A Maryland man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for murdering a talented young boxer whose career was just beginning to flourish.
Nicholas Francis Giroux, 37, received a life sentence plus 20 years for killing Isaiah Olugbemi, a 27-year-old Nigerian boxer who had recently achieved his dream of winning a national championship.
Giroux, from Odenton, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in February and was sentenced this past Monday.
The case has deeply affected the local boxing community, where Olugbemi was known as both a dedicated athlete and loving father.
The tragedy unfolded on June 17, 2024, when police were called to a residential area on Meadowmist Way in Odenton.
They found Olugbemi suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Despite being rushed to the hospital, he couldn’t be saved.
According to investigators, video footage captured the horrific attack.
It showed Giroux shooting Olugbemi repeatedly until he collapsed, then firing three additional shots.
The next day, Giroux confessed to police during an interview.
The murder appeared to stem from an earlier confrontation.
About two weeks before the shooting, Giroux had approached Olugbemi and a neighbor during a neighborhood cookout, showing them a gun but not directly threatening anyone.
At the time, police didn’t make an arrest.
Olugbemi’s death shocked those who knew him. He had just accomplished something extraordinary in amateur boxing – winning the National Golden Gloves Championship in Washington, D.C.
Just one week before his death, he had won another amateur fight, moving closer to his goal of turning professional by the end of 2024.
“The last text I sent him was after his win,” remembered Jim Hook, who owned the Anne Arundel County gym where Olugbemi trained.
“I told him, ‘I’m so proud of you, you accomplished your dreams, man, congratulations.'”
State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess spoke about the impact of this loss, calling it “a cruel and senseless murder” of “a father and rising star in amateur boxing.”
She noted the defendant’s complete lack of remorse, saying the life sentence was deserved and hopefully brought some measure of justice to Olugbemi’s family and friends.
