Jesse James gets life in murder case

Jesse James Hollywood has been sentenced to life in prison. Hollywood orchestrated the kidnap-murder of a 15-year-old boy leaving a community reeling from grief, shock, and a four-year international manhunt.

jesse james hollywood

Jesse James Hollywood has been sentenced to life in prison for orchestrating the kidnap-murder of a 15-year-old boy in a case that inspired the 2007 movie Alpha Dog.

Superior Court Judge Brian Hill on Friday sentenced Hollywood to life without the possibility of parole in a Santa Barbara courtroom after denying a defense motion for a new trial.

Hollywood had faced a possible death penalty, but jurors recommended life after finding him guilty of first-degree murder. Prosecutors say Hollywood ordered the killing of Nicholas Markowitz in August 2000 over a drug debt owed by his half-brother. Four others also were convicted in the case, including the gunman who was sentenced to death.