The Last Ride of Jesse James (Hollywood)

[JohnMill]

Anyone else think this creep should be in jail by now? - This case was profiled by UM in 2001 and to my knowledge is still unsolved.

I must admit besides The Maples case (and a few of the other child abductions including the epic Amy Billig case which is semi-solved) there is no other case that I would like to see wrapped up then the case of the punk drug dealing murderer "Jesse James Hollywood".

For those of you who don't know JJH was a big time drug dealer in Los Angeles and scored enough dough to furnish himself a million dollar house and a fast sports car. While portraying a "street kid" image, he was actually the pampared son of a prominent California business man named Jack Hollywood.

JJH was also an accomplished baseball played and used a lot of his baseball contacts in his drug ring - One of his cronies was Benjamin Markowitz a local hood (although he tried to pass himself off as a clean cut kid scared straight by the tragedies that affected his family on UM - More on him later) who owed him a huge drug debt. Both boys participated in "junior high school" like pranks (from smashing windows, to prank phone calls etc) until Benjamin Markowitz took it up a notch by killing one of JJH dogs and smashing up his house.

JJH retailiated (as a knee jerk reaction) by kidnapping Benjamin Markowitz's younger step-brother Nick.

Now here is where things get seriously weird, one in custody of JJH and his cronies, Nick was treated more or less like a friend as they allowed him to play their video games, drink their booze and smoke up dope at his leisure. The "good times" ended however when JJH got in contact with a family lawyer and was told that the kidnapping of Nick could land him some serious jail time and he should "dispose of the problem" (Who the heck was this lawyer that gave this obviously immature teen this information?)

To make a long story short, JJH enlisted the help of yet another crony who owed him "drug money" and as a way of paying off his debt this crony along with two other friends murdered Nick and buried his body in a shallow grave.

The body was of course found days later, and all involved were arrested and brought up on charges. Of the three boys involved in the slaying - 1) One is going to recieve the death penalty (well deserved I might add and I'm basically not pro capital punishment) 2) One is serving a long prison sentence 3) The third only a conspiritor got off by turning evidence on JJH and his other cronies. JJH took flight and hasn't been seen since.

What is amazing is the irresponsibility in this matter and how this senseless act could have easily been avoided.

1) Benjamin Markowitz's parents should have intervened with the vandalizing of JJH's property - their "pranks" should have never gotten to the point where someone was kidnapped.

2) The Kidnapping - A 911 call was made and the 911 operator bungled it and called it an assault so the incident was given less priority than if it was deemed a "kidnapping". (Where do they get these operators from? - these are supposed to be credible people able to handle others in the state of an emergency god forbid someone was dying and ended up with this idiotic operator)

3) Nick Markowitz himself - Although he is the victim and is the least to blame for his demise he has to share some blame in this incident. It would be understandable if JJH treated him like a prisoner (admittedly he did duct tape him up once) but from all account he was treated like "one of the boys" and allowed to do as he pleased during his "internment". Also there was a length of time where Nick was left alone without any of the kidnappers present and at no time did he attempt to run away. I ain't buying the Stockholm syndrome here people believe me there are a million people who if in Nick's position during those three days would have bolted if given the many opportunities he did - The reason why he didn't is unknown and it baffles the mind.

4) The Other Kids - There were several other friends of JJH who dropped by the house where Nick was kept who were not involved in the kidnapping. One of them was even wary enough to want to call the police but she didn't cause someone told her that JJH was "crazy"

5) JJH demeanor - While this "friend" might have though JJH was "crazy" evidence suggests otherwise that JJH was cool, calm and collected during the entire ordeal. Also it has been noted from everyone who knew him be it friends, Benjamin Markowitz or fellow drug cronies that JJH was "full of hot air" and was basically a shrimp who Nick himself probably could have taken in a fair fight. Although JJH had some tough friends most of the people who knew him when questioned after the murder thought of Jesse as basically "a little punk who was all bark and no bite".

6) The parents - There were several opportunities where parents such as the mother of one of the accomplices in the murder plot were in contact directly with Nick. This mother in fact gave Nick a ride to a hotel the day he was murdered. Although some of the blame again falls on Nick for not speaking up (If he would have said I'm being kidnapped - I'm sure the mother would have put the kaibash on the whole thing right then and there and the kicker is JJH was not even present when this parent was in contact with Nick) - The fact that Nick didn't say anything proves that either he was extremley naive or extremely stupid (Again I'm not buying the "Stockholm Syndrome" or the fact that he thought that his captors were not dangerous - kidnapping is a very serious thing and for someone to take it as lightly as Nick was is something else all together)

7) The lawyer - JJH did not consider murdering Nick (he was actually considering returning him) until his lawyer told him that he could spend a sufficiant amount of time in jail. This lawyer having known JJH and his family for years (haven gotten JJH off on several drug related incidents) should have known what a "live-wire" JJH was and that he couldn't handle that information and the fact he suggested that JJH should have "done away with the problem" leads me to believe this lawyer should be disbarred and possibly brought up on conspiricy charges relating to Nick's death.

