Eric Holder Found Guilty of First-Degree Murder in Death of Rapper Nipsey Hussle
On Wednesday, Eric Holder Jr, the 33-year-old man convicted of first-degree murder in the death of famed Los Angeles rapper Nipsey Hussle, was found guilty. On March 31, 2019, Holder fatally shot Hussle, whose official name was Ermias Asghedom, outside the rapper's favorite Marathon apparel store in south Los Angeles, injuring two others. The death of the Los Angeles legend and entrepreneur shocked the country and the music business. His death was a sad loss for his Crenshaw neighborhood, where he was involved in community development programs. Holder was arrested and charged with murder and attempted murder two days after the shooting. Holder's attorney, Aaron Jansen, admitted to the jury last month that his client murdered Hussle. The case turned on concerns concerning Holder's mental state before to the incident and whether it was premeditated murder or a crime of passion. Holder was also found guilty of attempted voluntary manslaughter for the shooting of two bystanders by the jury. Prosecutors had sought attempted murder charges against Holder, but his counsel said he had no intention of shooting the two others. According to the Los Angeles Times, Holder may face a life term in jail.
Hussle and Holder were friends who grew up in the same area and were both members of the local Rollin' 60s gang. Hussle had arrived at the popular store he had founded in 2017 and was taking selfies with admirers and signing autographs on the day of his murder. Prosecutors said Holder was driving by in a car driven by Bryannita Nicholson, a woman he had been dating informally for a month. Holder stepped out of the car and had a four-minute talk with Hussle, according to LA prosecutor John McKinney, who testified before a grand jury. According to testimony from a former Rollin' 60s member and lifelong friend of Hussle who also worked at the Marathon shop, Hussle told Holder that there was talk in the neighborhood that Holder had been "snitching" and collaborating with the police. According to the Los Angeles Times, prosecutors declined to say whether Holder was a police informant but presented witnesses who argued that Hussle was trying to warn Holder about the rumors, which could have posed a threat to Holder.
Nicholson was a key prosecution witness and was granted immunity. She testified that she was a Lyft driver when she picked up Holder as a passenger a month before and that the two had been hanging out on a regular basis. Nicholson, who snapped a selfie with Hussle, stated that once Holder and Hussle's chat concluded, the two began driving away, but Holder requested a stop to finish eating the food he had ordered. She claimed Holder then got out of the car with a gun, but she didn't see him shoot Hussle, had no idea he had killed the musician, and drove away. She handed herself in after her automobile was shown on the news the next day. Holder's attorney claimed that he should be convicted of manslaughter, claiming that he became angry by Hussle's words and "without thinking" returned to Hussle and shot him. "He certainly thought about what he was going to do before he did it," the prosecution added. McKinney emphasized Hussle's reputation in the community during closing arguments: "He wanted to alter the area." He maintained the same circle of pals. And his neighbors adored him. He was dubbed "Neighborhood Nip." Holder's trial was momentarily postponed in the last week when he was sliced with a razor by two other persons in jail on his way to court, requiring him to be hospitalized. When the defendant came to court, there were staples showing in the back of his skull.
Samiel Asghedom, Nipsey Hussle's brother, who arrived on the scene minutes after his brother was shot, has been working on building a new Marathon shop in his brother's honor. Asghedom hopes to build a youth center at Crenshaw and Slauson, the intersection now synonymous with Hussle's name, reopen Steve's Barber Shop as a place to give free haircuts to youth, and have some kind of museum or public site commemorating the rapper. Hussle was nominated for a Grammy for his critically praised album Victory Lap months before his death.