Eric Holder, the killer of Nipsey Hussle, has been sentenced to 60 years to life in prison. Holder was found guilty of first-degree murder.
Outside of the courtroom, Hussle’s friend Cowboy spoke on the sentence.
“Justice was definitely served,” Cowboy said. “I was never in it for the time, I just wanted to know why. 60 years, that will hold him. That was definitely justice for Nipsey.”
The sentence is handed down, but Cowboy expresses that time won’t fill the void of the late rapper.
“It’s going to be an open wound forever,” Cowboys said. “None of this is going to bring Nipsey back. He was our friend. He was our everything. It’s a big void.”
Holder killed Nipsey Hussle in 2019, and prosecutors note that after the murder, he kicked the late rapper in the head.
According to TMZ, Holder shot two additional people during the crime. In addition to first-degree murder, Hussle was found guilty of 2 counts of attempted voluntary manslaughter, 2 counts of assault with a firearm, and possession of a firearm by a felon.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Holder left Hussle after a brief encounter only to return several minutes later and shoot the rapper 11 times.
During the trial, Holder’s attorney, Aaron Jansen, did not seek acquittal but instead attempted a lesser charge of manslaughter. During his argument, Jansen argued his client was “triggered” by accusations of cooperating with law enforcement.
“This was not just a pleasant conversation between homies who are chopping it up … this was a serious accusation,” Jansen said.
One of the first witnesses was Shermi Villanueva, a 47-year-old injured in The Marathon Store’s parking lot. During Villanueva’s testimony, the last words of Nipsey Hussle were recounted.
“‘He shot me. He shot me,'” Villanueva said he heard Hussle say. “I heard it, and then I saw Nipsey fall. When I looked and see Nipsey, I started to run.”