Nipsey Hussle’s killer sentenced to 60 years to life in prison

Eric R. Holder Jr. Eric R. Holder Jr. is seen in the courtroom at Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center on Sept. 15, 2022 in Los Angeles. Holder was found guilty of murdering rapper Nipsey Hussle outside the rapper’s clothing store on March 31, 2019, in Los Angeles. (Apu Gomes/Getty Images, File)

By Theresa Seiger, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

LOS ANGELES — A Los Angeles judge on Wednesday sentenced the man convicted of killing rapper Nipsey Hussle to serve at least 60 years in prison for the 2019 shooting, according to multiple reports.

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Authorities said Hussle, whose legal name was Ermias Asghedom, died after being shot while standing in front of his clothing store in South Los Angeles on March 31, 2019. Two others were also injured.

In July, jurors found Eric R. Holder Jr., 33, guilty of first-degree murder, possession of a firearm by a felon and two counts each of attempted voluntary manslaughter and assault with a firearm.

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Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge H. Clay Jacke sentenced Holder to 25 years to life in prison on the murder charge, with a sentencing enhancement that added an additional 25 years to life based on the fact that he used a gun in the killing, the Los Angeles Times reported. Holder was also sentenced to serve an additional 10 years on the assault charges, the newspaper reported.

Herman “Cowboy” Douglas, a close friend of Hussle’s who was standing with him when he was killed, told the court Wednesday that the 33-year-old’s death marked a huge loss for him and for the wider South Los Angeles community, The Associated Press reported.

“He was like a son, he was like a dad,” Douglas said, according to the AP. “Our community right now, we lost everything, everything we worked for. One man’s mistake, one man’s action, messed up a whole community.”

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Hussle was a well-known community organizer, philanthropist and entrepreneur. He was nominated in 2019 for a Grammy Award for his album “Victory Lap.”

“I just want to know why,” Douglas said Wednesday, according to the AP. “The world wants to know why. Why someone would do that?”

Hussle and Holder met each other while growing up as members of the Rollin’ 60s Crips, according to the AP and the Times. On the day of his death, Hussle told Holder that there were rumors that he had cooperated with police, which Holder’s attorney argued made his client lose rational thought, the Times reported. Holder’s attorney said the circumstances justified a lesser voluntary manslaughter conviction, according to the AP.

Deputy District Attorney John McKinney argued that Holder was jealous of Hussle, as he was an aspiring rapper who failed to gain the attention Hussle had, the Times reported.

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