first-degree murder of the 33-year-old Hussle.

It was learned during the court proceedings that Holder suffered a lifetime of mental illness and abuse.

"I am very mindful of what was presented as to Mr. Holders mental health," Jacke said. "I am also mindful of the devastation caused to the victims and their families. I believe this sentence balances the two."

RAPPER NIPSEY HUSSLES LAST MOMENTS DETAILED AS MURDER TRIAL OPENS

FILE - Rapper Nipsey Hussle attends an NBA basketball game between the Golden State Warriors and the Milwaukee Bucks in Oakland, Calif., March 29, 2018. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Holder Jr. fatally shot Hussle, whose legal name is Ermias Asghedom, outside the clothing store Hussle founded, the Marathon, in a South Los Angeles neighborhood in 2019.

A jury found him guilty in July 2021.

The sentence comes after a monthlong trial, where jurors also convicted Holder of two counts of attempted voluntary manslaughter and two counts of assault with a firearm for the gunfire that hit two other men at the scene.

The other two victims survived their injuries.

Jacke sentenced Holder to 25 years to life for the murder and 25 more for a firearm sentencing enhancement.

FILE - Eric Holder Jr. sits in the courtroom at Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center on Sept. 15, 2022, in Los Angeles. (Apu Gomes/Pool Photo via AP)

NIPSEY HUSSLE, GRAMMY-NOMINATED RAPPER, SHOT DEAD IN LOS ANGELES

He also sentenced Holder an additional 10 years for the assault with firearm convictions.

The judge gave Holder credit for the nearly four years he has already served.

Holder, who was dressed in orange jail attire, stared blankly throughout the proceedings and did not react when the sentence was announced. He only spoke to confirm with the judge that he understood the circumstances.

Before the sentence was handed down, prosecutors said Holder and Hussle had a brief conversation after they ran into each other on a Sunday afternoon outside the clothing store.

Holder left and returned about 10 minutes later and shot Hussle at least 10 times, they said.

Nipsey Hussle attends the 61st Annual Grammy Awards at Staples Center on February 10, 2019, in Los Angeles, California. (David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

Herman "Cowboy" Douglas, a close friend of Hussle who was with him the day he was killed and testified during the trial, told the judge that both he and the South Los Angeles community where Hussle was a business leader were deeply impacted by the tremendous loss.

"Nipsey was my friend, he was like a son, he was like a dad," said Douglas. "Our community right now, we lost everything, everything we worked for. One mans mistake, one mans action, messed up a whole community."

Douglas said Hussle's store and surrounding businesses that he owned and supported have been closed down following his death.

ANOTHER CALIFORNIA SHOOTING LEAVES 3 DEAD, 4 INJURED IN RITZY LA NEIGHBORHOOD

Hussles friend also told the judge he wanted to know the motivation behind the killing: "I dont care what you give this guy. It aint about the time. I just want to know why. The world wants to know why. Why someone would do that?"

Nipsey Hussle performs onstage at the Warner Music Pre-Grammy Party at the NoMad Hotel on February 7, 2019, in Los Angeles, California. (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Warner Music)

Public defender Aaron Jansen asked for a lesser sentence of 25 years to life that would allow some chance at release and rehabilitation, detailing his client suffered a childhood of physical abuse and poverty.

As he reached adulthood, Jansen said Holder suffered "a terrible descent into mental illness" that led to "years of torment and struggle" that included agonizing auditory hallucinations.

He also said life behind bars is "going to be brutal [and] is going to be short. Hes already received numerous death threats."

Jansen also read a letter from Holder's father, Eric Holder Sr. apologizing to Hussle's family and to the other victims.

"I know there are not enough words that would fill the void, the pain, the deep sorrow that they feel," the letter read. "I question myself every day asking if I as a father did everything to help Eric Jr. stabilize his mental health."

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Hussle and Holder had known each other for years growing up in South LA, as both were aspiring rappers. Holder never achieved the same success as Hussle, who would become a local hero and a national celebrity.

