Another posse member got life in prison for kidnapping. There was a photo of Mike Giroux that he allowed to be taken for a Brazilian travel brochure. I’m not aware of any case like this before. It would have been so easy to signal for help. Jesse Katz, Los Angeles Magazine senior writer: Up to that point, Nick  believed he was going home. A local law protected him because he fathered a child in Brazil. Eventually, Nick  was brought by his captors to a Santa Barbara area motel for—of all things—a pool party. At least one neighbor witnessed the abduction and called 911, but authorities were unable to find the van. Katz:  And Jesse James Hollywood seemed to be very agitated by that news and stormed out of the lawyer’s house. Apr 5, 2020 - We compare the Alpha Dog movie to the true story of the real Johnny Truelove, Frankie Ballenbacher and Zack Mazursky. And, the things escalated from there a lot of times. I don’t know what was going on in his head but he would do anything to make us laugh. Today's video is about the murder of Nicholas Markowitz. Marcia Reis: John Paul is a baby, I don’t know what I’ll tell him when he grows up. It was tough. You know, he will never be the same because of his brother’s death. Jesse James Hollywood’s trial is expected to begin in the next few months. Katz: He was. Hansen: So this kid’s thinking, “Alright, I’m in trouble here but once all this gets settled, I’m gonna be ok. They’re gonna let me go.” Bruce Correll, then-deputy sheriff: At one time, young Nick made the comment that “This will be a story I can tell my grandchildren.”. Remember, it was alleged Jesse James Hollywood hoped to avoid possible extradition by fathering a child. His name is John Paul Hollywood-Reis. Over those days, Nick partied and played video games with his captors and was even driven around by parents who had no idea the teen's life was at risk. Nick seemed like just another member of the crew, but later in the day, he explained the situation to her. I’m deeply hurt because I was left on my own with a baby. Something was definitely wrong. They say young people should be taught that the partying,  easy money,  and drug-fueled lifestyle of the Jesse James Hollywood posse, which seemed so enticing... led to death. And then it’s like I went into shock. During filming, Santa Barbara County Deputy District Attorney Ronald J. What’s in today may be out tomorrow. Natasha Adams-Young saw Nick on August 7 when she and a friend visited Jesse Rugge's place with another member of Hollywood's outfit, Graham Pressley. It’s a decision he regrets to this day. And some would come up short. Jesse James Hollywood would tell him, “You owe me money.”  Ben Markowitz says, “Screw you.”. Either way, two of Hollywood’s crew scoped out the scenic mountains above Santa Barbara for the perfect place to commit cold-blooded murder. Pressley was with Nick on that day and needed a ride to the motel, so he called his mom. I had the pleasure of chatting to Royce last week about his experience starting and running Alpha Dog Food. The Markowitzes say they tried everything to help Ben. At Hollywood’s West Hills home, it was one big party regularly videotaped by Jesse James Hollywood and his friends as they drank beer, smoked pot, and goofed around. The group eventually included Ben Markowitz. Zonen denies any misconduct and was not paid for his help to the filmmakers. Cars, girls, music, booze. But it turned out that while Brazil seemed like it was a dead end — there would be new clues on this road leading out of Rio. She told Los Angeles magazine, “He told me that it was okay because he was doing it for his brother, and that as long as his brother was okay, he was okay. Royce Reed has taken his passion for healthy pets and harnessed the power of WooCommerce to build his pet food subscription business, Alpha Dog Food. Bruce Correll, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s dept: We believe that Hollywood is so ruthless and so dangerous that anyone involved with him or would be in his company could be at risk. But if it was a ploy, it didn’t work. It’s just the type of place American law enforcement officials believed would attract Jesse James Hollywood. Soon, what had seemed like an amateurish abduction would take a shocking turn. At some point, Nick was told he was being held because of his half brother’s debt. Reis: With me he was wonderful. Chris Hansen, Dateline correspondent: This has, in many ways, been a mother’s quest. Back in California, though, another family will never have a chance to see their son. Jeff Markowitz: I think a lot of the kids involved in Nick’s murder were at that crossroads where they could have made a choice and listen to their heart, and I don’t think they did. And he’s the son of Jesse James Hollywood and his girlfriend Marcia Reis. But a young life that seemed so full of promise had begun to take a very different path. Hoyt hit Nick in the back of the head with a shovel and then shot him nine times with a TEC-DC9 that Hollywood had given him the day before. They dated and eventually lived together at “Giroux’s” little house in Saquerema. Next 31 results. Like the stream of expensive cars cruising down the Boulevard, a dark undercurrent had been flowing beneath West Hills’ glossy views. For the most part, they’re playing video games. She was Brazilian federal agent Kelly Bernardo: Bernardo, in Portuguese: He was surprised as I approached him and as the authorities told him he was under arrest, he kept saying he was someone else, Michael Giroux. It was a decision Jeff Markowitz will always regret. According to police, the 5’4 former star Little Leaguer had become a marijuana dealer—and he brought a few long-time friends into the business. Is Alpha Dog based on a true story? It was just so final. This is "Alpha Pak Gear Tech Callout IG Story - Millvue Dog Harness" by LB Snipes on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them. But eventually, authorities came to the hills of Brazil, half a world away. Jesse Katz, Los Angeles Magazine senior writer: This is like one of those bad true crime tales come to life. The fugitive himself even sounds like he was created by a screenwriter: His name is “Jesse James Hollywood.”