However, on July 2nd, 2013, Jesse Rugge was granted parole, and he was released from prison on October 24th, 2013. At the age of 19, Jesse James Hollywood was already a crime boss. While his friends and family painted a glowing picture at trial, he was sentenced to life in prison. She said: "I wanted him to know I was supporting him. As members of the Santa Barbara community and beyond voice mixed reactions to the news that Jesse Rugge was granted parole and released from prison this week Rugge was convicted of kidnapping in connection with the murder of Nicholas Markowitz in 2000 and served 11 years of a life sentence one of his co-defendants has taken to the blogosphere Jesse Rugge, now 33, was an accomplice of Jesse James Hollywood in the. The Rugge family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1880 and 1920. His trial started in April 2002. In 2019, the inmate told his side of the story when he spoke with Joe Tomaso on his podcast, 15 Minutes With. He was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole. US Executions - 2011 To Present; US Executions - 2006 To 2010 His close friends William Skidmore, Jesse Rugge, and Ryan Hoyt were also on the team. [1] [2] His trial started in April 2002. He's currently serving his time at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego. As of 2022, Jesse Rugge has had no reported parole violations since his 2013 release. . Check out Jesse's Links Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/J_ruggs33. Contact Fresh Out through these platforms Email: FreshOutSeries@gmail.comWebsite: http://www.freshoutseries.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshoutseriesFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshoutseriesPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/FreshoutseriesWant to get a Fresh Out Commissary Package? Locations: Culver City CA, Santa Barbara CA Possible Relatives: Herbert Barron Rugge, Melissa Ewing Rugge. Susan Markowitz, mother of Nicholas Markowitz, started a petition to try to have Rugge's parole denied. The District Attorney's Office prosecuted Mr. Pressley twice, and while his first trial ended with Rugge kidnapped the teenager from a West Hills street and took him to Santa Barbara, where Markowitz was killed over a drug debt his half-brother owed to Jesse James Hollywood. This week the California state parole board granted Rugge's request for parole. I had a maid of honor and three bridesmaids I met all the other girls from visitations since they have guys there; were all regulars and he had his best man and his celly there. It just breaks my heart at the thought of the family reunion that will be taking place, one that I will never have, she said. Cassavetes estimates that Alpha Dog is about 95 percent accurate in its depiction of the August 2000 kidnapping and murder of 15-year-old Nick Markowitz, a crime that was allegedly ordered by Hollywood and carried out by his gang of friends and fellow drug dealers. Transportation Department: C'mon C'mon. Hes doing great things with me and if I can change, anybody can change.. Over 20 Pounds of Meth, Fentanyl Seized at Santa Barbara Motel, Almost All of Santa Barbara County Out of Drought Conditions, Diablo Canyon Allowed to Keep Running During License Review, Santa Barbara Zoo Says Goodbye to Pauline the Lioness, Citizen Performing CPR in Santa Barbara Mistaken for an Assault, Lake Cachuma Releases Expected to Contribute to Flooding in Lompoc, Santa Barbaras New State Street Hotel Opens, Downed Eucalyptus Temporarily Shuts Down Hwy. Facebook gives people the power to. Part 1 of our 3 part Interview with Jesse Rugge. Hollywood decided that the problem, Nicholas, needed to go away. ", "They never proved what they had alleged initially, and you know, I love Nick Markowitz, I pray for him fervently, I never wanted Nick Markowitz to be hurt, I never ordered the murder of Nick Markowitz, and there was a lot of evidence to that in my trial, the reason they convicted me was because they threw in the felony murder rule, which a lot of people are getting action on right now as far as the Senate Bill that just passed, 1437.". Pressley, 17 years old at the time of the murder, helped dig the shallow grave near Lizards Mouth where 15-year-old Markowitz was buried after being gunned down by Ryan Hoyt, who was acting under the direction of the groups leader and small-time drug dealer, Jesse James Hollywood. Site by Copyright 2023 Santa Barbara Independent, Inc. Reproduction of material from any Independent.com pages without written permission is strictly prohibited. New Jersey had the highest population of Rugge families in 1880. His father, Jack Hollywood, was a struggling businessman. Hes currently serving his time at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego. Markowitz's last days inspired the 2006 film "Alpha Dog," which featured an A-list cast and garnered international attention. Hollywood couldn't find Markowitz, so instead, he took the younger brother hostage and held him for three days as leverage. According to state prison records, Rugge now 33 had been a model prisoner, had taken numerous classes, completed his GED, and participated in AA meetings. Mujey Dumbuya All but Predicted Her Own Death and 'True Life Crime' Will Comb Over the Details, Gabriel Fernandez's Mother, Pearl, Will Most Likely Die in Prison. