The real Alpha Dog: What really happened to Nicholas Markowitz?
On 6th August 2000, 15-year-old Nicholas Samuel Markowitz snuck out of his West Hills home after an argument with his parents. The teenager planned to lie low and avoid further conflict, never imagining the sinister trap that awaited him.
Between a kidnapping gone wrong and a brutal murder, the case of Nicholas Markowitz shook California in 2000 – and later inspired the 2006 film Alpha Dog.
Join us at Crime+Investigation, as we examine the kidnapping and murder of teenager Nicholas Markowitz, and how accurate the film portrayal of the case was.
Caught in the crossfire
Nick vanished while walking along the road around 1pm on 6th August 2000. But what happened to him? And where did the teenager go? The man behind the kidnapping was Jesse James Hollywood, a 20-year-old local drug dealer.
According to police reports, Jesse James Hollywood planned to teach Nick’s older half-brother Ben a lesson for defaulting on a sizable debt, which led the crew to take to West Hills looking for him. They couldn’t find Ben Markowitz. But his younger brother, Nick was there and a new plan was implemented.
But Jesse James Hollywood wasn’t alone. He had with him two accomplices, Jesse Rugge and William Skidmore. The trio pulled Nick into a white van waiting along the road and forced the teen inside.
The van sped back to Santa Barbara. A terrified Nick was bundled into a confusing world of video games, parties and lies. But this was all part of a calculated ruse to make it clear Nick was safe and willing to go home soon.
Sadly, this was not the case.
Kept captive
For nearly three days, Nick lived under multiple realities. On one hand, he was allowed to play video games, smoke weed and even socialise at parties – never suspecting what danger lurked ahead.
On the other hand, Jesse James Hollywood grew increasingly anxious. His fear: any kidnapping charges could land him in prison for life. Faced with this possibility, he permanently removed Nick from the equation.
Hollywood handed the responsibility to Ryan James Hoyt, a 20-year-old associate who also owed him a debt. Armed with a TEC-9, Hoyt took Nick into the Santa Ynez Mountains near Lizard’s Mouth Trail, where another accomplice had dug a shallow grave.
The fun and games were now a distant memory.
Hoyt marched Nick into the woods, struck him with a shovel, and shot him nine times. The body was hastily buried under branches, close enough to the trail that hikers would stumble upon it days later. The gang members thought the victim’s remains would never be found in such an isolated location.
Nick’s body was found on 12th August 2000, setting off a nationwide search and a tragic investigation.
Arrests and trial
Police swiftly rounded up the suspects. Ryan Hoyt was arrested in late 2000 and convicted of first-degree murder in November 2001. He received the death penalty, later commuted to life without parole.
Jesse Rugge, though he aided the kidnapping and helped bury Nick, avoided a murder conviction. This was due to a tainted confession. He was found guilty of aggravated kidnapping and sentenced to life with parole eligibility after seven years.
As for the man who orchestrated it all? Jesse James Hollywood fled the country, dodging authorities for five years before being captured in Brazil in 2005. He was extradited, tried and in 2009 convicted of kidnapping and first-degree murder with exceptional circumstances. He is serving life without parole.
From crime to cinema
In 2006, director Nick Cassavetes released Alpha Dog, dramatising Nick’s ordeal and the lead-up to his murder.
The mechanics of the kidnapping, Nick’s time in captivity, and Jesse Hollywood's involvement hold true to reality. But what about the rest of the film, what really happened and what’s the work the fiction? Here’s what you need to know:
What’s true?
- The mechanics of the kidnapping, Nick’s time in captivity, and the involvement of Jesse Hollywood hold true to reality.
- Details such as Nick playing video games and partying are based on eyewitness testimony.
- James Hollywood’s flight to Brazil and eventual arrest are accurately portrayed.
What’s changed?
- Names are fictionalised.
- Dialogue, internal motivation and dynamics are exaggerated to fill narrative gaps.
A pool threesome featured in the movie never actually happened.
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