4 PLEAD NOT GUILTY IN DEATH POLICE STILL SEARCHING FOR FIFTH SUSPECT IN TEEN'S MURDER.Byline: Orith Goldberg Staff Writer SANTA BARBARA Santa Barbara (săn'tə bär`brə, –bərə), city (1990 pop. 85,571), seat of Santa Barbara co., S Calif., on the Pacific Ocean; inc. 1850. - Four suspects in the brutal slaying of a West Hills teen-ager pleaded not guilty to charges of kidnapping and murder Friday at arraignment A criminal proceeding at which the defendant is officially called before a court of competent jurisdiction, informed of the offense charged in the complaint, information, indictment, or other charging document, and asked to enter a plea of guilty, not guilty, or as otherwise permitted in Santa Barbara Superior Court. Police have blamed the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Nicholas Markowitz, over drug money owed by Markowitz's 22-year-old half brother Benjamin Markowitz, on Jesse James Hollywood Jesse James Hollywood (born January 28, 1980 in Los Angeles, California) was a drug dealer and fugitive. He allegedly kidnapped and ordered the murder of Nicholas Markowitz. , 20, now believed to be a fugitive in Colorado. Nicholas Markowitz's body was discovered in a shallow grave Aug. 12 in the Los Padres National Forest Los Padres National Forest is a forest located in southern and central California, which includes most of the mountainous land along the California coast from Ventura to Monterey, extending inland. Elevations range from sea level to 8,831 feet. . Four of the five suspects in the case were arrested Aug. 16. They are Williams R. Skidmore, 20, of Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. ; Jesse Taylor Rugge, 20, of Santa Barbara; Graham Pressley, 17, of Goleta; and Ryan James Ryan James may refer to:
Each of the four was also charged with the special circumstance that the murder occurred in the course of a kidnapping, making them eligible for a death sentence or life in prison without possibility of parole, said Santa Barbara prosecutor Ron Zonen. ``We haven't made a decision yet whether or not we're going to be seeking the death sentence as to any of the defendants,'' Zonen said. Hoyt was also charged with use of a firearm resulting in death, and the three other defendants were charged with being principals in a crime in which another co-principal was armed with an assault rifle assault rifle Military firearm that is chambered for ammunition of reduced size or propellant charge and has the capacity to switch between semiautomatic and fully automatic fire. , Zonen said. The four defendants are scheduled to appear in court for further proceedings Sept. 7. On that date, a preliminary hearing is expected to be scheduled. Authorities are searching for Hollywood, the fifth suspect in the case, in the Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, city (1990 pop. 281,140), seat of El Paso co., central Colo., on Monument and Fountain creeks, at the foot of Pikes Peak; inc. 1886. It is a year-round resort and a booming military, technological, and commercial city. , Colo., area, where he was last seen Aug. 20, authorities said. It was during a fruitless search for Benjamin Markowitz on Aug. 6, to recover $36,000 he allegedly owed Hollywood, that authorities said Rugge, Hollywood and Skidmore spotted Nicholas Markowitz in his West Hills neighborhood and decided to kidnap him instead. Markowitz was taken to Santa Barbara, where he spent two days at Rugge's home. Investigators believe he was given marijuana and Valium to keep him passive. On Aug. 8, Hoyt, Rugge and Pressley took Markowitz to a park site near Lizard's Mouth in the Los Padres National Forest. There, he was placed in a shallow grave and shot nine times by Hoyt, authorities said. Skidmore's attorney, H. Russell Halpern, said there is no evidence to show his client was in the vehicle used during Markowitz's kidnapping. ``I don't believe he is legally involved in the kidnapping,'' Halpern said. Halpern said Skidmore is taking the charges against him in stride Adv. 1. in stride - without losing equilibrium; "she took all his criticism in stride" in good spirits , adding that his close-knit family is quite disturbed. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Three of the five suspects in the murder of West Hills 15-year-old Nicholas Markowitz - from left, Ryan James Hoyt, Jesse Taylor Rugge and, partially obscured, William R. Skidmore - are seen during their Santa Barbara arraignment Friday. Steve Malone/Santa Barbara News-Press |
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