I got a lot of ideas. "The family and friends of Jessica Bergsten deserve the continued promise of justice in this case," District Attorney Summer Stephan said. I had been exposed to pornography since I was a little boy, three years old, he says. A particularly disturbing piece of archival video in ''Stoked'' has Mr. Rogowski lounging in a lawn chair, wearing a beret and sunglasses; he looks like a character plucked from a John Hughes film. Brandi and her husband seem to love indulging in adventure sports such as water sports and indoor rock climbing. In 1987 Rogowski was introduced to 15-year-old Brandi McClain and her close friend Jessica Bergsten while skating at a show in Scottsdale, Arizona. Skateboard manufacturers became multimillion-dollar companies branching out into clothing, sneakers, even movies. Former professional skateboarder Mark "Gator" Rogowski, who was convicted of raping and murdering a woman in Carlsbad more than 30 years ago, has been granted parole. Rogowski came forward with a confession to his friend after the discovery of the body because he said he was overcome with guilt. But I got a strange reaction out of Mark. During a skating party in West Germany, Gator drunkenly jumped out of a two-story window and landed face-first onto a wrought iron fence. It was quite a spectacle for a suburban courtroom. Challenges to find folks must be frequent . He took it all back, including the car, says Terry Jensen, an investigator from the San Diego County district attorneys office, to whom Brandi later recounted the story. Shop the best selection of deals on Laptops now. I was a blind dude, but now I can see. Gator had been born again. Together they featured in skating videos, worked as models, and even made an appearance in the Tom Petty video for Free Fallin. And as for their personal life, the two were inseparable. The fall of your favorite celebrity? Means so much. He looked the same, but he sounded completely different. Heres what we uncovered. His girl friend who was best friends with his x girlfriend.'. Rogowski did not think he could do well on street skating and saw his lucrative career coming to an end. Mark was devastated, says Constantino. Bergsten, a friend of ex-girlfriend Brandi McClain, asked Mark to show her around San Diego. In 1982, he won his first major contest, the Canadian Amateur Skateboarding Championships in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. I also had a huge crush on Devon when the vid came out-it's those beautiful eyes. I sincerely hope that they can accept my apology for my carelessness, he said. Save up to 50% on Skin Care when you shop now. They were all reporters wanting me to talk about Gator. He was mainly prominent in the 1980s and early 1990s. I told you and you remember, Rogowski what would happen if anyone hurt my daughter. By the time he was 17, he was making $100,000 a year. [2], Rogowski was born in Brooklyn, New York, but he moved to Escondido, California, at the age of three after his parents divorced. ''I always had this fantasy that I'd be successful and they'd invite me back,'' she said. Thanks-either way. His life was chronicled in a critically acclaimed 2003 documentary titled Stoked: The Rise and Fall of Gator by American filmmaker Helen Stickler. Next to the beach, with a pizza shop next door, the convenience store is a favorite hangout for young Carlsbad surfers and skateboarders. Beautiful as ever. We might just have the answers. Find the best deals on Women's Handbags & Wallets from your favorite brands. As he drove back to Carlsbad, he tossed her bloodstained clothes, his sheets, and the club out the window. Kids decorated their jeans jackets with the phrase Free Mark Anthony. I didn't know this. The couples happiness was soon affected by an accident, after which Mark seemingly changed his way of life towards a more religious approach. He was calling me up leaving all these freaky messages. Youre gonna fry in hell from your toes! Weird shit like that.. ''I love getting arrested,'' Mr. Rogowski adds. This fact is often misconstrued. Hes built like a fireplug, wears a goatee, and has one eye slightly askew a result of his accident. Following the end of his relationship with McClain, Rogowski was jealous: He entered her home to steal gifts he had given her, he made threatening telephone calls to McClain's new boyfriend, and he also threatened McClain directly. Until that ruling is issued, Rogowski will remain incarcerated at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego. As part of an elite crew of top pros, Gator held rank with skate icons Tony Hawk, Steve Caballero, Jason Jessee and Lance Mountain, who in the film recall Skating's biggest decade . She was an incredibly intelligent, free-spirited girl, recalls Brandi. Rogowski and McClain hit it off immediately, and the 2 began relationship shortly after. Witt Rowlett, owner of Witts Carlsbad Pipelines, the premier surf shop in Carlsbad, says that everyone was amazed. She is alive and well. Bergsten's close friend Brandi McClain had broken up with Rogowski, who later told . They moved to a condominium in the upscale beachside community of Carlsbad, one block away from the ocean. They appeared together in numerous promotional videos and advertisements for the Vision brand. However, in 2020, his parole grant was reversed, and he will not be eligible for a parole hearing till June 2021. Find the best deals on More Pets Supplies from your favorite brands. She is alive and well. Rogowski is currently in prison on a 31-year to life sentence for raping and murdering Jessica Bergsten in 1991. Did King of Club Kids Michael Alig Really Kill Angel Melendez? This really hurt my feelings because, actually, I am transgender and I always wanted to wear my hair like hers and have my makeup like she has hers in the "Free Fallin'" video. On one such attempt, she invited Gator to take her out to dinner. Jessicas father attended the hearing and strongly objected to Rogowskis eligibility for parole. Thank you for this - Ive always wondered who this bright eyed young woman was. After beating Ms. Bergstrom into semiconsciousness, he raped her. He made me a good baseball player and an athlete in general. After knocking her semi-unconscious by way of several strikes, he handcuffed her and dragged her to his bedroom on the second floor, and raped her while she was shackled to his bed. Those who visit Gator in prison are struck at first by how truly repentant he seems, sitting in his cell in a loose-fitting navy-blue jumpsuit with SD JAIL stamped on the back, his once wild long hair now shorn and carefully combed, as he talks about his fall from grace. He was still so mad about the guy I was seeing, says Brandi. