ANNAPOLIS, MD (BN24) — A 37-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a promising Nigerian boxer, Isaiah Olugbemi, who was shot dead in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, last year. Nicholas Francis Giroux, of Odenton, received a life sentence plus an additional 20 years for the first-degree murder of the 27-year-old athlete on August 26, 2025.
Giroux, who pleaded guilty to the murder in February 2025, was convicted for the fatal shooting of Olugbemi, a rising star in amateur boxing. Olugbemi, a father with dreams of turning professional by the end of 2024, was killed on June 17, 2024, in a violent attack that shocked the local community and beyond.
“This was a cruel and senseless murder that took the life of someone with great promise,” said Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess after the sentencing. “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 tragic incident unfolded on the 500 block of Meadowmist Way in Odenton when Olugbemi was shot multiple times in what police described as a cold and calculated attack. Giroux shot Olugbemi several times until he collapsed, and then fired three more shots as the victim lay on the ground, according to police. The entire incident was captured on video.
Authorities said that about two weeks prior to the murder, Giroux had confronted Olugbemi and a neighbor while they were having a cookout and playing music in the backyard. Giroux had shown a firearm during the altercation, but police did not arrest him at the time because he did not point the weapon at anyone. However, following the murder, Giroux admitted to the crime during an interview with police on June 18, 2024.
Olugbemi, who trained at a local gym in Anne Arundel County, was an up-and-coming boxer with big dreams. He had won the National Golden Gloves Championship just a month before his death and secured another amateur win the week prior. Jim Hook, the owner of the gym where Olugbemi trained, described the boxer as a dedicated and hardworking individual with a bright future in the sport.
“The last text I sent to him was right after he won the fight, and I was like, ‘I’m so proud of you, you accomplished your dreams, man, congratulations,'” Hook said.
Olugbemi’s death has left a void in the local boxing community, as well as a deep sense of grief among his family and friends. The sentencing of Giroux brings a measure of closure, but the tragic loss of a young life with so much potential continues to resonate.
