Crime & Safety
Boxer's Shooter Sentenced After Odenton Murder: Prosecutors
A boxer and father was killed by his neighbor. The shooter was sentenced to prison in Anne Arundel County.
ODENTON, MD — Prosecutors said the man who shot an Anne Arundel County father and rising boxer last summer was sentenced to prison on Tuesday.
The state's attorney said Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Judge Richard Trunnell sentenced Nicholas Francis Giroux, 37, of Odenton, to life in prison plus 20 years.
Giroux confessed to killing his neighbor, 27-year-old Isaiah Olugbemi of Odenton, State's Attorney Anne Colt Leitess said.
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Olugbemi's son was 2 years old at the time of his father's death.
The prosecution said Giroux pleaded guilty on Feb. 28 to first-degree murder and the use of a firearm in a crime of violence.
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Related: Dad, Boxer Was 'Goofball' With 'Infectious Smile'
"Mr. Olugbemi was a father and rising star in amateur boxing. This was a cruel and senseless murder that took the life of someone with great promise," Leitess said in a press release. "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."
Olugbemi had only boxed for three years before winning possibly the nation's most prestigious amateur tournament. He traveled to Detroit in mid-May 2024, where he won five straight bouts to claim the Golden Gloves of America crown in the 203-pound class.
Coaches stressed how "unheard of" the national victory was for the relatively new boxer, nicknamed Mr. Big Fella. The Golden Gloves title was likely one of Olugbemi's final amateur matches before going pro, as professional promoters had already contacted him.
Patch spoke with Olugbemi's family and friends at his vigil at GORC Park. Read our full story to learn how he was a "goofball" with an "infectious smile."
The Anne Arundel County Police Department said it was called to the 500 Block of Meadowmist Way in Odenton on June 17, 2024, around 9:44 p.m. for a shooting.
Officers said they found the victim suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Medics took him to the University of Maryland R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, where he died from his injuries.
An autopsy from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide by gunfire, the release said.
Authorities said they recovered surveillance video footage that captured the shooting.
Prosecutors said Giroux was seen approaching Olugbemi on Meadowmist Way and shooting him multiple times with a handgun until the victim fell to the ground.
Giroux then returned to fire three additional shots, the state's attorney said.
Leitess said Giroux fled to his nearby townhome before getting into a van and leaving the area.
Investigators said they recovered 9-mm cartridge casings from the scene.
The prosecution said Giroux confronted Olugbemi and a next-door neighbor 16 days earlier while they were having a cookout and playing music in the neighbor's backyard.
The state's attorney said Giroux displayed a handgun, but because he hadn't pointed it, no arrest was made.
Leitess said Giroux was developed as a suspect using surveillance video, witness information and police records.
Investigators said Giroux confessed to the murder during an interview and later led investigators to the location of the 9-mm handgun he used in the killing.
Assistant State's Attorney Carolynn Grammas prosecuted the case. Homicide detectives with the Anne Arundel County Police Department led the investigation.
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