He was really worried about becoming a dinosaur, says Perry Gladstone, to whom Gator confided. He was a charismatic, flamboyant personality who received fame and fortune during skateboarding's return to popularity following the success of vert skateboarding. Distraught over her departure, Mr. Rogowski unleashed his fury on a 21-year-old named Jessica Bergstrom, Ms. McClain's best friend. Save up to 50% on Hair when you shop now. 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. By the time he was finally released from the hospital, Gator had morphed into a passionate Christian, according to the LA Times. Jimenez appealed the rape charge, insisting that the decomposed body could show no signs of forcible rape. Brandi and Mark soon began dating, mind you by this time he was a 21-year-old man. That was just Gator., But Brandi would have none of it. He murdered the best friend ofthe girl in the video. Another person mentioned having a similarly bad experience with a scarily aggressive kisser. The law, passed in 2018, stems from a scientific finding that the impulse control mechanism is not fully developed in a majority of people under 25. In his confession, Rogowski conveyed that he had killed Bergsten in a misplaced act of revenge toward McClain, calling Bergsten the "mold Brandi was made out of". These guys were so into it, having such a good time, sweatin and laughin and crackin jokes and just snakin each other. He made me a good baseball player and an athlete in general. Look, heres an exact explanation of what happened to her. He reaches for his sword a well-thumbed, red Bible on his bookshelf. For years Gator was skateboardings biggest star. "The family and friends of Jessica Bergsten deserve the continued promise of justice in this case," District Attorney Summer Stephan said. If you believe that it was a revenge killing and that it was prompted by Brandi, I would say yes, he replies, and suddenly youre listening to a dramatically different Gator than the one at whose sentencing a Catholic priest testified, Never before have I encountered a person so clearly open about his responsibility. Youre listening to a man skating away from the idea that the murder was really his fault. First let me say that it wasnt only incest. He says he doesnt think hell ever ride a skateboard again, but hopes that someday hell be free so he can learn to fly a kite. If he was a celebrity in southern California, in Carlsbad, the unofficial skateboarding capital of the world, he was a megastar. His tale was recounted in an article in the Village Voice by the name Mark Gator Rogowski: Free Fallin, referring to the name of the Tom Petty music video that Rogowski and his former girlfriend Brandi had starred in. Rogowski came forward with a confession to his friend after the discovery of the body because he said he was overcome with guilt. I believe in the Lord, dont get me wrong, says Rowlett. First Peter, Chapter 4, Verse 3. ', Constantino remembers what he told Gator as he drove him to the police department in the early morning of May 5. Behind bars: Rogowski pleaded guilty to raping and murdering 22-year-old Jessica Bergsten in 1991. I told you and you remember, Rogowski what would happen if anyone hurt my daughter. Rogowski was [also] upset that his relationship with his ex-girlfriend, Brandi McClain, was also coming to an end. I dont want to mention family members, of course, because I want to protect them. Skateboarders who talked to the press about it were ostracized. He was mainly prominent in the 1980s and early 1990s. Devon, do you have a problem with guys having long hair? Rogowski was [also] upset that his relationship with his ex-girlfriend, Brandi McClain, was also coming to an end. Patricia Arquette joined in on a popular Twitter prompt about bad dates on Wednesday, only to reveal that her date became an infamous murderer years later. 'Like pushing me back hard with his jaw and it felt like it was angry, Downhill:Rogowski was a popular skateboard throughout the 1980s, but his career suffered as the 1990s rolled along due to his worsening addiction to alcohol and the sport's diminishing commercial prospects; still from Mark Rogowski: The Rise And Fall Of Gator. A war story with a heartening conclusion", "This is a remarkable storya story to be remembered, forever. [citation needed], Rogowski's popularity declined as the 'vert skating' popular in the 1980s was supplanted by street skateboarding in the 1990s. Warning, your tampon may cause cancer: Period product makers could be forced to state health risks on labels Georgia player Jamaal Jarrett slammed for appearing to film himself saying a racist remark as an Asian man CBS 'was LOSING as much as $20 million a year on James Corden's The Late Late