The evidence against Holder was overwhelming from eyewitnesses to surveillance cameras from local businesses that captured his arrival, the shooting and his departure that Jansen admitted during the trial that Holder had shot Hussle and asked jurors to find him guilty of voluntary manslaughter.

After deliberating for just six hours, jurors found him guilty of first-degree murder.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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Nipsey Hussle's killer Eric Holder Jr. gets 60 years to life in prison ...

Eric Holder, Nipsey Hussle's killer sentenced to 60 years

Eric Holder Jr., the man convicted of murdering Grammy-winning rapper Nipsey Hussle in 2019, was sentenced Wednesday to 60 years to life in prison with credit for the 1,423 days already served.

LOS ANGELES - Eric Holder Jr., the man convicted of murdering Grammy-winning rapper Nipsey Hussle in a 2019 shooting in South Los Angeles, was sentenced Wednesday to 60 years to life in prison with credit for the 1,423 days already served.

Holder's sentencing hearing had been postponed several times since last September. In December, Superior Court Judge H. Clay Jacke rejected a defense motion to reduce Holder's conviction to second-degree murder or voluntary manslaughter and turned down the defense's bid for a new trial.

In July, a Los Angeles County jury convicted Holder Jr. of first-degree murder in the killing of Hussle outside his clothing store in March 2019. Holder was also convicted of attempted voluntary manslaughter for injuring two bystanders in the incident, along with one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.

Jurors also found true allegations that he personally and intentionally discharged a handgun and that he personally inflicted great bodily injury on one of the victims.

A jury of nine women and three men deliberated for about six hours over two days before reaching the verdict.

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The shooting followed a conversation the two men had about rumors that Holder had been acting as an informant for authorities. Jansen argued that being publicly accused of being a "snitch" by a person as prominent as Hussle brought on a "heat of passion" in Holder that made him not guilty of first-degree murder.

Hussle, whose real name was Ermias Joseph Asghedom, and Holder had known each other for years growing up as members of the Rollin 60s in South Los Angeles when a chance meeting outside the clothing store the rapper opened in his neighborhood led to the shooting, and his death.

Deputy District Attorney John McKinney called the killing "cold-blooded" and "calculated," saying that Holder had "quite a bit of time for premeditation and deliberation" before returning to the parking lot near Slauson Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard where the rapper was shot 10 to 11 times.

A jury of nine women and three men deliberated for about six hours over two days before reaching the verdict.

After Hussle's death, thousands of people were on hand in April 2019 for a service in his honor, with singer Stevie Wonder and rapper Snoop Dogg among those paying tribute to him.

In a letter that was read during the service, former President Barack Obama wrote, "While most folks look at the Crenshaw neighborhood where he grew up and see only gangs, bullets and despair, Nipsey saw potential. He saw hope. He saw a community that, even through its flaws, taught him to always keep going."

A local and now international rap star is giving back to his community in South Los Angeles in a big way that is giving his family, fans and community hope and motivation.

RELATED: Rapper Nipsey Hussle creates positive change in South LA

Hussle had just released his major-label debut album and earned his first Grammy nomination when he was killed.

The rapper-entrepreneur was posthumously honored with two Grammy Awards in 2020 for best rap performance for "Racks in the Middle" and for best rap/sung performance for "Higher."

The Associated Press and City News Service contributed to this report.

Original post:
Nipsey Hussle's killer sentenced to 60 years in prison

Eric Holder Jr., who was convicted of murdering rapper Nipsey Hussle outside the musicians South Los Angeles clothing store in 2019, has been sentenced to 60 years to life in state prison.

The sentence was handed down today by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge H. Clay Jacke II. The 33-year-old Holder was found guilty of first-degree murder in July 2022 following a jury trial. He later was convicted on two counts each of attempted voluntary manslaughter and assault with a firearm. The latter charges involved the wounding of two other people in the March 31, 2019, shooting.

Holder was arrested on April 2, 2019, and charged days later. According to reports, Holder showed no reaction during the reading of his sentence today.

Holder had admitted gunning down the Grammy-winning Hussle in front of the musicians South Los Angeles clothing store, the Marathon. Holder maintained that the killing was an impulsive act committed in the heat of passion, as his attorney Aaron Jansen argued during the trial.

