Paperback: My Stolen Son (2010) is the true story behind the movie Alpha Dog (2006).
On the morning of 6 August 2000, Nick Markowitz, knowing he was in trouble with his parents, snuck out of the house... and never came home.
Jesse James Hollywood, a 20-year-old drug dealer, and three of his accomplices kidnapped the teenager in broad daylight, as revenge for a drug-related debt owed by Nick's half brother. The four kidnappers then murdered the innocent boy in cold blood and buried him in a shallow grave. After the crime that would land him on the FBI's top ten "Most Wanted" list, Hollywood fled to Brazil as a fugitive. It would be nearly a decade before he was brought to justice.
From the day the authorities arrived on her doorstep with the devastating news that Nick had been found dead, Susan Markowitz pursued justice for her son - a mother's nine-year fight to bring the killers to account, and to rebuild a family shattered by an unconscionable crime.
(Interview excerpt with Susan Markowitz by Barry Leibowitz, Senior Writer at 48 Hours):
"The book is filled with the details of stupid choices made by so many people, and I hope others see them and try to learn from everyone's mistakes. I can go way back to when my stepson Ben was little, when he felt unwanted, and how we could have made better decisions to let him know he was. Which might have prevented him from becoming involved with people like Jesse James Hollywood in the first place. Not to mention the thirty-two people who witnessed what was going on and chose not to step up and say something, anything! They chose instead to continue to get high and carry on with their lives as if they saw nothing. They played games in their minds, justifying why this couldn't really be real. And the biggest stupid choice of all: How could Jesse James Hollywood think that murder was an option, because he kidnapped someone and didn't want to face the penalties?"
"The amount of good that has come from the murder of my son is astronomical. Nick, through his death, has helped more than he ever could have in his lifetime. For one thing, throughout the search for Jesse James Hollywood, there were hundreds of drug busts. But the most important thing, I feel, is all the teens who have been truly affected by hearing what happened to Nick. Teens can be self-absorbed, and when they hear stories about consequences of drugs and violence, they often think, "This won't happen to me." But for some reason, Nick's story really has helped more teens than anyone realizes."
"I receive thousands of letters from parents and teens telling me how Nick's story has changed their lives forever. Some were on the wrong path and this opened their eyes. Some parents say I've been able to make a bigger impact on their teens just by speaking to them for two minutes, than they themselves were able to make in two years. And I hope the book will expand that reach even further, helping parents and teens communicate with each other and helping people find the courage to speak out if they witness a crime."
About the authors: Susan Markowitz is Nick's mom. She was a stay-at-home mom during Nick's life, and is stepmom to Ben and Leah. She has spent the years since her son's death on a tireless mission to see justice served, and to honour his memory by reaching out to teens and parents about staying away from drugs and listening to their conscience. She is married to Nick's dad, Jeff, and lives in California.
Jenna Glatzer is the author of 17 books. Her recent work includes The Marilyn Monroe Treasures, Bullyproof Your Child for Life with Joel Haber, PhD, and the authorized biography Celine Dion: For Keeps. She has written for magazines including Woman's World, Contemporary Bride, and Physical, and is a contributing editor at Writer's Digest and columnist at Hospitality Style. She lives in New York with her daughter.
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