A 37-year-old man, Nicholas Giroux, has been sentenced to life imprisonment plus 20 years for the murder of Nigerian-American boxer, Isaiah Olugbemi, in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.

According to a press release by the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office which was cited by PUNCH Online on Saturday, Giroux was sentenced on Friday afternoon by Judge Richard Trunnell of the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court after pleading guilty to first-degree murder and use of a firearm in a crime of violence. The terms are to run consecutively in the Division of Corrections.

Olugbemi, 27, who was described as a rising star in amateur boxing and a father, was shot multiple times by Giroux on June 17, 2024, in the 500 block of Meadowmist Way, Odenton.

Police said the victim was found with several gunshot wounds and later died at R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. An autopsy ruled the death a homicide by gunfire.

Surveillance footage from the scene showed Giroux approaching Olugbemi, shooting him repeatedly until he fell, and then firing three more rounds before fleeing. Police recovered 9mm cartridge casings at the scene.

Investigators said Giroux had previously confronted the victim and a neighbour during a cookout about two weeks earlier, brandishing a handgun but not pointing it.

After the murder, he confessed during questioning and led authorities to the location of the firearm used.

State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess described the killing as “cruel and senseless,” noting that Olugbemi had a promising future in boxing.

She said, “Mr. Olugbemi was a father and a rising star in amateur boxing. The callousness and lack of remorse on the part of this Defendant is really disturbing. He deserves this sentence. And to the family and friends of Mr. Olugbemi, I hope that today provides some sense of justice for this terrible ordeal.

“The callousness and lack of remorse on the part of this Defendant is really disturbing. He deserves this sentence. And to the family and friends of Mr. Olugbemi, I hope that today provides some sense of justice.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney Carolynn Grammas, while homicide detectives with the Anne Arundel County Police Department led the investigation. (Saturday PUNCH)