A Maryland court has sentenced 37-year-old Nicholas Francis Giroux to life in prison for the killing of rising Nigerian boxer, Isaiah Olugbemi, in 2024.

Giroux, who lived in Odenton, received life imprisonment plus 20 years after pleading guilty to first-degree murder. The sentencing took place on August 26, 2025, in Anne Arundel County.

According to prosecutors, Giroux showed no remorse throughout the case. “This was a cruel and senseless murder that took the life of someone with great promise,” State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess said. She described Olugbemi as a father and a talented athlete, adding that she hoped the ruling would bring some comfort to the grieving family.

Police reports revealed that on June 17, 2024, officers were called to Meadowmist Way in Odenton, where Olugbemi had been shot multiple times. He was rushed to hospital but later pronounced dead.

Video evidence showed Giroux firing several rounds until the boxer fell, before shooting him again at close range. Investigators also disclosed that just weeks before the killing, Giroux had confronted Olugbemi and a neighbor during a backyard cookout, where he brandished a gun but was not arrested because he didn’t point it at anyone.

The following day, June 18, 2024, Giroux confessed to the murder during police questioning.

Olugbemi, 27, was considered one of the brightest prospects in amateur boxing. He had won the prestigious National Golden Gloves Championship in Washington, D.C., just a month before his death and was already planning to turn professional by the end of 2024.

His trainer, Jim Hook, recalled how passionate Olugbemi was about the sport. “The last text I sent to him was after he won a fight, telling him how proud I was. He was living his dream,” Hook said.

The tragic killing has left Maryland’s boxing community in shock, with many describing Olugbemi’s death as a painful loss to both the sport and his family.