It’s been a heartbreaking three-year journey for the family and loved ones of late rapper, Nipsey Hussle…but hopefully the latest ruling in his murder case will help bring them at least some closure.

A jury has just convicted Eric Holder of first degree murder in the 2019 killing of Nipsey Hussle. Details are below…

Via Associated Press: Jurors found a 32-year-old man guilty of first-degree murder Wednesday for the 2019 fatal shooting of rapper Nipsey Hussle.

The Los Angeles County jury also found Eric R. Holder Jr. guilty of two counts of attempted voluntary manslaughter instead of two attempted murder counts as prosecutors had sought for two other men who were hit by gunfire at the scene.

Holder, wearing a blue suit and face mask, stood up in the small court room next to his lawyer as the verdict was read. He had no visible reaction.

Jurors deliberated for about six hours over two days before reaching the verdict.

Their was substantial evidence against Holder throughout the trial…ranging from eyewitness accounts, to nearby businesses’ surveillance footage of Holder before, during, and after shooting Nipsey Hussle.

During the trial, Holder’s attorney didn’t even bother to try to convince the jury that Holder was not the shooter, but instead attempted to persuade them to convict him on involuntary manslaughter charges:

Via AP – Holder’s lawyer Aaron Jansen said that being publicly accused of being a “snitch” by a person as prominent as Hussle brought on a “heat of passion” in Holder that made him not guilty of first-degree murder.

“This is a provocation that stirs up rage and powerful emotion,” Jansen told jurors Thursday.

However, the D.A. disagreed with Holder’s attorney, and instead presented a more likely theory, which the jury clearly agreed with:

Via A.P. – Deputy District Attorney John McKinney argued during the trial that Holder and everyone else in the conversation that preceded Hussle’s death were so calm that the “snitching” conversation could not have been the primary motive, and that Holder must have had some previous envy or hatred for Hussle.

McKinney told jurors that the nine minutes between the conversation and the shooting allowed more than enough time for the killing to be premeditated, a requirement for first-degree murder.

As we previously reported, Nipsey was killed outside of his Marathon Clothing store in Los Angeles, CA. He and Eric Holder were already familiar with one another, having grown up in the same areas in L.A..

Nipsey’s business associate, Herman Douglas, was also at Nipsey’s Marathon Clothing Store that day. He testified to the grand jury that Nipsey was the first one to spot Eric Holder when he and the woman initially pulled up, and asked, “Is that Shitty (Holder’s street name)?”

Their Conversation Was “Non-Confrontational,” Yet Direct

TMZ– Herman describes the conversation between Nipsey and Holder as non-confrontational, but he too says Nipsey told Holder he’d heard rumors about him snitching … and Nipsey advised Holder to take care of it.

Herman says Holder denied it, saying, “Motherf***ers be hating on me.” He says at the end Nipsey and Holder shook hands and parted ways with zero animosity.

Our hearts go out to the family and loved ones of Nipsey, including his children, his parents, siblings, and fiancee’– actress Lauren London, at this time. May Nipsey Hussle continue to rest in peace and power.