Nipsey Hussle's murderer sentenced to 60 years to life in prison
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Eric Holder has been sentenced to 60 years to life in prison after gunning down rapper Nipsey Hussle.
Wednesday's verdict (22 February) comes months after a Los Angeles jury found him guilty of the 1st-degree murder.
Hussle was shot dead on 31 March 2019, outside his Marathon clothing store in South Los Angeles.
At the time, an LAPD statement on Twitter said: "At approximately 3:20pm (11:20BST) there was a shooting reported in the area of Slauson Ave and Crenshaw Blvd.
"3 victims were transported to a local hospital where one was pronounced deceased."
"The suspect in the shooting is described as a male black & LAPD South Bureau Homicide is conducting an investigation to locate him and anyone else involved."
Holder's murder trial finally took place on 15 June 2022, with him being found guilty of the 1st-degree murder, attempted voluntary manslaughter and two counts of assault on 6 July 2022.
On Wednesday (22 February), Superior Court Judge H. Clay Jacke handed down the sentence after hearing from one of Hussle’s friends and listening to a letter from Holder’s father that was read in court.
In court, Holder - dressed in orange jail attire - did not react when the massive sentence was read.
The convicted murderer was not eligible for the death penalty, but it was a near certainty that he would get a sentence that would mean he would spend the rest of his life behind bars.
The only details that were being thrashed out today were the miner points surrounding Holder's term.
Wednesday's sentencing had been delayed in part so that defense attorney Aaron Jansen could argue for Holder's conviction to be reduced to manslaughter or second-degree murder.
However, that was rejected by Judge Jacke back in December.
Herman 'Cowboy' Douglas was one person who testified at the trial, a friend of Hussle who was actually standing with him when he was killed.
He told the court: "Nipsey was my friend, he was like a son, he was like a dad.
"Our community right now, we lost everything, everything we worked for. One man’s mistake, one man’s action, messed up a whole community."
Douglus told the judge: "I don’t care what you give this guy. It ain’t about the time.
"I just want to know why. The world wants to know why. Why someone would do that?"
Alongside his many achievements in music, Hussle was also celebrated for his many charitable activities in and around the wider LA area.