8) Poor judgment due to intoxication - What I ascertain is that everyone involved in this murder from the murderers to JJH to the victim himself went through the entire weekend in a stoned haze. In fact when questioned everyone seems to agree that if given more time to think about what they were going to do they wouldn't have comitted the act (While this may seem like a spin on the "I'm not guilty" plea consider this - if pot was not introduced to the mix Nick might still be alive today.

9) Uncle Hollywood - From all accounts Hollywood's uncle was an upstanding pillar of his community though during JJH's inital flight (the first few days) this "uncle" harbored a fugitive when he could have ended the search for Jesse right then and there. While I understand protecting kin, it served the uncle right that he lost his job as a teacher and a coach and had sanctions filed against him.

10) Jack Hollywood - Jack Hollywood is the crux of this entire problem, besides being a prominent business man and a baseball coach, Jack Hollywood is a major dope dealer himself with mob connections. It is believed to this day that "daddy's skirts" are what is keeping JJH in hiding avoiding his day in court to be arrained on charges of orchestrating the murder of Nick. Its enough to make you sick eh?

Basically as you can tell this whole damn mess could have been prevented so many times. In no other crime I have ever seen on UM has there been such a perversion of justice and human decency than in the case of "Jesse James Hollywood" and "Nick Markowitz". Oh yeah one last thing about Benjamin Markowitz although he appeared to be the grieving victim's brother on UM he soon returned to his devious was being arrested for several felonies (although he got off) as his step-mother said "He's rubbing his brothers name in the dirt."

Jesse James Hollywood needs to be brought to justice for if nothing else as a martyr or an example to a generation of teens running out of control, bankrolled by their wealthy and sometimes moraless (Jack Hollywood) and sometimes oblivious (the other parents) parents. The capture and ultimate conviction and possible execution of JJH will serve as a reminder that in the real world there are adult consequences for your actions and you can not escape the sins of your past. Perhaps with the arrest and conviction of JJH sometime will finally be made right in this whole dibocle.

There have been possible sightings of JJH in western canada and Langley, Virginia. Anyone else have any updates on this case?

This site was very helpful in the preparation of this essay http://articles.findarticles.com/p/a...47/ai_82322705

[Kane]

True, Jesse James Hollywood should be in jail by now. Someone must be helping him because, by one account, he's not smart enough to stay to help himself remain a fugitive.

He's been profiled repeatedly on America's Most Wanted, most recently a week or two ago. In AMW's latest airing of the segment, it was mentioned that they had arrested a man up in Canada who resembled Hollywood. But it turned out that it wasn't Hollywood. Just someone who happened to resemble him.

[Composite Sketch]

I saw that too, I didn't think that the guy they arrested looked very much like him. He was huskier and appeared to be older than JJH.

He's supposedly been seen in my province, and it makes me wonder. But the thing that gets me (and it is probably the reason why JJH has been able to elude capture for so long) is that JJH looks like any other stoner punk with short man syndrome (makes up for a lack of height with a big mouth).

I damn sure hope that he gets caught soon.

[JohnMill]

In my opinion he is definatley being bankrolled by his parents or their mob connections. Jesse isn't "smart" enough to stay hidden so long, that much is true. Finally where he was last seen he only had 25,000 to his name while that may seem like a bundle of money to some over a four year period he would have probably drained through it without any other income to support it which leads me to believe he is being helped by his parents to this day.

[JohnMill]

Have set up a website in his memorial here

http://www.guitarmaan2000.com/In_Mem..._Nicholas.html

It also contains updates on the case.

Later.

[JohnMill]

There have been credible sightings of someone known as someone matching JJH description in British Columbia going by the name "Hollywood" and yes he is still very much involved in the drug scene. Which I think will be his undoing, if this kid had any brains he would lay low but by participating in "drug trade" he makes himself more visable. Any sightings please contact you local law enforcement agency - The family is offering a $70,000 bounty of Hollywood's head if that is of any interest to anyone.

Later.

[Composite Sketch]

http://articles.findarticles.com/p/a...47/ai_82322705

A short story about Jesse James Hollywood.

I'm only on the second page and already I have to surpress the gagging. Says Jesse's dad: "He was slinging some spliff. But it wasn't even that much of a bad rhythm. There was no trouble until this Ben Markowitz guy came around."

