Jesse James Hollywood was an accused drug dealer who lived a wild life in southern California and bought his own home by the time he was nineteen years old. (Mug shot)

Ben Markowitz by his own admission dealt drugs for Hollywood. They were pals who shared the same residence for awhile. (Mug shot)

Things went bad between Ben and Jesse when Ben could not repay a drug debt. Hollywood and his girlfriend Michelle went to this restaurant where Ben’s girlfriend worked, had a meal, and left without paying the check. (Author photo)

Ben’s younger brother Nick was at Universal City Walk with some friends on the weekend before his abduction. (Author photo)

The victim, Nick Markowitz. (Yearbook photo)

Jesse and the others roughed up Nick Markowitz next to this wall. (Author photo)

Jesse James Hollywood and his pals were going up to Santa Barbara at the time of the kidnapping for Fiesta Days. So they decided to take Nick along with them. Fiesta Days harkened back to the Spanish period around Mission Santa Barbara. (Author photo)

When Jesse Hollywood left Santa Barbara to go back to Los Angeles, he left Nick Markowitz in the care of Jesse Rugge. Over time, Jesse Rugge and Graham Pressley came to like Nick. Pressley even partied with Nick and two teenage girls at the Lemon Tree Inn in Santa Barbara. (Author photo)

Jesse Hollywood spoke with lawyer Stephen Hogg after the kidnapping. (Courtesy of Santa Barbara News Press)

The site of Markowitz’s murder turned out to be an isolated area in the mountains northeast of Santa Barbara. (Author photo)

While Hoyt, Pressley, and Rugge took Nick up into the mountains to be murdered, Jesse Hollywood created an alibi by eating at this steakhouse with his girlfriend Michelle. (Author photo)

Hoyt forced Graham Pressley to dig a grave near this rock formation called the Lizard’s Mouth. (Author photo)

Detectives soon arrested Hoyt, Rugge, Pressley, and Skidmore on various charges, but Jesse James Hollywood proved to be more elusive and escaped capture. (Courtesy of the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office)

Hoyt, Rugge, and Pressley had their trials at one of America’s most beautiful courthouse complexes in Santa Barbara. (Author photo)

Ryan Hoyt was charged with first degree murder and kidnapping. Because of the enhanced charges, he was eligible for the death penalty. (Mug shot)

Jesse Rugge was charged with kidnapping. (Mug shot)

Graham Pressley, although only seventeen years old at the time, was charged as an adult and faced life in prison. (Mug shot)

At their arraignment in Santa Barbara (right to left), Pressley, Hoyt, Rugge, and Skidmore all pleaded not guilty. (Courtesy of Santa Barbara News Press)

Both Jeff and Susan Markowitz were crushed by the death of their fifteen-year-old son Nick. (Courtesy of Santa Barbara News Press)

Jeff Markowitz hugged a friend in court upon learning that Ryan Hoyt was found guilty of first degree murder and kidnapping. (Courtesy of Santa Barbara News Press)

Jesse Rugge was convicted of kidnapping in his trial. (Courtesy of Santa Barbara News Press)

Pressley was shown a TEC9 automatic, which he said was owned by Jesse James Hollywood and used by Ryan Hoyt to murder Nick Markowitz. (Courtesy of Santa Barbara News Press)

Ryan Hoyt at the moment he received the death penalty for the first degree murder of Nick. (Courtesy of Santa Barbara News Press)

Incredibly, in 2005, Jesse James Hollywood was tracked to Brazil by the FBI. He was arrested in a seaside resort on the Atlantic coast. (Mug shot)

The Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office created this photo to show that Jesse James Hollywood had finally been arrested after evading capture for five years. (Courtesy of the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office)

Jesse James’ dad, Jack Hollywood, had troubles of his own in 2005. He was arrested on drug related charges. (Courtesy of Santa Barbara News Press)

Judge Brian Hill began to preside over all affairs connected to the Jesse James Hollywood case. (Author photo)

Jesse Hollywood had a top notch team of defense lawyers. (Author photo)

Defense attorney James Blatt had been named Southern California defense attorney of the year in 2003. (Author photo)

The defense team fought tooth and nail for their client, including whether a jury would see Jesse wearing handcuffs and shackles at a trial. (Author photo)

By 2005, DDA Ron Zonen, who had been successful in prosecuting Hoyt, Rugge, and Pressley, became mired in controversy. (Author photo)

Veteran DDA Joyce Dudley, who might have taken over the Jesse James Hollywood case after Zonen, had troubles of her own. (Author photo)

Nick Markowitz is buried in a serene setting at Eden Memorial Park. Nearby several Hollywood celebrities, including Groucho Marx, are interred. (Author photo)