Charged with murder in 2000, pot dealer Jesse James Hollywood fled to Brazil, where he was captured in 2005. Alpha Dog is based on Hollywood's life. In his recent trial, Hollywood claimed innocence to the charge that he ordered the death of a rival's 15-year-old brother, who he and friends abducted. On July 8, Hollywood was found guilty of first-degree murder and kidnapping.
The 29-year-old Hollywood (see mug shot at left) followed his father into the marijuana trade. He says he was making $120,000 a year by 2000, when a beef with a friend who owed him $1,200 got out of hand.
As told in Alpha Dog, Johnny Trulove (Emile Hirsch) forced Elvis (Shawn Hatosy) to shoot Zack (Anton Yelchin). In real life, Ryan Holt is on death row at San Quentin for the murder of Nicholaus Markowitz, brother of Ben (a very scary Ben Foster in Alpha Dog). WATCH 'ALPHA DOG' TRAILER BELOW
"My business was always first," Hollywood stated at the trial at the Santa Barbara County Superior Court on June 23. "Hoyt told stories."
He added about Hoyt on June 24: "The guy had pretty much waged war on me and was coming after me - like Cape Fear or something."
Hollywood, Hoyt, Markowitz and several others drove to Santa Barbara, where they partied for several days, as seen in the movie. "There were girls, weed and beer, and they were hanging out," he testified on June 25. "I asked Nick if he wanted to come back to the Valley, and he said, 'No, I'm cool.'"
Hollywood maintains that Hoyt acted on his own. "I was in disbelief," he said when he heard about Markowitz's death. "I was angry... almost scared, saying 'What should I do?'"
He hid out in a trailer in the Mojave Desert and trekked across Canada before parking himself in a beach town outside Rio de Janeiro.
"I had made a new life for myself," Hollywood explained. "I was laying low. I had no hope. I would never get a fair trial."
On June 30, Hollywood's lawyer Alex Kessel said the prosecution has "no proof" of Hollywood's guilt and argued that witnesses have been influenced by "inaccurate depictions" in Alpha Dog.
