In the 2019 shooting death of the Grammy-winning rapper Nipsey Hussle, Eric R. Holder Jr. a 32-year-old man who grew up in the same gang and on the same streets as Hussle was found guilty on Wednesday of first-degree murder. Hussle overcame his circumstances to become an inspiration to the community where he was ultimately shot and killed.
Holder was also found guilty by a jury in Los Angeles County of two counts of attempted voluntary manslaughter for firing shots that injured other males present at the incident. Two counts of attempted murder were pursued by the prosecution. Holder was also judged responsible for the same two men's gun assaults.
In the tiny courtroom, Holder, who was dressed in a blue suit and a face mask, stood up next to his attorney as the verdict was announced. He showed no signs of reaction. During the trial, Holder's attorney admitted that Hussle, 33, whose real name is Ermias Asghedom, had been shot by Holder, but the lawyer had argued for a lesser finding of voluntary manslaughter.
“I am deeply disappointment in the First Degree Murder verdict,” Holder’s attorney, Deputy Public Defender Aaron Jansen, said in an email. “It was always going to be tough given the high profile circumstances surrounding the case.”
Jansen continued by saying that he and Holder were appreciative that the jury found the attempted murder charges to be excessive. He stated that they intend to challenge the murder verdict.
Before reaching a decision, the jury of nine women and three men deliberated for almost six hours over the course of two days. The majority of their discussions took place on Friday, and following a brief four-day hiatus, they quickly reached their unified conclusion on Wednesday. The jury had to return to discussions for a brief period before the judgement could be officially announced due to two typos on the verdict form that were noticed as the results were read, but they had no impact on the verdict.
“We are both proud and I am a little relieved that the verdict came in a complete, absolute agreement with the charges that Eric Holder murdered Ermias Asghedom in cold blood,” Deputy District Attorney John McKinney said outside the courtroom. “We hope that today is a day in which the Asghedom family and the friends and fans of Nipsey Hussle around the world will find some measure of closure.”
When the verdict was announced, neither a relative nor a witness for Hussle were present in the courtroom.
When he sentences Holder on September 15, the judge has a lot of alternatives. An individual found guilty of first-degree murder faces a sentence ranging from 25 years to life in prison.
“Obviously nothing that happened here today can heal the wound, nothing that happened here today can restore Mr. Asghedom to this world, but we hope that there is some resounding peace in the fact that his killer will be in prison likely for the rest of his life,” McKinney said.
When the verdict was announced, neither a relative nor a witness for Hussle were present in the courtroom.
When he sentences Holder on September 15, the judge has a lot of alternatives. An individual found guilty of first-degree murder faces a sentence ranging from 25 years to life in prison.
The evidence against Holder was overwhelming, from eyewitnesses to surveillance cameras from local businesses that captured his arrival, the shooting and his departure.
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.
Herman "Cowboy" Douglas, a close friend of Hussle's who was standing next to him when he was shot and who testified at the trial, said the talk he overheard did not make the killing make sense to him.
“It feels good to get some closure, but I still need to know why,” Douglas said after the verdict.
Hussle had just released his major-label debut album and received his first Grammy nomination when he was shot and killed. After years of grinding that earned him underground acclaim, his nickname was a play on the name of comedian Nipsey Russell and a nod to the hustle the future hip-hop star showed in making music and selling CDs.
He was a very well-liked person in Los Angeles, especially in the South LA neighborhood where he grew up and continued to live after becoming well-known, purchasing real estate, and starting enterprises.
A year after his passing, Hussle was remembered at a memorial service held at the Staples Center and honored with a performance by DJ Khaled and John Legend at the Grammy Awards.
The man who shot him wouldn't be tried for another two years after that.
“Today was really about Nipsey Hussle and the legacy that he leaves behind,” McKinney said Wednesday. “This verdict and the story of his life will be talked about for sure at Crenshaw and Slauson, but the meaning of it will carry far beyond those streets.”
