Jesse James Hollywood (born January 28, 1980) is an American former drug dealer who kidnapped and ordered the murder of Nicholas Markowitz in 2000.
His coach would later describe him as an "emotional kid" who was later expelled for erupting into a violent fit of rage at one of his teachers near the end of his sophomore year.
He transferred to Calabasas High School where he played on the varsity baseball team until he injured his back and leg, forcing him to give up the sport.
[2] Investigators believe he started selling illegal drugs a year before he ordered the murder of Nicholas Markowitz.
He recruited his former high school friends William Skidmore, Brian Affronti, Benjamin Markowitz, and Jesse Rugge to dispense narcotics for him and build up a profitable illicit drug operation.
He had been a close friend of Benjamin Markowitz, playing on the same junior baseball league and would visit the same Malibu, California gymnasium to exercise together.
[4] On August 9, Hoyt and other associates of Hollywood took Markowitz to a rural location in the mountains north of Santa Barbara and killed him, burying his body in a shallow grave.
When Ryan Hoyt was arrested, Hollywood fled to Canada and then to Brazil with help from his father, his godfather Richard Dispenza (who was unaware he was a fugitive at the time) and his girlfriend.
[6][7] Law enforcement agencies and the Markowitz family offered a reward of US$30,000 for information leading to Hollywood's capture,[8] an amount which was later raised to US$50,000.
He earned money by putting up posters advertising a nightclub and later got jobs giving private English classes and as a dog walker.
[2] Additionally, since he had arrived in the country with a false passport he was an illegal immigrant, which meant he could be deported regardless of his fathering a child with a native Brazilian.
United States authorities worked with Brazilian agents and discovered that Hollywood was planning to meet a cousin at a mall.
Jack Hollywood remained in custody on an outstanding 2002 warrant for a marijuana-related charge and later received 18 months in an Arizona prison.
"Ron" Zonen provided copies of many documents on the case and served as an unpaid consultant to the film, citing his desire to have Hollywood captured.
[19][20] On December 20, 2006, the California Supreme Court granted review on the case effectively staying the order to recuse Zonen.
[23] In his opening statement, Santa Barbara County Deputy District Attorney Joshua Lynn described Hollywood as "a ruthless coward.
[43] The last witness the defense called was District Attorney investigator Paul Kimes, who was questioned by co-counsel Alex Kessel about phone records.
[48][49] The jury found Hollywood guilty of kidnapping and first-degree murder with special circumstances, for which he could face the death penalty.
[56] With the release of Rugge in October 2013, Hollywood and Hoyt are the only two still serving prison sentences for the crimes related to Markowitz's kidnapping and death.