Show' where he earned up to 'This movie is absolutely NUTS!' He raped her and raped her and raped her and then thought, Lets kill her. We couldnt say goodbye to Jessica because that filth left her with nothing but a piece of skin, left her for the coyotes and the goddamned birds to eat her. He glared directly at Gator and said in a firm voice. Soon afterward, he began a tumultuous long-term relationship with McClainthey appeared together in numerous advertisements and promotional videos for Vision, which had become one of the top-selling skateboarding brands of the 1980s. [citation needed] With the bailiffs standing between Rogowski and Bergsten, Rogowski offered an apology while Bergsten shouted back he "was a coward" who would "die a thousand deaths". Heres what we uncovered. December 27, 2016 at 8:41 AM Jessicas remains were buried in a family plot in Georgia. He just looked like this really diminished person.''. He looked the same, but he sounded completely different. Rogowski quickly became a cult hero in the skating community as a teenager. What do you need a lawyer for, if you answer to a higher power? "[3] Constantino encouraged Rogowski to confess his crime to the police, which he subsequently did. . In high school she ran with the artsy/skater crowd, and she continued to do so at the Rhode Island School of Design. You know, Give me my high school jacket and my class ring because were not going steady anymore. Well, thats what he did.. We might just have the answers. Rogowski and McClain hit it off right away, and the two started dating shortly after. He says hes undergone a religious conversion. Rogowski started skating when he was just seven years old growing up in Escondido, Calif., a suburb just outside of San Diego. I also had a huge crush on Devon when the vid came out-it's those beautiful eyes. Jessica, still conscious, begged him to stop, occasionally screaming. Jesus Christ spoke to me through that accident, said Gator. He was getting old, Newell told the San Diego Union, but he was keeping up with the moves., Skatings more established wing reacted with a bit more shock. I learned about the murder case involving one of the male skaters in the video and came across this page while doing reasrch on that.What were the odds that the very person this page is about (and the girl in the music video) just so happens to respond on here at roughly the same time I finished reading through this lol. Ive listened to the song many times but began watching Tom Petty videos following his passing. One night at the 7-Eleven, remembers Constantino, Gator and I were witnessing and I saw this young girl with what they call a miniskirt I call them towels. Wow! When they popped out of the bowl, theyd get a smile on their faces and yelp and chime. But Brandi was different. I guess I lost. The quadriceps in his right leg were severed, ending his pro surfing career. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. As she stared at the picture, Gator snuck up behind her, hitting her two or three times in the head and face with the metal steering-wheel lock. Rogowski confessed to the killing weeks later. Growing up in ''repressive Kentucky,'' Ms. Stickler said, she has always gravitated toward fringe groups. Shop the best selection of deals on Fitness now. Skateboarders felt that the coverage was turning into an indictment of their sport, not just Gator. [15], In June 2022, a San Diego County Parole Board granted Rogowski parole with his attorney citing "the parole board's 'trained psychologist found him to be a low risk of danger to the public.'" He ditched his partying lifestyle for a life devoted to Jesus Christ, but this swift change of direction complicated his relationship with his girlfriend, Brandi McClain. The Girl in the Video: Take On Me (1985), The Girl in the Video: If This Is It (1984), The Girl in the Video: The Boys of Summer (1984), The Girl in the Video: Legs (1984), part 3 of 3, The Girl in the Video: Legs (1984), part 2 of 3. Surfboard shops would just give him all the equipment h wanted, skaters would ask for his autograph or Gator stickers t put on their boards. Then wed hang out in his Jacuzzi, get drunk off our asses, and go in and have wild sex all night.. Newsom said Rogowski poses an unreasonable danger to society if released from prison at this time.. Now, when you no longer plunge with them into all this reckless dissipation, they cannot understand it. He shuts the Bible with a thump. Fame, a big house in the suburbs, fancy cars, and girls following him everywhere he stepped. Best wishes, Rob. Thats crazy.. Since California law prohibits video interviews with prison inmates, Rogowski was interviewed over the recorded prison phone for the documentary. Secondly, pornography