| Man gets 9 years in Markowitz case |
| 9/6/02By CHUCK SCHULTZ NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER |
A 22-year-old Simi Valley man was sentenced to nine years
in state prison Thursday after admitting his involvement in
the abduction of Nicholas Markowitz two years ago.William
Skidmore pleaded guilty to felony counts of kidnapping and
robbery two weeks before he was scheduled to begin trial
on charges that could have resulted in a life sentence. In
exchange for his pleas, the district attorney's office
dismissed a murder count he was facing in connection with
the execution-style killing of Nicholas on Aug. 9, 2000, in
the mountains above Santa Barbara.Three days before his
death, the 15-year-old was kidnapped from a street in his
West Hills neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley,
allegedly roughed up by drug dealer Jesse James
Hollywood and forced into a van occupied by Mr. Skidmore
and Jesse Rugge, then 20, of Santa Barbara.The victim
was driven to Santa Barbara and robbed of his wallet,
money and other possessions along the way, some of
which were tossed out the window of the vehicle,
authorities said.Though Mr. Skidmore was present when
Nicholas was abducted, he didn't know beforehand what
would occur and didn't directly participate, according to his
attorney, H. Russell Halpern of Tarzana.Mr. Skidmore
accompanied them that day expecting Mr. Hollywood to
vandalize the Markowitz home in retaliation for damage
done to his house by Ben Markowitz, Nicholas' older
half-brother.The "small feud" between them was spawned
by an unpaid drug debt, Mr. Halpern said."He (Mr.
Skidmore) thought he was going there to help smash out
some windows and the next he knew they're forcing this
kid into the van," the defense attorney said."If this case
had gone to trial," he added, "it's questionable whether
Skidmore was guilty of anything. But you never know what
a jury is going to do."Mr. Skidmore returned to Los
Angeles within two hours after Nicholas was brought to
Santa Barbara.The teen was shot nine times by Ryan Hoyt
of Pacoima during the early morning hours and buried in a
shallow grave in the Lizard's Mouth area of West Camino
Cielo.Hikers discovered his remains a few days later. Four
suspects -- Mr. Hoyt, Mr. Skidmore, Mr. Rugge and
Graham Pressley, then 17, of Goleta, who dug the grave --
were arrested about a week after the killing.Earlier this
year, Mr. Hoyt was convicted of murder, with the jury
recommending the death penalty. A separate jury found
Mr. Rugge guilty of kidnapping. Both men are awaiting
sentencing.After a three-week trial in July, Mr. Pressley
was acquitted of kidnapping, but jurors deadlocked 8-4 in
favor of acquittal on the murder charge against him. He is
scheduled to be retried on the murder count before Santa
Barbara County Superior Court Judge William Gordon
beginning Sept. 24, and remains in custody at County Jail
without bail.Mr. Hollywood, 22, who allegedly ordered
Nicholas' killing after learning he could spend life in prison
for kidnapping, fled the state and remains a fugitive despite
a nationwide manhunt and a $50,000 reward for his
capture.The mothers of both Nicholas and Mr. Skidmore
sat silently in the courtroom Thursday as the guilty pleas
were entered and the agreed-to sentence of nine years
was imposed by Judge Gordon.Under state law, Mr.
Skidmore must serve at least 85 percent of his sentence.
With credit for the two years he has already been in
custody, he could be paroled in 2008."Nothing's fair," the
victim's mother, Susan Markowitz, told reporters outside
the courtroom. "It doesn't matter whether he gets life or
five years. It's never bringing Nick back."She said she was
thankful, though, that the guilty pleas will mean one less
trial for her to watch.Deputy District Attorney Ron Zonen
agreed to drop the murder charge against Mr. Skidmore
because he couldn't prove there had been a "continuous
kidnapping" leading up to Nicholas' death. Two juries, he
said, have already found that the initial abduction ended
after the suspects arrived with the teenager in Santa
Barbara.The murder charge was weak "once we realized
we weren't going to convince a jury there was a
continuous kidnapping," he explained.Now that Mr.
