crime
News of theWeek
CONT’D
Meet Mrs. Jesse James Hollywood
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BY T Y L E R H AY D E N
COU RTESY MELI N DA HOLLYWOOD
New Bride Talks Marriage on the Inside
esse James Hollywood has tied the knot. The 34-yearold high-profile convict — sentenced by a Santa Barbara jury to life in prison without parole for organizing the kidnap and murder of 15-year-old Nicholas Markowitz over a drug debt in 2000 — married Melinda Enos during a small ceremony at Calapatria State Prison on January 19. Hollywood’s crime, five-year stint as a fugitive, and eventual arrest in Brazil have grabbed national headlines for more than a decade, and the 2006 film UNITED: Melinda said she’s very close with Jesse’s family and Alpha Dog was based on the spent last Thanksgiving with them. Her friends and relatives have not met her new husband. Markowitz murder. Melinda, who took Hollywood’s last name, was born and raised drinks from the vending machines that he in Hawai‘i, moved to Oakland 10 years ago, doesn’t normally get. and now lives in Orange County, where she works in health insurance. Before contacting WERE YOU DRAWN TO JESSE BY HIS Hollywood with a letter in March 2013, she’d CELEBRITY? No. It’s not like I wrote to Scott never dated a prisoner, never been in prison Peterson or something. Jesse’s very honest and herself, and never been married, though she heartfelt, and he’s very loving toward me. He’s is the mother of a 19-year-old daughter. With very personable and tells me everything I need her husband’s blessing, she spoke exclusively to know. If I ask a question, he’ll tell me everyto The Santa Barbara Independent about their thing. He doesn’t bullshit like a lot of people relationship this week. Below is a condensed do. Jesse is such a different person than what version of the conversation; the full interview people think. He’s been judged very bad, and can be found at independent.com. people don’t know who he really is. If people did know him, they would fall in love with him WHEN DID YOUR LETTER-WRITING RELA- like I did. TIONSHIP TURN ROMANTIC? When we met in June for the first time, we started fall- HE WAS CONVICTED FOR A VERY BRUTAL ing for each other. I guess you could say it was CRIME. DOES THAT BOTHER YOU? I think love at first sight. We talked about each others’ he got railroaded in his trial, and his life senlives, our childhoods. He talked about growing tence is unfair. I mean, they got the guy who up playing baseball and everything about his pulled the trigger. He sent me everything he family. I wanted him to know about me, too. had from the court hearings. I read it. It makes I wanted him to know I’m not a crazy person! you think. I know that a lot of the things put out there are not accurate and true, so I did a lot of [Laughs.] research. Also, they put out [Alpha Dog] before WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST VISIT WITH JESSE they went to trial, and the DA helped make it. LIKE? Well, it took me more than 10 weeks The DA should never have been involved. I to get approved for visitations. When I finally think pretty much all the jurors watched the did, it took nine hours to drive from Oakland movie and based their opinion on that. It wasn’t to Calapatria. I’ve visited him every weekend fair to Jesse. since then and stay in a motel nearby. It’s a much shorter drive from Orange County, like DOES JESSE EVER TALK ABOUT THE VICtwo or three hours. The prison is in the middle TIM, NICHOLAS MARKOWITZ? He feels of nowhere, and it’s really hot. And it smells remorseful. We talk about it. He’s writing a really bad because there are cows and slaugh- book about the case and when he was on the run, and he wants to give half of the proceeds to terhouses all around there. I was late for our first visit because when a foundation to keep kids out of trouble. There’s I got there, they made me change my skirt nothing like that out there for Nick’s memory. — I went to a trailer and changed into pants He wants to put the proceeds to good use — he’s they had. During visits, you’re allowed a brief not being greedy and keeping it for himself. His hug and kiss at the beginning and at the end, aunt is helping him type it up. and you can hold hands the whole time. The appointments are on Saturdays and go from TALK TO ME ABOUT YOUR WEDDING DAY. 8:15 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. We like to buy food and HOW DID IT GO? WHO cont’d page 19
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fEbruary 6, 2014
THE INDEPENDENT
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