and its addictive character. Rogowski's career ended when he pled guilty for assaulting, raping, and murdering Jessica Bergsten in 1991. Because despite all he had, on March 20, 1991, Gator beat twenty-one-year-old Jessica Bergsten over the head with a steering-wheel lock called the Club and raped her for nearly three hours. Rogowski murdered McClain because she was friends with his ex-girlfriend Brandi McClain. He boasted of being a roving ambassador, telling skating magazines how he was going to turn the whole non-skating world on to the sport. Rogowski is currently in prison on a 31-year to life sentence for raping and murdering Jessica Bergsten in 1991. Rogowski is currently incarcerated at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, California. I came home the night he confessed to find 87 messages on my answering machine. Gender: Male Religion: Born-Again Christian Race or Ethnicity: White . One night, after a Bible study at Constantinos house, Gator returned to the house with tears streaming down his face. But one night soon after he was incarcerated, inmates crowded around a television to hear Gators story on Hard Copy. Instead of breaking a bottle and slashing some bodys face, youre throwing yourself at a wall with sweat dripping in your eyes.. Mark Anthony "Gator" Rogowski (born August 10, 1966)[1] is an American former professional skateboarder who was convicted of murder. This is the story of the rise and fall of Mark Gator Anthony. [4] Rogowski soon received endorsement deals from Gullwing Trucks and G&S early in his career. [3], Rogowski was sentenced on March 6, 1992. Soon after, they started dating and came to be known as the skateboarding couple. He won his first national championship two years later when he was just 18. Stay rooted in Christ and pray. There, a handful of teenagers skated the ramps, rolling in and out, doing flips, handstands, board slides, ollies and every once in a while, some daring kid would attempt a lean 360. Its a notoriously difficult move, in which the skater tries to get enough momentum and height to fly vertically out of the bowl with his body almost perpendicular to the ground, spin around once completely, and then land where hed taken off, inside the bowl, but this time rolling backward toward the bottom. Its no exaggeration to say I became completely enslaved to these devious mental images and inescapable thoughts , Essentially, I became a victim first, because I turned my back on God in several ways, thinking I could get through it on my own power.. Mark Rogowski's relationship with former model and aspiring actor Brandi McClain turned his life around. She became teary-eyed, recounting how the misplaced rage of a man had taken away her best friend from her. In an inexplicable fit of jealousy and rage, Rogowski bashed Bergsten over the head with a metal steering-wheel lock. Under California law, this warrants the death penalty or life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. He landed on a wrought-iron fence, impaling his neck, face, and thumb. 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. And Mark was furious. The accident that ensued is a skateboarding legend a drunken Gator, partying with a bunch of other skaters, leapt out of a second-story window, convinced that he could fly. After a day on the town, the two returned to Gators condo for some wine and a movie. On March 10, 1992, Rogowski was sentenced to 31 years to life behind bars for the 1991 killing of 22-year-old Jessica Bergsten, who was struck over the head with a metal steering wheel lock, raped and suffocated. Brandi and the police suspected Gator. He was the first skateboarder to receive his own 'pro-deck' by Vision Sports, and his pro-deck proved popular and was soon followed by the Mark Gonzales and Tom Groholski models. On his way back to the condo, he rented a carpet steamer, and cleaned out every spot of blood he could from the rug. All rights reserved. AKA Mark Anthony Rogowski. Thank God., Finally able to express my regret and my sorrow over our loss of Jessica, Gator tried to explain why hed done what he did. He drove for two hours into the desert, pulled off the highway at a desolate place called Shell Canyon, and buried her naked body in a shallow grave. Then he strangled her in a surfboard bag and buried her naked in the desert 100 miles away. He plastered the entire county with posters that read MISSING PERSON with a picture of a grinning Jessica, her vital statistics (5-8, 115 pounds, blond hair, blue eyes, fair complexion), and the telephone numbers for the San Diego police department. In December 2019, he was recommended for parole by a hearing panel at the Donovan Correctional Facility. ''He was smaller than I thought he would be, his hair was thinner and he was wearing glasses that were held together by tape,'' Ms. Stickler recalled. Arquette wrote back: 'Another guy was like that one other time he bot [sic] me hard while kissing and I started choking him and told him don't ever f***ing do that to a woman again. Rogowski called Bergsten's death misplaced revenge against his ex-girlfriend Brandi McClain. EXCLUSIVE: Is a 'cryptic' Covid strain lurking in YOUR area? 