Skidmore has pleaded guilty, he will "likely be called to
testify against Hollywood, when we catch him," Mr. Zonen
added.The defendant's mother, Florinda Skidmore, said
she was relieved he won't spend life in prison "for
something he didn't do."She also expressed remorse for
the victim's family."We feel very bad for the Markowitzes,"
she said. "It's been two years of very hard times."
in state prison Thursday after admitting his involvement in
the abduction of Nicholas Markowitz two years ago.William
Skidmore pleaded guilty to felony counts of kidnapping and
robbery two weeks before he was scheduled to begin trial
on charges that could have resulted in a life sentence. In
exchange for his pleas, the district attorney's office
dismissed a murder count he was facing in connection with
the execution-style killing of Nicholas on Aug. 9, 2000, in
the mountains above Santa Barbara.Three days before his
death, the 15-year-old was kidnapped from a street in his
West Hills neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley,
allegedly roughed up by drug dealer Jesse James
Hollywood and forced into a van occupied by Mr. Skidmore
and Jesse Rugge, then 20, of Santa Barbara.The victim
was driven to Santa Barbara and robbed of his wallet,
money and other possessions along the way, some of
which were tossed out the window of the vehicle,
authorities said.Though Mr. Skidmore was present when
Nicholas was abducted, he didn't know beforehand what
would occur and didn't directly participate, according to his
attorney, H. Russell Halpern of Tarzana.Mr. Skidmore
accompanied them that day expecting Mr. Hollywood to
vandalize the Markowitz home in retaliation for damage
done to his house by Ben Markowitz, Nicholas' older
half-brother.The "small feud" between them was spawned
by an unpaid drug debt, Mr. Halpern said."He (Mr.
Skidmore) thought he was going there to help smash out
some windows and the next he knew they're forcing this
kid into the van," the defense attorney said."If this case
had gone to trial," he added, "it's questionable whether
Skidmore was guilty of anything. But you never know what
a jury is going to do."Mr. Skidmore returned to Los
Angeles within two hours after Nicholas was brought to
Santa Barbara.The teen was shot nine times by Ryan Hoyt
of Pacoima during the early morning hours and buried in a
shallow grave in the Lizard's Mouth area of West Camino
Cielo.Hikers discovered his remains a few days later. Four
suspects -- Mr. Hoyt, Mr. Skidmore, Mr. Rugge and
Graham Pressley, then 17, of Goleta, who dug the grave --
were arrested about a week after the killing.Earlier this
year, Mr. Hoyt was convicted of murder, with the jury
recommending the death penalty. A separate jury found
Mr. Rugge guilty of kidnapping. Both men are awaiting
sentencing.After a three-week trial in July, Mr. Pressley
was acquitted of kidnapping, but jurors deadlocked 8-4 in
favor of acquittal on the murder charge against him. He is
scheduled to be retried on the murder count before Santa
Barbara County Superior Court Judge William Gordon
beginning Sept. 24, and remains in custody at County Jail
without bail.Mr. Hollywood, 22, who allegedly ordered
Nicholas' killing after learning he could spend life in prison
for kidnapping, fled the state and remains a fugitive despite
a nationwide manhunt and a $50,000 reward for his
capture.The mothers of both Nicholas and Mr. Skidmore
sat silently in the courtroom Thursday as the guilty pleas
were entered and the agreed-to sentence of nine years
was imposed by Judge Gordon.Under state law, Mr.
Skidmore must serve at least 85 percent of his sentence.
With credit for the two years he has already been in
custody, he could be paroled in 2008."Nothing's fair," the
victim's mother, Susan Markowitz, told reporters outside
the courtroom. "It doesn't matter whether he gets life or
five years. It's never bringing Nick back."She said she was
thankful, though, that the guilty pleas will mean one less
trial for her to watch.Deputy District Attorney Ron Zonen
agreed to drop the murder charge against Mr. Skidmore
because he couldn't prove there had been a "continuous
kidnapping" leading up to Nicholas' death. Two juries, he
said, have already found that the initial abduction ended
after the suspects arrived with the teenager in Santa
Barbara.The murder charge was weak "once we realized
we weren't going to convince a jury there was a
continuous kidnapping," he explained.Now that Mr.
Skidmore has pleaded guilty, he will "likely be called to
testify against Hollywood, when we catch him," Mr. Zonen
added.The defendant's mother, Florinda Skidmore, said
she was relieved he won't spend life in prison "for
something he didn't do."She also expressed remorse for
the victim's family."We feel very bad for the Markowitzes,"
she said. "It's been two years of very hard times."