Jesse James Hollywood

In their South America-based book of correspondence Five Years, Christian Kracht and David Woodard frequently discuss Jesse James Hollywood’s predicament between the years 2004 and 2006.

Saulsbury continued on the fifth day with Kelly Carpenter discussing the actions of Rugge and Pressley's mother. The following day saw testimony from Rugge's childhood friend, Richard Hoeflinger, who spoke about what he witnessed. Subsequently, several Santa Barbara residents told the jury about events leading to Nick Markowitz’s murder.

On January 19, 2014, Hollywood married Melinda Enos, a woman who began writing to him after his sentencing. The ceremony was held in the visitor's room. With the release of Rugge in October 2013, Hollywood and Hoyt are the only two still serving prison sentences for the crimes surrounding Markowitz's kidnapping and death.

While Hollywood had been in Brazil, all of the other participants in the murder were arrested and tried. Ryan Hoyt is currently on death row at San Quentin State Prison. Graham Pressley was released from the California Youth Authority Facility in 2007. As of July 2, 2013, Jesse Rugge was granted parole. William Skidmore was released in April 2009 after serving 9 years behind bars for the kidnapping.

Hollywood has continued to file for motions of appeal for both his trial and sentencing in various courts since his initial judgement. On February 5, 2010, the judge upheld Hollywood's sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole. On February 12, 2012, an appellate court upheld the conviction and denied a motion for a new trial. Hollywood's defense alleged he was not guilty because Markowitz could have left at any time of his own will and chose not to do so, ending Hollywood's responsibility at the time he last saw Markowitz.

After the Court review, in June 2008 his trial date was set to begin February 19, 2009, but it was delayed. Three months later the murder trial officially started on Friday, May 15. The defense's opening statements stated that Hollywood was not involved with the murder. In his opening statement, Santa Barbara County Deputy Dist. Atty. Joshua Lynn described Hollywood as "a ruthless coward."

On July 8, 2009, following three days of deliberation, the jury reached a verdict. The jury found Hollywood guilty of kidnapping and first-degree murder with special circumstances, for which he could face the death penalty. On Monday July 13, the jury began the penalty phase of the trial. The mothers of the defendant and the victim took the stand, as did brothers of the defendant and the victim. Closing arguments began during the second day of the penalty phase. On July 15, 2009, Hollywood was sentenced according to the jury's recommendation of life in prison.

On May 12, 2008, the California Supreme Court ruled that Zonen need not be recused. Nonetheless, Zonen was replaced with Joshua Lynn, who is serving as lead prosecution attorney. While in jail, Hollywood began signing his mail as "Alpha Dog" and had mentioned an "Alpha Dog World Tour."

In 2006, the movie Alpha Dog, based on Jesse Hollywood and the kidnap and Murder of Nicholas Markowitz, premiered. During filming, Santa Barbara County Deputy District Attorney Ronald J. "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. Zonen prosecuted Hollywood’s co-defendants and was poised to prosecute Hollywood. James Blatt, Hollywood's defense attorney, claimed there was a conflict of interest, and the California Court of Appeal for the Second District ruled on October 5, 2006 that, based on Zonen's disclosure of the files and consultant service he should be recused from further involvement in prosecuting Hollywood. On December 20, 2006, the California Supreme Court granted review on the case effectively staying the order to recuse Zonen.

United States authorities worked with Brazilian agents and discovered that Hollywood was planning to meet a cousin at a mall. He was arrested by Brazilian authorities in Saquarema in March 2005. In July 2005 Reis gave birth to Hollywood's son, named John Paul Hollywood-Reis.

In 2005, on the same day Jesse James Hollywood was arrested in Brazil, his father was arrested for manufacturing the illicit narcotic GHB, but the charge was later thrown out of court. Jack Hollywood remained in custody on an outstanding 2002 warrant for a marijuana-related charge, and later received 18 months in an Arizona prison.

He developed a relationship with Marcia Reis, and in November 2004 she got pregnant. Hollywood thought her pregnancy would prevent him from being extradited to the United States, as he believed Brazilian law included a provision that protected the father of a native Brazilian from extradition. This had been true, but the law was changed after the international controversy involving fugitive criminal Ronnie Biggs. 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.

On August 6, 2000 Hollywood and some of his crew, Jesse Rugge and William Skidmore kidnapped Nicholas Markowitz. Nicholas was half-brother to Ben Markowitz, who owed Hollywood $1,200 in drug debt. The intention was to use Nicholas as leverage in order to get Ben Markowitz to pay the debt. Nicholas was taken from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara, and held for three days. Hollywood became concerned about his circumstances after consulting a lawyer who told him that anyone involved with the kidnapping was looking at a life sentence. Hollywood ordered Ryan Hoyt, one of his subordinates, to kill Markowitz, giving Hoyt a TEC-9 gun to do it with.

He was profiled on America's Most Wanted in September 2000 and June 2004, and twice in 2005 after he was captured. The story was featured on NBC's Dateline and four times on Fox Network's America's Most Wanted

Hollywood was born to Jack and Laurie Hollywood and was raised in West Hills, Los Angeles. As a child he was involved in junior baseball league. His father moved the family to Colorado in an attempt to run a restaurant in the mid-1990s, but returned to West Hills in 1995.

Jesse James Hollywood (born January 28, 1980) is an American former drug dealer who kidnapped and ordered the Murder of Nicholas Markowitz in 2000. He was arrested in 2005 and is serving life without parole at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, California.