A jury found Eric Holder guilty of first-degree murder in the case of Nipsey Hussle today.
After deliberating for over six hours in two days, the court found Holder guilty of murder and two counts of attempted voluntary manslaughter. The other two charges addressed two bystanders hit by gunfire in the 2019 shooting.
The legal battle had suffered delays for over three years. Last year COVID-19 protocols and the retirement of a lead judge postponed the trial.
Nipsey Hussle, born Ermias Asghedom, died at 33 in Los Angeles in March 2019. He released his debut studio album Victory Lap not long before, earning him a Grammy nomination.
Arguments in Nipsey Hussle Trial
The case against Holder was rock solid, with eyewitnesses and surveillance footage detailing the shooting. Video showed Hussle gunned down outside his Marathon closing store, with Holder shooting from his right and left hands.
L.A. County Deputy Public Defender Aaron Jansen argued the alleged murder had not been premeditated. He described Eric’s actions as a “passionate response” to snitching allegations, according to ABC News. He also maintained that Eric “didn’t mean to shoot the two bystanders.”
Deputy District Attorney John McKinney refuted the claims, saying: “There was no doubt that Eric planned to kill Nipsey.” He cited evidence that Holder shot Hussle 10 or 11 times before kicking him in the head and fleeing.
Holder and Nipsey knew each other for years, growing up as members of the same South L.A. gang. The snitching allegations referred to rumors about Holder giving information to the authorities on Nip. McKinney argued the conversation preceding Nipsey’s death was so calm it could not have been the primary catalyst for the shooting. He maintained Holder must have had previous hatred or envy towards Hussle, noting the mere nine minutes that separated that final conversation from the shooting.
Eric Holder will stand trial on September 15th, when he will face life in prison.
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Written by Evan Montgomery