Good God. Ben was a loser thug - I was thoroughly disgusted with his lack of class and compassion in the UM segment, and thankfully AMW decided to not have him speak in theirs - but this attempt at exoneration annoys me. Yes, buying a house and cars on drug money, and letting your kid do this, equals no trouble. And I cannot stand it when middle-class suburbanites try to talk street. Especially middle-aged ones. You aren't fooling anybody. I now firmly believe that a father like this would help his son escape the law.

Oh, but it gets better! After Nick was kidnapped and a neighbor saw the whole thing and called 911:

Two Los Angeles police officers were advised, but a series of missteps ended any chance of catching up. The 911 staff, it turned out, had coded the incident as an assault rather than a kidnapping in progress--even after a second witness made a similar call. Thinking the matter was less serious, an officer talked to Mahoney via cell phone but never took a direct statement. They also failed to reach the registered owner of the van, partly because they had misread his address. "This was not the LAPD at its best," says Xavier Hermosillo, a member of the department's Board of Rights, which investigated the lapse. The officers received written reprimands; two emergency dispatchers ended up with three-day suspensions.

I hate incompetence from people who are paid to help you in times of crisis.

Page five pretty much validates your feelings that JJH has been getting a lot of help in the four years since the murder. The fact that a teacher would help him hide speaks volumes.

Page six explains how JJH is the way he is (scumbag drug-dealing dad) and why he's been able to elude capture. His father is helping him, both directly and indirectly. I am now certain. That one police officer is right: "If [Jack Hollywood] had not taken control, Jesse would be in jail fight now."

I actually feel a little sick after reading that. I'm from BC, where high-demand marijuana is grown, it's the type that JJH sold. I've been around it. I've seen drugs affect and destroy friends' lives. But I've never seen it pedalled out of $250,000 homes. I've never seen parents of using kids actively helping them make the problem worse.

[jesses_gurl19]

y does everyone think that jesse james get the death sentence i mean yeah he might have killed an inoccent person but i mean it was a beef between 2 opposing gangs and the court should see that also. i mean hello its california theres always someone getting killed that wasnt involved in the 1st place

i think he should go to prison yes not get the death penalty

[Ireneparalegal]

Originally Posted by jesses_gurl19

y does everyone think that jesse james get the death sentence i mean yeah he might have killed an inoccent person but i mean it was a beef between 2 opposing gangs and the court should see that also. i mean hello its california theres always someone getting killed that wasnt involved in the 1st place

i think he should go to prison yes not get the death penalty

OH S**T... are u a family member of his???? hmmm, if it was your child, u would want that bastard killed. I can't wait for them to pull the plug on that bastard. THEN HE CAN ROT IN HELL WITH ALL THE REST OF THEM!!!!

[LooksLikeCRicci]

Originally Posted by jesses_gurl19

y does everyone think that jesse james get the death sentence i mean yeah he might have killed an inoccent person but i mean it was a beef between 2 opposing gangs and the court should see that also. i mean hello its california theres always someone getting killed that wasnt involved in the 1st place

i think he should go to prison yes not get the death penalty

:

Hmmm... as a law student, I just want to say that "Oops, I killed the wrong guy; I was ACTUALLY trying to kill that guy over there" is NOT a defense and it should NOT spare you from the death penalty.

Also, did you forget that he KIDNAPPED a kid, HELD HIM FOF RANSOM, and then either killed him or had him killed and dumped his body? That's not an accidental killing. That's straight-up homicide, and in the commission of said crime, I can spot at least three felonies.

Jesse James Hollywood deserves to be in prison and he DESERVES the death penalty. Based on your screen name, I'm assuming that you think that he's hot. I'm sorry to be rude, but that's just sad. He's the scum of the earth.

[unsolvedfan4life]

Yes, to my knowledge he was captured, hopefully the bastard gets raped in prison for the next 30 years by Big Hairy Men with the H-FIVE and then get the death penalty or die of the diseases he gets when he gets it in the rear. Real Scumbag........

[Ireneparalegal]

Originally Posted by unsolvedfan4life

Yes, to my knowledge he was captured, hopefully the bastard gets raped in prison for the next 30 years by Big Hairy Men with the H-FIVE and then get the death penalty or die of the diseases he gets when he gets it in the rear. Real Scumbag........

[Kane]

Originally Posted by LooksLikeCRicci

Also, did you forget that he KIDNAPPED a kid, HELD HIM FOF RANSOM, and then either killed him or had him killed and dumped his body? That's not an accidental killing. That's straight-up homicide, and in the commission of said crime, I can spot at least three felonies.

You hit the nail in the head. What role Jesse James Hollywood might have played in the murder really doesn't matter, because if you take part in a felony that results in someone's death, you're guilty of murder. Plain and simple.

[synthisislab]

So did he ever get sentenced for this?

[Ireneparalegal]

He is currently awaiting trial.