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. He and his beautiful live-in girlfriend, Brandi McClain, were the skateboarding couple: they starred in skating videos together, they worked as models together, they even appeared together in a Tom Petty video. He rose to fame at an early age, but he soon became infamous owing to the rape and murder of his former girlfriend Brandi McClains friend Jessica Bergsten. After befriending Augie Constantino, an ex-surfer turned born-again Christian who also became his "spiritual advisor", Rogowski converted to a strict Evangelical form of Christianity influencing Rogowski's attitude and skateboard deck designs. Additionally, Vision was also selling T-shirts, berets, hip packs, and stickers using the "Gator" name. ''I love getting arrested,'' Mr. Rogowski adds. Photo by Doug Pensinger for Getty Images, Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Anyway, Im not an ordained minister. This fact is often misconstrued. 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. The book is absolutely fantastic, the book is tremendous, the book is a huge achievement, Expertly craftedentertaining and good lookinga real winner, I have to praise this wonderful book. With his green eyes and dark, lean good looks, charming personality, and aggressively physical skating style, he rose to the top rank of the sport. It features interviews with the lead investigator, Brandy McClain, and the minister Auggie Costantino.[17]. Mr. For many in the world of skateboarding, it was a scab better left untouched. I got a lot of ideas. He was such a great guy, I just couldnt believe it., The violent, anti-authority image of skateboarding symbolized in Thrasher magazines old motto Skate or Die combined with the sex and bondage aspects of the murder, fed the presss sensationalist treatment of the story. She drew a parallel between skateboarding and stripping, describing both as alternative communities, industries where ''youth and vitality are sold.'' The others are some other girl from the video! They found the bloodstains under Gators carpet, and a carpet-cleaner receipt (Gators accountant had instructed him to save all his receipts). Sea World water skiing superheroes2013? Soon he was flying her to San Diego to visit him, and a few months later, she left Tucson for good and moved in with Gator. Where is Mark Rogowski in jail right now? My fellow skater friends were all hyped on the surf thing who had what board, the newest O.P.s, and who had a Hang Ten shirt. Then one thing led to another and I found myself here.I really enjoyed reading through this interview. Maybe shes dead. The girl just ignored us and jumped into a car. She must have suffocated or had a seizure or a stroke or something. I had been exposed to pornography since I was a little boy, three years old, he says. Mark Anthony Gator Rogowski is a former skateboarding superstar who was convicted for the assault, rape, and murder of his former girlfriends best friend, Jessica Bergsten. However, fame, a big house, and fancy cars, were all useless on a fateful day in 1991, when he threw it all away. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. We would go to Mexico together, and she would, say, get so drunk that she would leave me there. I wouldnt have submitted if I didnt have some weakness, some background desire. ''I'm one of the most illegal skaters in the circuit.''. mr_scary. The Untold Story of the Tompkins Square Murder, Paranoid Notes on the Strange Death of Bruce Lee. Save up to 50% on Pets when you shop now. I was being an example to these impressionable kids. Shop the best selection of deals on Tools & Utensils now. One of them is Brandi. Brandi was scared enough to flee to New York, not telling anyone but her family where she was going. November 2016. His luck would change for the worse when vertical skating, his specialty, with its big ramps and aerial maneuvers, was supplanted by street skating, a more grounded version of the sport that relies on flatland obstacles like curbs and park benches. In my attempt to quiet her, in her intoxicated and belligerent state, I had put my hand over her mouth to quiet her for a second so I could hear the voices and the footsteps coming up my walkway. I sincerely hope that they can accept my apology for my carelessness, he