. However, conversations from Jack Hollywood that have been relayed to us indicate that it is highly likely that he knows exactly where his son is. In the West Hills section, there are million dollar homes. We found your son. It’s a story about a very well-to-do part of Los Angeles that lost its way. Authorities say Hollywood was told that anyone directly involved in Nick’s kidnapping could go to prison for life. Earlier, an appeals court removed Zonen for cooperating with the “Alpha Dog” filmmakers. He had nothing to do with his half-brother Ben’s drug debt. Susan Markowitz: I wish I could ask him that. But apparently, not allthe time. At times, four or five  posse members and even a small group of girls went in and out of the picture. I don’t remember.Hansen: You contemplated taking your own life?Susan Markowitz: Suicide. He was a Little League coach, he was well-spoken, he took care of his family, he wasn’t a flashy guy calling attention to himself.Hansen: But he was long suspected of being a major marijuana dealer. Around $1,200 dollars at one point. How does someone this young afford his own house? One day in March, 2005, Marcia said, the man she knew as “mike” got a phone call from a family member. Pressley was allegedly ordered to go dig a grave. Marcia Reis: I’m not angry, but yes I’m hurt. They say it’s incredibly sad the young people involved were more  worried about preserving their lifestyle and currying favor with Jesse James Hollywood than in protecting Nick. Many did, however - for example, one associate, Brian Affronti, testified he got a ride from Hollywood on the day of the abduction and saw Nick duct-taped in the back of their van. The caring, loving man she thought she knew was accused in a murder thousands of miles away. Back in West Hills, after a week and a half of anguish, Nick’s parents got the devastating news. But despite their misgivings, Jeff and Susan Markowitz cooperated with director Nick Cassavettes and the “Alpha Dog” cast, including Sharon Stone, who plays a character based on Susan. In fact, it looked like the posse itself wasn’t so sure what they were doing. Then-deputy sheriff Bruce Correll: They had found a location there where they did dig a grave...and they then returned down to the hotel...where they then picked up Nick and then did drive him up there. On August 8, two days after the abduction, the crew decided to throw a pool party at a local motel. Sweet, funny, gangly kid that I hung out with for three days a couple weeks ago. He didn’t talk much, but he seemed to love his two dogs—and he worked out with weights that he kept on the front patio. Get to the bottom of it, now. Katz: It does seem that parents kind of wandered in and out of the picture almost like ghosts, never really asking these inconvenient questions. In the meantime, Nick’s mother Susan could barely hang on. Katz:  It was a real scene. And I’d like to see a movie about our son. Hansen: Perhaps wouldn’t have met Jesse James Hollywood?Jeff Markowitz: He probably wouldn’t have met Jesse James Hollywood. In the film, the character modeled after Markowitz was named Zack Mazursky. Pulls out this Tech 9, one squeeze of the trigger, nine bullets shoot out. I made up cards.Hansen: You actually made up cards, and handed them out in the community.Susan Markowitz: Everywhere. Hansen: Where was Nick going when he left the house the day he disappeared? The prosecutor says “Alpha Dog” will not affect the case at all, because any potential juror who might happen to have seen the film would be excused from this case. Susan Markowitz: It’ll never be over. He was going along with it.”. Ben reportedly broke a window at Jesse Hollywood’s house. An entire city was shocked when these same kids stood accused of an unspeakable crime. And they had in fact discussed, you know, the potential for escape. He spent some time with the crew later that day and saw Nick unbound and sitting on the couch with his captors. Jesse James Hollywood, he was probably a wannabe bad boy. Bruce Correll: ...the death penalty...exactly. It’s still a mystery. Now , there are new twists and turns in the Jesse James Hollywood saga. Jeff Markowitz: I shouldn’t have waited at all. Jeff Markowitz: If I would have held onto Ben and kept him in my household, he wouldn’t have been on the street. And a few months later it turned out that having followed these roads 65 miles from Rio, investigators blazed a trail to new leads: The FBI and other law enforcement agencies obtained intelligence that brought the international search for Jesse James Hollywood to this windswept beach resort on the eastern coast of Brazil called Saquerema. In Colorado Springs, where his family once lived,  Hollywood visited an old family friend. This question has bugged several movie buffs who watched the movie Alpha Dog that released back in 2007. In the meantime, Marcia Reis was in stunned disbelief. Katz: Jesse James Hollywood was a businessman. Susan was frightened that Nick, who idolized his older half-brother, would soon be led into trouble too. For the first day and a half, the Markowitzes were desperately making phone calls and struggling to figure out what could have happened. And he ended up in Rio de Janeiro. He just had so much energy. 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