Jesse James Hollywood grew up in West Hills, Los Angeles, showing early promise in school and sports. By his teenage years, he’d drifted into drug dealing, aiming to make money fast. He led a small crew, including Jesse Rugge and William Skidmore, to distribute narcotics. Hollywood’s operation was fueled by ambition and edge, often showing off wealth and power to maintain influence within his social circle.

While he projected confidence, his overreach led to catastrophic decisions. In the summer of 2000, when Ben Markowitz fell behind on a drug debt to Hollywood, Jesse orchestrated a plan to leverage the situation—leading to the kidnapping of Nicholas Markowitz.

On August 6, 2000, Hollywood and two associates kidnapped 15-year-old Nicholas Markowitz from West Hills. He was held in various locations before Hollywood, fearing the legal weight of kidnapping, ordered his murder. Ryan Hoyt complied, shooting Nicholas multiple times on August 9 in the Santa Ynez Mountains, then burying his body in a shallow grave.

Hollywood immediately became a fugitive—fleeing to Canada, then landing in Brazil in March 2005, where he was arrested in Saquarema. Extradited to LA, he underwent a jury trial, which concluded on July 8, 2009, with convictions for kidnapping and first-degree murder under special circumstances. On July 15, the jury sentenced him to life in prison without parole. Today, he is serving his sentence at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego County.