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Jesse James Hollywood and Melinda Enos Hollywood (and friends) on their wedding day #truecrime #jessejameshollywood, A post shared by Hollywood Crime Scene (@hollywoodcrimescene) on Oct 20, 2017 at 12:22am PDT, Enos said: "It was the best ceremony ever! Rugge had come up for release several times prior, but he had always been turned down. If you are not familiar with who he is, check out the movie called, "Alpha Dog". Since his arrest, there's been no update about his child's whereabouts or identity. at the Santa Barbara home of Jesse Rugge for what started out as a usual day of hanging out with friends and smoking marijuana, Mr. Pressley said during direct examination by Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Chief Trial Deputy Josh Lynn. Jesse Rugge was paroled in 2013 after serving thirteen years of his life sentence in Pleasant Valley State Prison for aggravated kidnapping with special circumstances. It's like him dying all over again," Susan Markowitz told CBS2/KCAL9 reporter Randy Paige. The group traveled to Santa Barbara and spent time with Pressley and others at various homes and locations before Hoyt was given the order to kill the teen. Emile Hirsch as Johnny Truelove, the leader, or the "alpha dog.". I Love to read n write about Things that I find Interesting. In real life, Jesse James Hollywood was like 5'3" and your typical insecure suburban wanna be gangster. February 28, 2022 Jesse Rugge is one of the people who committed the crime of kidnapping and murdering Nicholas Markowitz. In 2019, the inmate told his side of the story when he spoke with Joe Tomaso on his podcast, 15 Minutes With. In September 2002 Jesse Rugge was sentenced to life in prison, with the possibility of parole after seven years. In 2006, Jesse was transfered to Avenal . "What do you say to those who say everyone should get a second chance and that's what the justice system is about. Hollywood has been keeping busy during his time behind bars. On August 9, 2000, Rugge, Hoyt, and Pressley drove Nicholas to the Lizards Mouth trail in the Santa Ynez Mountains. After, well, over a decade of pandering and speaking the truth my padre and his padre and everyones fucking padre wanted us to spewI can confidently say one thing, and very loudly: FUCK THE POLICE. "I think that when it involves taking the life of another that you should forfeit yours," said Markowitz, who said the parole board's decision has denied her son the justice he deserves. Jesse Rugge (pictured), convicted on charges of aggravated kidnapping in connection with the killing of 15-year-old Nicholas Markowitz 13 years ago, was released from Chino prison after serving 11 years of a life sentence. "I mean, I just didn't want any involvement at all," said Richard Hoeflinger, one of the youths. "Jesse James Hollywood, drug dealer orders murder and flees", "The long hunt for Jesse James Hollywood", "22-Year-Old Is Sentenced to Life in Teen's Kidnap-Slaying", "Los Angeles; 22-Year-Old Gets Life in Valley Teen's Kidnap-Slaying", https://en.everybodywiki.com/index.php?title=Jesse_Rugge&oldid=912184, Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by California, American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2009. In an effort to hasten repayment on Bens behalf, Hollywood abducted Nicholas. He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after seven years. Ben Foster was the best acting role in the movie but Emile dude nailed it as well. First published on October 18, 2013 / 8:10 PM. How old was Jesse James when he started his crime empire? [7] Ron Zonen, who prosecuted Rugge and the other four defendants, termed the admission shallow and cynical, and he objected that Rugge has never really acknowledged the depth of his involvement. Hollywood later recruited Rugge, Ryan Hoyt, William Skidmore, and Graham Pressley to help in Nicholas kidnapping and, eventually, death. kidnapping and murder of Nicholas Markowitz Jesse Taylor Rugge (born November 10, 1979) is one of the former members of Jesse James Hollywood's gang that helped in the kidnap and murder of Nicholas Markowitz. Jesse Rugge Is currently surving a life sentence @ Pleasant Valley State Prison, located in Fresno County. The law that he's referring to, Senate Bill 1437, went into effect on Jan. 1, 2019. The list of its authors can be seen in its historicaland/or the page Edithistory:Jesse Rugge. I waited out front so he couldnt see me. If you're unfamiliar with the case, Markowitz was the half-brother of Ben Markowitz, who refused to pay Hollywood the $1,200 he owed in drug debt. Nicholas was the son of Jeff and Susan Markowitz and brother to Ben Markowitz. His age is 40 years. Paige said to Markowitz. Jesse Rugge Driver for local 399/Teamster/Transportation Culver City, California, United States47 connections Join to Connect Local 399 Activity I'm beyond excited to share with you a podcast. In 2019, the inmate told his side of the story when he spoke with Joe Tomaso on his podcast, 15 Minutes With. [5], In the film Alpha Dog he is portrayed as the character Frankie Ballenbacher by actor and musician Justin Timberlake.