Clues and leads started pouring in at the police department, especially from a 17-year-old girl, whom Nicholas had met in one of the house parties.
The news reached Nicholas’ parents, which left them devastated. Nicholas’ body was found on August 12, 2000, by hikers as the grave was apparently shallow. He shot nine bullets onto Nicholas’ motionless body and tucked the gun along with Nicholas, and proceeded to cover his grave. In the wee hours of August 9, 2020, after a house party, Pressley, Hoyt, and Rugge drove Nicholas to the assigned place where Hoyt knocked him unconscious with a shovel. They decided to murder Nicholas at a hiking trail in the Santa Ynez Mountains at Goleta, California. Sensing a good opportunity to clear his dues, Ryan agreed to do so. Jesse provided him with a TEC-9 machine gun and ordered him to kill Nicholas, upon which he would be released from his debt. He enlisted the help of Ryan Hoyt, a person who also owed money to him. Fearing that Nicholas might divulge all the details upon his eventual release, Jesse decided to kill him. The attorney warned Jesse of the dire consequences of the kidnapping. Jesse had traveled back to West Hills to meet an attorney who was also their family friend. Meanwhile, Jesse’s parents were frantically searching for their son and eventually informed the police. A Stockholm syndrome developing, Nicholas was apparently comfortable in his abductor’s company as he was told that he would be released soon. Nicholas reportedly started enjoying their company and attended numerous house parties with them. Nicholas was beaten up and gagged and taken to Santa Barbara, where he met with Rugge’s friends Graham Presley, Natasha Adams-Young, and Kelly Carpenter, with whom he slowly developed a good bond. Hollywood wanted to hold Nicholas hostage to teach Ben a lesson. Nicholas was at the wrong place at the wrong time and ended up being kidnapped by Hollywood, and his friends. On August 6, 2000, Hollywood, along with his friends, Jesse Rugge and William Skidmore, decided to confront Ben but coincidentally found 15-year-old Nicholas walking on the roadside. Ben allegedly owed a substantial amount of money to Jesse, which snowballed into an outright conflict. Markowitz had a half-brother Ben, a volatile person, often finding himself in trouble.īen got involved with Jesse James Hollywood, a marijuana dealer with his father’s backing who was also a member of the drug trade. In the film, Sharon Stone and Bruce Willis brilliantly portray the role of the mother and father, respectively. Nicholas Markowitz lived in the West Hills with his parents Susan and Jeff Markowitz. In fact, all the characters in the film are inspired by real-life individuals involved in the murder case of Nicholas Markowitz, which shook the community of West Hills, Los Angeles. Yes, ‘Alpha Dog’ is based on a true story. Well, we decided to look for its origin, and here’s what we found! The story bears a stark resemblance to reality, making viewers wonder whether it is based on actual events. Starring a talented ensemble comprising Justin Timberlake, Sharon Stone, Bruce Willis, and Olivia Wilde this crime drama film makes for an interesting watch. A story of Stockholm Syndrome gone horribly wrong, ‘Alpha Dog’ is a gritty and realistic cinema portraying the Californian Valley’s decadence.