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Jesse James Hollywood Found Guilty of First-Degree Murder
By Michelle Nelson, Noozhawk Staff Writer | 
| Published on 07.08.2009
Jurors on Wednesday convicted Jesse James Hollywood of first-degree murder and kidnapping for masterminding the 2000 slaying of 15-year-old Nicholas Markowitz.
The Santa Barbara County Superior Court jurors began their deliberations July 1 after the six-week trial.
Markowitz’s older half-brother, Ben Markowitz, dealt drugs with Hollywood; in the months before the killing, Markowitz had refused to settle a $1,200 drug debt with Hollywood, leading Hollywood and his associates to allegedly kidnap the San Fernando Valley teenager. Hollywood allegedly ordered him killed later.
Hollywood, who had pleaded not guilty to the charges, could face the death penalty.
The crime was the basis for the 2006 movie Alpha Dog.
— Noozhawk staff writer Michelle Nelson can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
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» on 07.08.09 @ 05:10 PM
That is how the justice system should work! WTG jurors! He deserves the death sentence! Nicholas was an innocent victim!!!
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» on 07.08.09 @ 06:20 PM
I, for one, am surprised that a guilty verdict was brought in on murder-one. (Of the kidnapping charge, there was no doubt.) I attended the trial for at least an hour every day, and thought that the DA’s team often labored in the face of their own witnesses who turned hostile on them, and though at the beginning I was pretty sure Hollywood had ordered the killing, I was pretty sure at the end that the Prosecution had failed to establish his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
But maybe what I didn’t see made the difference. Or maybe the Jury just got POed at the Defense’s pit bull tactics.
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» on 07.08.09 @ 07:50 PM
Please join the Facebook group to honor Nick Markowitz and offer some words of support to his family—it means a lot to them.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=99705960901
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» on 07.09.09 @ 05:00 AM
Ex-Gaucho is right. The prosecution presented a very weak case that this decision could easily be overturned on appeal. It is likely that jurors were influenced against the defense by the misdeeds of the deputy district attorney who consulted with the making of the movie, Alpha Dog.
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» on 07.09.09 @ 09:36 AM
What is misunderstood here is that all the prosecution really needed to do was prove a kidnapping and that a murder resulted. Even if Hollywood didn’t order it he could still be found guilty of felony murder. Defense was there were 2 separate kidnappings, which they would need to overcome the continuing crime doctrine which says that kinapping is a continuing crime which does not end until the victim is either killed or reaches a place of safety. I though half of the prosecution team was weak but ultimately I think Kessel lost the case for Defense. Good verdict, clearly a murder.
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» on 07.09.09 @ 04:38 PM
There is a big difference betwee reasonable doubt and ANY doubt. The prosecution did their job. Hollywood will hopefully be removed from soceity for the rest of his life. You pretend to head a criminal enterprise…. while really being a dumb thug…..and make an unbelievably dumb decision to avoid life in prison… you need to bear your punishment. There was no need to murder Nicholas, Hollywood could have and should have returned him to his family.
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» on 07.09.09 @ 10:20 PM
It is a shame that our system is such that these boys weren’t caught with their drug use and sales before they were in so deep.
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» on 07.10.09 @ 02:20 PM
i guess to ams everyone is a victim.
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