[2]. In 1880 there were 9 Rugge families living in New Jersey. The mother of the victim, Susan Markowitz, started a petition to try to have Rugge"s parole denied. Rugge was incarcerated in Avenal State Prison for his part in Nicholas Markowitz's murder. In the film Alpha Dog he is portrayed as the character Frankie Ballenbacher by actor and musician Justin Timberlake. Hollywood then gave Hoyt a TEC-9 semi-automatic handgun and told Hoyt that he could pay off his debt and earn an extra $400 by killing Nicholas. Who murdered Nick Markowitz . However, Hollywood later realized the potential consequences of the kidnapping, so he decided it was necessary to murder Nicholas to cover up his tracks completely. Barron Rugge, Jesse's father, met Nick and presumed he was simply a guest, and invited him to stay over. He said: "There's a lot of things that didn't come out in the media. His meeting was taken about his life subsequent to having lifelong . As of 2022, Jesse Rugge has had no reported parole violations since his 2013 release. Hollywoods associate, Ryan Hoyt was convicted of first-degree murder and is currently on death row at San Quentin State Prison in California. Involvement in the murder of Nicholas Markowitz. [3] He was the getaway driver when Nicholas was abducted, and was in charge of watching him during his kidnapping. He was convicted in 2002 of aggravated kidnapping for ransom or extortion with special circumstances and was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after seven years. Back in West Hills, Ben Markowitz was apparently unaware that his brother was a hostage. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Oh, and have the truth on our sidealmost forgot to mention that.. It's difficult to reach kids, it's difficult for them to understand the situation here and it's something you have to address from different perspectives You get different individuals, if you can get their perspectives, certain kids are going to relate to different people.". More recently, Pressley renovated a space near the Santa Barbara Surf Museum and reportedly plans to open an after-hours, speakeasy wine bar. But those admissions were ruled inadmissible by Judge William Gordon because the investigator had suggested Rugge could face the death penalty if he didnt confess. Part 1 of our 3 part Interview with Jesse Rugge. This page was last edited on 1 August 2020, at 16:19. How much time did Jesse James Hollywood get? Jesse Rugge (brought into the world on 10 November 1979) is one of the killers of an American youngster, Nicholas Markowitz. Justin's character was based on Jesse Rugge, who was charged with aggravated kidnapping with special circumstances and served 11 years of a life sentence before being released on parole. After four years, he was convicted of first-degree murder and kidnapping. A man convicted of kidnapping a 15-year-old boy who was murdered over a drug debt is scheduled to be released Tuesday. Just couldnt cut it, could ya? Hollywood asked Rugge to commit the murder. Jesse's roll in this story was played by Justin Timberlake. Most often asked questions related to bitcoin! "He walked my son up to the grave that was already dug. Susan Markowitz reminded the 12 parole board officers that Rugge had initially told investigators that he had bound her sons wrists with duct tape and had helped bury him after hed been shot in the face at a location near Lizards Mouth. This was about 36% of all the recorded Rugge's in USA. If you believe an Independent.com user or any material appearing on Independent.com is copyrighted material used without proper permission, please click here. In August of 2000, Jesse James Hollywood not only kidnapped 15-year-old Nicholas Markowitz, but according to reports, he's also responsible for ordering his murder. Jesse Rugge, then 20, of Santa Barbara, was convicted of kidnapping and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. In the last few years, Pressley has had multiple contacts with Santa Barbara police, but none of the incidents resulted in criminal charges. After the Court review, in June 2008 his trial date was set to begin February 19, 2009, but it was delayed. When the ex-drug-dealer was still on the run in Brazil, he began a relationship with Marcia Reis and got her pregnant in 2004. His trial started in April 2002. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Site by age 17, met Nick at Rugge's house in Santa Barbara. While there, he's been working on his spirituality, mentoring other inmates and assisting with multiple programs for at risk youth.