Nipsey Hussle: Jury finds man guilty in hip-hop artist's murder - CNN

(CNN)A Los Angeles jury has found Eric Ronald Holder Jr. guilty of first-degree murder in shooting death of the late rapper Nipsey Hussle.

The beloved artist, born Ermias Joseph Asghedom, was fatally shot on March 31, 2019 near his Marathon Clothing store in South Los Angeles. He was 33.

Holder, who knew Hussle, had approached him over allegations he had called him a snitch, according to prosecutors.

"We told you that Mr. Holder Jr. did shoot Mr. Asghedom," said defense attorney Aaron Jansen during closing arguments last week, asking jurors to consider lesser charges. "We told you it was voluntary manslaughter and that he acted in a heat of passion. And we told you what that heat of passion that he acted on consisted of -- it consisted of being called publicly a snitch by someone as famous as Nipsey Hussle and we believe that is what the evidence showed."

Meanwhile, prosecutor John McKinney said Holder was not consumed by rage that day.

"We have a step by step methodically carried out plan to return to that parking lot and kill. It's not done in the heat of passion, in fact, it's done 10 minutes after the conversation, in fact it's done after he shakes Nipsey Hussle's hand," he said.

Eric Holder listens during opening statements in his trial on June 15.

After the verdict, Herman "Cowboy" Douglas, a friend of Hussle, said the late artist never called Holder a snitch and still wanted answers on why his friend was shot.

"It was so senseless, why?" he asked, rhetorically.

Douglas said the conversation between Hussle and Holder "never got heated" that fateful day.

"I'm just sad, I miss my friend. He's supposed to be here, he's supposed to still be here. He was the underdog that made it," said Douglas, who testified during the trial.

"I don't wish death on people," he said of Holder. "Give us some closure, let us know why."

A father of two, a Grammy winner and a successful entrepreneur, Hussle was the founder of record label All Money In, which he debuted with the release of "The Marathon," the rapper's fifth official mixtape. His 2013 "Crenshaw" release sold more than 1,000 cassettes each priced at $100, according to his Press Atlantic Records biography.

Hussle collaborated with dozens of artists during his career, including Kendrick Lamar, Drake, YG, Ty Dolla Sign, Meek Mill and Young Thug.

Holder is scheduled to be sentenced in September. CNN has reached out to his attorney for comment.

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