Nipsey Hussle‘s killer is scheduled to be sentenced in Los Angeles on Wednesday, and he will likely receive a life term.
In July, a jury convicted Eric R. Holder Jr., 32, of killing Hussle, 33, outside his clothing store, the Marathon, in South Los Angeles.
In addition to attempted voluntary manslaughter and assault with a firearm, Holder was also found guilty of shooting two other men at the scene who survived.
Superior Court Judge H. Clay Jacke rejected defense attorney Aaron Jansen’s request to have Holder’s conviction reduced to manslaughter or second-degree murder in December, so sentencing was postponed so he could consider it.
At the hearing on Thursday morning, Jacke will have a wide variety of options for Holder’s sentence, but the murder conviction alone carries a sentence of 25 years to life. As a result of Holder’s other convictions and the special sentencing circumstances they found to be true, he is very likely to spend the rest of his life in prison. Holder was not eligible to receive the death penalty.
After the verdict, lead prosecutor, Deputy District Attorney John McKinney, said, “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.”
Jurors were presented with evidence by Jansen that suggested a lesser verdict of voluntary manslaughter was appropriate given the tense nature of the shooting.
After roughly six hours of deliberation, the jury found the defendant guilty of first-degree murder. Jansen intends to challenge the decision, which he later expressed his “great disappointment” with.
While prosecutors had sought attempted murder verdicts, Holder achieved a minor victory by procuring attempted voluntary manslaughter convictions.
The sentencing ends a legal process lasting more than three years and a trial frequently postponed due to the pandemic. It was initially planned for September but was extended at the defense’s request.
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