Jesse Rugge

Jesse Rugge’s Divisive Release

Before October 24, 2013, Jesse Rugge’s release was proposed to the state parole board several times. Susan Markowitz, the mother of the victim, vehemently opposed Rugge’s release. Despite her graphic testament and a petition that had 1,018 supporters, Rugge was granted parole on account of good behavior.

Santa Barbara prosecutors and Jerry Brown, the California governor at the time of the case, also objected to his release. Prosecutors argued that Rugge was more involved in the death of Nicholas Markowitz than he let on. The state parole board defended their decision saying that Rugge "no longer poses an unreasonable risk of danger to the public”.

Details Of The Case

Rugge’s involvement in the crime started with a deal gone wrong between Jesse James Hollywood and the victim’s older half-brother, Ben Markowitz.

Ben owed Hollywood $1,200. In an effort to hasten repayment on Ben’s behalf, Hollywood abducted Nicholas. Hollywood later recruited Rugge, Ryan Hoyt, William Skidmore, and Graham Pressley to help in Nicholas’ kidnapping and, eventually, death.

Rugge and the rest of Hollywood’s gang abducted Nicholas on August 6, 2000. The captors promised to free Nicholas eventually and even took him to various homes, including Rugge’s Santa Barbara home, where they gave him drugs and alcohol. Hollywood threw a pool party at the Lemon Tree Inn on August 8th, where Rugge reportedly vowed to get Nicholas home, saying, “I’ll put you on a Greyhound. I’m going to get you home.”

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. Hollywood asked Rugge to commit the murder.

Rugge declined, so Hollywood contacted Hoyt, who also owed him money. 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.

On August 9, 2000, Rugge, Hoyt, and Pressley drove Nicholas to the Lizard’s Mouth trail in the Santa Ynez Mountains. The three took the victim to a remote campsite, where Rugge and Hoyt bound his hands and covered his mouth with duct tape. Shortly after, Hoyt hit Nicholas in the head with a shovel and shot him nine times using the handgun Hollywood gave him.

Hollywood was not present at the crime scene and went on the run for years. He hid under an alias in Brazil until police found him and arrested him in 2005. After four years, he was convicted of first-degree murder and kidnapping. He was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole.

Rugge was convicted of aggravated kidnapping for ransom or extortion with special circumstances. However, he was acquitted of the murder charge. Hoyt, on the other hand, was charged with first-degree murder and sentenced to death on December 9, 2001. Skidmore was charged with kidnapping and robbery, while Pressley was charged with second-degree murder after being tried twice.

Where Is Jesse Rugge Today?

As of 2022, Jesse Rugge has had no reported parole violations since his 2013 release. In 2019, he participated in a three-part interview with Fresh Out Productions, where he talked extensively about his early life, disdain for life in prison, and personal realizations since his conviction. During his interview, he said he made a vow to himself to “never go back to that environment ever again”.