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. No material may be reused in any way without permission. Thus was born the man known as the skateboard minister. In his stonewashed jeans, cowboy boots, and bolero jacket, he stands out from his fellow Calvary Chapel parishioners. Find the best deals on HDTVs, UHD TVs, & 4KTVs from your favorite brands. "In addition, skateboarding was changing from ramps to the street. Jessica, who had come over to Rogowskis condo to watch a movie, had no idea what she would be facing. But Mark was just fanatic. But the cash didnt end there; he also had his contest winnings and lent his name to a slew of products made by Vision Sport, a skateboard merchandising company. Gator flipped over his mattress to hide the blood that was there, then put Jessicas body, her cut-up clothing, the bag, the handcuffs, and the Club in the trunk of his car. In high school she ran with the artsy/skater crowd, and she continued to do so at the Rhode Island School of Design. Vision, the company that sponsored Gator and dozens of other top skaters, was about to file Chapter 11. Gator spared no expense on Brandi. [3] Police searched his home and found evidence of blood soaked through the carpet padding and into the floorboards in two small spots, adjacent to where Bergsten's head allegedly rested. They found the bloodstains under Gators carpet, and a carpet-cleaner receipt (Gators accountant had instructed him to save all his receipts). 'I think without religion it never would have been solved. One user suggested that the influence of religion on Rogowski had led to his confession. In 1982, he won his first major contest, the Canadian Amateur Skateboarding Championships in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The next thing I knew, I look down and shes not breathing and not moving., Mark Gator Anthony, who has finally broken up and out of the half-pipe of his guilt, will be forty-three years old before he is eligible for parole. How Skateboard King Mark Gator Anthony Was Born Again As a Rapist and Murderer. I think it is pretty sexist of Devon, as a female, to have said that. He left McClain angry voicemails and threatened her new boyfriend multiple times before she finally fled to New York. Mark Anthony "Gator" Rogowski (born August 10, 1966)[1] is an American former professional skateboarder who was convicted of murder. I said to her, Go and put some clothes on and when you come back, Id like to talk to you about Christ. And she said, Ive got nothing to worry about, Ive got no problems. I pointed to the poster. She aged very well. He admitted to coming up behind her and hitting her in the head with a Club (a metal auto anti-theft device). "[3] Constantino encouraged Rogowski to confess his crime to the police, which he subsequently did. Horrific: In 1991, he took his ex Brandi McClain's friend Jessica Bergsten on a tour of San Diego, before bashing her over the head at his apartment, brutally raping her and killing her; still from Mark Rogowski: The Rise And Fall Of Gator. You will be moved", "A rich overview of this bizarre historical controversy deftly navigates topics like childhood in the early 20th century, the media and the influence of celebrity culture, and the history of photography a strong nonfiction choice", "With a crisp and engaging style, Nobleman relates this fascinating story Young readers are bound to be intrigued", "Engaging A fascinating introduction to one of the greatest hoaxes of all time, deftly pitched to elementary-age children", "Will leave children guessing until the end", "A seamless blend of both frolics and facts fuels suspense part accidental trickster tale, part unforgettable fairy tale, all true, this will have kids reaching for cameras of their own in no time". A couple of these pics aren't even of Devon. Jessicas father, Stephen Bergsten, a Tucson lawyer, had enough to worry about without his daughter disappearing. Rogowski grew up in Escondido, Calif., where he was . Rogowski and McClain hit it off right away, and the two started dating shortly after. Soon after, they started dating and came to be known as the skateboarding couple. After a severe accident in West Germany, where Rogowski either fell or was pushed from a hotel window and landed on a fence,[3] Rogowski returned home to Carlsbad to recover. Id probably have some suicidal tendencies. Distraught over her departure, Mr. Rogowski unleashed his fury on a 21-year-old named Jessica Bergstrom, Ms. McClain's. However, Governor Gavin Newsom again reversed the parole board's decision, ensuring Rogowski would continue to serve his sentence.[16]. One night, Brandi came home to find that someone had broken into her house through her window, taking everything that Gator had ever given her. He talked to her friends, he even met with Gator to ask about her whereabouts. All this was fueled by a handful of San Diego County teenagers who had become the sports superstars, and Gator was one of them.