Nipsey Hussle’s k!ller Eric Holder was convicted of first-degree murder in connection with the dea†h of the rapper in 2019.
He was also found guilty of one count of firearm possession by a felon and two counts of attempted voluntary manslaughter. This was because he left two more people injured during the sh0oting of the LA legend.
According to Fox News, jurors concluded that they found Holder guilty of deliberately and intentionally sh0oting a firearm and inflicting grave bodily injury on one of the victims.
Defense counsel Aaron Jansen admitted throughout the trial that his client “shot and k!lled” Hussle, but maintained that his client acted in the “heat of passion.”
In addition, the defense team asserted that Holder lacked a “cooling off period” after Hussle called him a “snitch” before the sh0oting and responded, “impulsively and rashly.”
They contended that the government had “over-charged” Holder from the outset and that his offense did not fit the level of first-degree murder.
Check out the below tweet relating to Eric Holder’s found guilty in the Nispsey Hussle case:
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jury finds Eric Holder guilty of first-degree murder in 2019 fatal shooting of rapper Nipsey Hussle. pic.twitter.com/rgdvqtheB8
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) July 6, 2022
And according to Jansen, “provocation that stirred up rage and powerful emotions” led to Holder’s attack on Hussle. He claimed that voluntary manslaughter would be the correct charge against the perpetrator.
Holder was charged with first-degree murder for his “personal attack” on Hussle, but prosecutors kept pushing for a guilty verdict.
The sh0oting was described as “planned” and “cold-blooded” by deputy district attorney John McKinney, who said that it was motivated by apparent jealousy:
“He’s not consumed by rage… [Nipsey Hussle] was a successful artist from the same neighbourhood as Eric Holder, who’s an unsuccessful artist. I submit to you that the motive for k!lling Nipsey Hussle had little to do with the conversation they had… There’s pre-existing jealousy.”
Attorney for Holder kept defending his client, arguing that his client did not act out of envy or “hate” for Nipsey Hussle. He stated that Holder simply reacted to the “snitching allegation” as it is considered a severe accusation in their circle:
“It’s not victim-blaming, it’s not an excuse and it’s not a justification.”
Following eight days of deliberations, the jurors finally concluded that Eric Holder was guilty of first-degree murder. Due to Holder’s attack with a razor earlier last week in his prison cell, the trial had to be postponed slightly.
Examining the Circumstances Surrounding Eric Holder’s fatal sh0oting of Nipsey Hussle
Nipsey Hussle was fatally sh0t nine times in the parking lot of his Marathon Clothing store in South Los Angeles on March 31, 2019. He was taken to the emergency room at the same time as two other victims, but he was pronounced dead soon after arrival.
Medical examiners determined that the rapper received gunsh0t w0unds to his right chest and to the right side of his back, entering his chest and lungs. A w0und near his navel had entered his abdomen and severed his spinal cord; he also had a w0und on the back of his head.
Take a look at this below tweet by Genius:
three years after nipsey hussle’s death in 2019, the man who murdered him has been found guilty by an LA jury. eric holder faces a sentence up to life in prison
RIP nipsey 🖤 🕊 pic.twitter.com/SeRidAJck8
— Genius (@Genius) July 6, 2022
On April 2, 2019, the Los Angeles Police Department arrested Eric Holder after he was identified as the suspect in the attack. At trial, it was revealed by the prosecution that Holder and Hussle were members of the same street gang and had met in the parking lot shortly before the attack.
Nipsey Hussle allegedly showed up at the plaza unexpectedly on the day of the incident. He spent nearly half an hour at his store hanging out with friends, posing with fans and signing autographs.
Bryannita Nicholson and Eric Holder were spotted out and about in the area in a car at around the same time. As the couple stopped to order dinner, Holder approached Hussle and had a brief talk while Nicholson waited in the car.
As per witness testimony, during their conversation, Hussle told Holder that there were rumors that he “snitched” on their gang and cooperated with law enforcement. He requested that he “get the paperwork” to establish his guiltlessness.
After they finished talking, Nicholson took a selfie with Hussle and then was told by Holder to park the car somewhere else. She later testified that she saw Holder loading a nine-millimeter pistol and leaving after taking a few bites of food.
Several witnesses stated that Holder returned to confront Nipsey Hussle and declared “you’re through” before firing at the rapper roughly 10 times and kicking him in the head twice.
You may also be interested in reading some of our other pieces on the murd*r trial of Nipsey Hussle:
- After 3 Years of Nipsey Hussles Death Lauren London Says Her Recovery Journey Just Started
- Nipsey Hussles Killer Sentenced to Spend the Rest of His Life in Prison
Holder was eventually nabbed by snooping cameras. Two days after the sh0oting, he was arrested without incident and taken to solitary confinement.
The high-profile murder trial came to an end on July 6, with the sh0oter being declared guilty of first-degree murder. The New York Times reports that on September 15, 2022, Eric Holder will be sentenced to between 25 and life in prison.
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