Todays sentencing was handed down following a hearing in which a friend of Hussles made a statement and a letter writter by Holders father was read in court.

City News Service contributed to this report

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Nipsey Hussle Killer Eric Holder Jr. Sentenced To 60 Years To Life In ...

Bryannita Nicholson testified that she drove Eric R. Holder Jr. to the shopping plaza where Nipsey Hussle was shot. After the killing, crowds of people paid tribute at the mall. Credit...Rozette Rago for The New York Times

Bryannita Nicholson, who had been casually seeing the defendant, Eric R. Holder Jr., testified that she had driven him to and from the scene of the shooting, providing one of the prosecutions key accounts of the episode.

The day of the shooting had started unremarkably, she testified. She and Mr. Holder had met a little more than a month earlier, when she was driving part-time for Lyft and picked him up as a fare. In the weeks that followed, she said, they grew closer, and she would often drive Mr. Holder during outings in Long Beach or Los Angeles, to the beach, to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Their relationship was casual, she said.

On the day of the shooting, Ms. Nicholson testified, the pair were headed to a nearby swap meet. Ms. Nicholson was given immunity from prosecution for her testimony.

When Ms. Nicholson pulled into a shopping plaza that day so that Mr. Holder could buy chili cheese fries, she said, she spotted Nipsey Hussle standing outside his store, Marathon clothing. She remarked to Mr. Holder that she thought Hussle was handsome, and that she wanted to get a picture with him. Mr. Holder did not indicate that he knew the rapper from the neighborhood, she testified.

She approached Hussle, who was surrounded by a group of men, to get a selfie, she testified. It would be the last photograph of the rapper.

Some witnesses have testified that Hussle had warned Mr. Holder there were rumors circulating that he had cooperated with law enforcement, or snitched. Ms. Nicholson testified that she had heard Mr. Holder ask Hussle if he had snitched, but that Hussle seemed to be brushing him off. She said she returned to the car and pulled into a nearby alley so Mr. Holder could eat, she said.

Mr. Holder then pulled out a handgun, which Ms. Nicholson testified alarmed her, but she had previously said she believed he had guns for protection.

Mr. Holder then got out of the car and left his fries on the hood of a nearby truck, she said. A short time later, Ms. Nicholson said, she heard gunshots.

When Mr. Holder got back into her car, she testified, he told her to drive or he would slap her. She testified that she did not realize at that point that he might have been the shooter. That night, she testified, she agreed to let Mr. Holder stay at her mothers home with her, and she later helped him check into a motel using her identification.

It wasnt until more than a day after the killing, when her mother recognized Ms. Nicholsons white Chevy Cruze on the news, that she realized that Mr. Holder might have been involved, she testified.

I hoped he didnt have something to do with it, Ms. Nicholson told John McKinney, the prosecutor in the case, during her testimony. I was a nervous wreck at the time.

In his opening statement, Mr. McKinney had portrayed Ms. Nicholson as a kind of unwitting accomplice.

When Ms. Nicholson testifies, pay attention to her, he said. I think youll find in her a navet, a simplicity.

Mr. McKinney emphasized that Ms. Nicholson had quickly agreed to cooperate with the police. She allowed the authorities to access data from her phone and she submitted to hours of interviews.

I was thinking, Oh my god, this is my reputation, too, she testified in court.

Aaron Jansen, Mr. Holders public defender, asked Ms. Nicholson about some minor discrepancies between her earlier accounts and ones she gave on the stand: the color of a truck where Mr. Holder left his fries, whether Hussle had told Mr. Holder to, like, chill. (Ms. Nicholson responded that Hussles demeanor had been chill, and said that he had not instructed Mr. Holder to calm down.)

On the witness stand, Ms. Nicholson mostly answered questions with a calm yes, or I dont know. Mr. Holder, who wore a gray suit with a faint windowpane pattern, mostly avoided her eyes or looked at her dispassionately.

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The Nipsey Hussle Murder Trial: Eric Holder Jr. Guilty of First-Degree ...