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The Conclusion and Sentences
Were there really as many witnesses as Alpha Dog suggests? In a Rolling Stone report, the final party Jesse James threw at the hotel, possibly as many as twenty two people saw and spoke to Nicholas that night. Wikipedia put the witness count at 42. The story suggests that he joked with many that, “This is a story to tell my Grandkids someday.” The comment goes without saying that the witnesses must have known that Nick was being held as a “marker” against his brother’s debt to Jesse James or at least in hiding from someone he didn’t wish to reveal. At this point, without Nick to actually say what happened, it’s possible we’ll never really know unless someone comes foreword. |
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What happened to Nick is heartbreaking. He did not deserve his fate. His brother’s debt was unfairly held against him, and to the credit of Ben, he stayed away from Nick’s funeral saying, “Any peace I can give her [Susan Markowitz] I will. She doesn’t need me in her face right now.” The injustice in this whole story is more than simply a young man losing his life senselessly. It is that lack of remorse shown by almost all the parties involved in the actual kidnapping and murder of Nick Markowitz While no one can say if Hollywood is really sorry, as he testified when dragged back into this country, he’ll have the rest of his life to think about it. And as any good movie illustrates, that is a real Hollywood ending. |
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GRAHAM PRESSLEY: Aged 17 at the time of the murder. He was tried twice. In July 2002, he was acquitted of the kidnapping and hung on the murder change. In October 2002 he was convicted of second degerr murder [Graham dug Nick’s grave] and was sentenced to 9 years in a California Youth Authority Facility until the age of 25 in 2007. He has since been released.
WILLIAM SKIDMORE: Aged 20 at the time of the murder, charged with kidnapping and robbery. In September 2009, he was sentenced to 9 years as part of a plea agreement. Skidmore was released in 2009.
JESSE RUGGE: Aged 20 at the time of the murder, was charged with aiding in the kidnapping of Nicholas Markowitz. He was convicted in 2002 to life with the possibility of parole. In 2006 his bid for parole was denied.
RYAN HOYT: Aged 21 at the time of the murder. His trial began in October 2001 and ended November 2001. He was sentenced to death on December 9,2001. He is currently on Death Row at San Quentin State Prison, in San Quentin, California.
JESSE JAMES HOLLYWOOD: Aged 20 at the time of Nick’s death. Hollywood was not present at the scene but was the one who ordered the murder. He was convicted five years later in 2009 after hiding in Brazil with his pregnant girlfriend. He was sentenced to life in prison In addition the Markowitz family filed a multi-million dollar civil suit naming the Hollywoods, some of the homes Nick had been in and even The Lemon Tree Inn, recovering $11.2 million dollars. |
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