Woman who criticized kidnapping testifies

By COLBY FRAZIER — June 9, 2009

Natasha Adams cried and demanded that the kidnapped 15-year-old boy be sent home. Every time she expressed her concerns, even after being told by a friend that someone had discussed killing the boy, she was reassured.

The boy was going to be picked up; the boy was going home on a Greyhound bus, she was told.

But instead, the boy, Nicholas Markowitz, was taken to Lizard’s Mouth, a hiking area in the Santa Barbara foothills, where he was bashed over the head with a shovel, shot nine times and buried.

Nine years after Nicholas was killed, Adams took the witness stand yesterday in the capital murder trial of Jesse James Hollywood. Adams, who is 26 and now has a last name of Adams-Young, outlined the two days in August of 2000 when she partied with the kidnapped boy, and on more than one occasion told him he was free to leave.

But the boy wouldn’t go. According to Adams-Young, Nicholas wanted to remain in custody, which resembled more of a multi-day party, according to testimony in the trial, than a kidnapping, to help his brother get out of a jam.

Prosecutors allege Nicholas was kidnapped over a $1,200 drug debt owed to Hollywood by the boy’s older half-brother, Ben Markowitz.

Though Adams-Young didn’t directly address the alleged drug debt during her testimony, she said Nicholas made it clear to her that he wouldn’t flee because he wanted to help his brother.

“He said that he had to do this for his brother,” she said, and, “If I can stick this out for my brother I will.”

During the two-day period Nicholas was in Santa Barbara, he partied at the home of Jesse Rugge. This is where Adams-Young first met the boy.

Along with Adams-Young was Graham Pressley, also a friend of Rugge. On August 7, shortly after meeting Nicholas, Adams-Young said Pressley told her Nicholas had been kidnapped.

Although she was deeply concerned, she said she didn’t call the police or discuss it at length with the boy because she was confident nothing bad would happen with her there.

But the situation took a sharp turn the following day when Pressley told her Hollywood had offered Rugge a sum of roughly $2,000 to kill Nicholas.

Adams-Young said she confronted Rugge, who ensured her that the boy would be returned to his home.

“He said he was going to get him home … something about putting him on a Greyhound and that he was going to go home,” she said.

A short time later, Adams-Young said Rugge suggested the group get a hotel room. They went to the Lemon Tree Inn on upper State Street, where after several hours of partying, Adams-Young said Rugge informed her, another girl and a boy to leave because someone was coming to pick Nicholas up and take him home.

“I remember the atmosphere that night was really light hearted,” she said, adding that around 11 p.m., Rugge asked everyone except Pressley to leave because “someone’s coming to pick Nick up.”

Rugge, Pressley and Nicholas stayed at the hotel, and for several days, Adams-Young said she believed Nicholas had been taken home.

But on August 15, Adams-Young saw a newspaper story about Nicholas’ body being found at Lizard’s Mouth.

“I think I just started crying,” she said.

Adams-Young then confronted Pressley and Rugge about the incident.

She said Rugge denied any wrong doing, saying he was being set up.

“He said he never touched him,” she said, adding that he appeared so nervous, “You could see his heart through his chest.”

Later this same day Adams-Young said she contacted an attorney, who called the police.

Hollywood’s attorney Alex Kessel, who will resume questioning Adams-Young today, focused on the statement Pressley made to her about Hollywood offering Rugge money to kill Nicholas.

Kessel asked if at any time Pressley said Rugge had told him these things, apparently insinuating that Pressley came up with it on his own, or possibly heard it directly.

Adams-Young, in what appeared to be consistent with prior testimony she gave during a grand jury indictment shortly after the killing, said Pressley never said Rugge told him about the money.

“He said Jesse Hollywood offered Jesse Rugge $2,000 to kill Nick,” she said.

Asked why she didn’t go to police after hearing this, Adams Young said she “didn’t believe that he was really in danger when he was with me and my friends.”

Prior to the testimony of Adams-Young, Pressley wrapped up his fourth day on the witness stand.

Pressley, who was convicted of second-degree murder for his involvement, which included digging the grave, was released from prison two years ago. He was tried as an adult, but sentenced as a juvenile.

Maintaining a calm demeanor throughout, Pressley came under fire by Kessel for making inconsistent statements to police shortly after the killing, during his two trials (the first ended with a hung jury and in the second he was convicted), and now.

Although Pressley said in recent days that he froze on the trail leading up to Lizard’s Mouth and refused to accompany Rugge, the gunman, Ryan Hoyt, and Nicholas to the grave site, Kessel wondered why in the past Pressley said he stayed at the car.

Pressley admitted lying to authorities in early interviews, but as far as making contradictory statements during his two trials (he testified during both), and yesterday, he offered no explanation, despite Kessel’s insistence that he “was making it all up.”

“You probably watched him pull that trigger didn’t you?” Kessel asked.

“No, I didn’t,” Pressley said. “I stand by what I’ve always [said].”

Kessel accused Pressley of being an “opportunist,” who would say anything to take the heat off of him.

The attorney said Pressley changed his testimony about staying inside the car because two hikers, who passed the group on the hike to the grave site, would testify that there were four people on the trail. Kessel said Pressley’s motive to do this was so he could put himself further from the grave. Pressley denied it.

Outside the presence of the jury Kessel suggested Pressley knew Rugge had been convicted of kidnapping and was serving a life sentence at the time of his trial. In knowing this, he said Pressley, realizing his friend couldn’t be tried again, put more blame on him.

The trial resumes this morning at 8:30.

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trial : 6/9/2009

crazy s**t!!!

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