said. Then, in October 1989, after a competition in West Germany, the party animal in Gator reared up and bit him. Why is it okay for a girl to compete against guys in skateboarding (or any other sport) but not for guys to have longer hair than a girl?? Naturally, other users were fascinated by her eerie story and pressed her for more details, with one person guessing that she was referring to Rogowski. Shop the best selection of deals on Cat Supplies now. From her profile, it seems to be the case that she is currently living in the state of Tennessee. Deals and discounts in Cookware you dont want to miss. Mr. Rogowski's voice, over crackling static, follows: ''I was a coward emotionally and mentally; I hate what I did.''. Brandi just didnt get it. Gator spared no expense on Brandi. 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. These are the best Smartphones deals youll find online. In the form of sex, actual sex with people. They were the hottest couple on the beach. I'm still curious, who would you think it, besides me, that would be in the photos? Street skaters wore their pants around the knees, eschewed protective pads and helmets and counted on frequent run-ins with the police. promiscuity, premarital sex and cohabitation, the disease of jealousy, and the unhealthy obsession that so often attaches to these. 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 . U.S., Rogowski was introduced to Brandi McClain and her good friend Jessica Bergsten, an aspiring model. The girl in the video is Brandi McClain, Mark's girlfriend. His career ended when he was convicted of assaulting, raping and murdering Jessica Bergsten on March 6, 1992. You bitch! Vision, the company that sponsored Gator and dozens of other top skaters, was about to file Chapter 11. Mark Anthony Gator Rogowski (born August 10, 1966) was a prominent professional skateboarder in the 1980s and very early 1990s. Really cute. 'We made out but something about how he kissed me freaked me out,' she continued, adding that she 'gave him a fake number' at the conclusion of the date. No doubt, we were stoked.. Whatever the cause, the result nearly killed him. His life was chronicled in a critically acclaimed 2003 documentary titled Stoked: The Rise and Fall of Gator by American filmmaker Helen Stickler. With Mark "Gator" Rogowski, Tony Hawk, Stacy Peralta, Jason Jessee and Brandi McClain. He clasped his hands around her neck and strangled her. Mr. Rogowski grew arrogant, alienating himself from his skateboard buddies, falling into trouble with the law. We were making a ton of money, we flew all over the world, there were skating groupies at every stop. News. Mark didnt come to me as a minister, he came to me as a friend. He boasted of being a roving ambassador, telling skating magazines how he was going to turn the whole non-skating world on to the sport. In the episode, she said she would never forgive Mark and that she will never forget her best friend, Jessica Bergsten. Once again, Newsom has that option available to him. [3], Rogowski received a 31-year to life prison sentence: six years for forcible rape and 25 years to life for the first-degree murder charges to be served consecutively.[3][11]. Gator was charged with special circumstances, committing a murder during rape, which under California law can warrant the death penalty or life imprisonment without possibility of parole. The primary vehicle for the wealth of pro skaters was skateboard sales, and Gator was one of the hottest tickets in that market too. These are the best Fashion deals youll find online. Investigation Discovery's 'James Patterson's Till Murder Do Us Part' retells the horrendous crime in an episode titled 'The Darkside' through the words of different people affected by it. He is a child-murderer and child-rapist. Its kind of like a typical young teenage stunt. Rogowski is currently in prison on a 31-year to life sentence for raping and murdering Jessica Bergsten in 1991. Gator, Gator, Gator every issue of Thrasher had Gator doing something, says Perry Gladstone, who owns FL (formerly Fishlips), a skateboarding company near San Diego. After taking the case, Jimenez immediately challenged the validity of the confession, saying that Gators minister had no right to turn him in. I was completely mesmerized by this book from the first instant I opened it. But she later revealed that her disastrous second date was with former professional skateboarder Mark 'Gator' Rogowski, who would later confess to brutally raping and murdering his acquaintance Jessica Bergsten in 1991 when she was only 22 years old. After that, says Jimenez, I guess they thought he was a heavy dude, because the rest of the population has kept their distance ever since.. In typical Gator fashion, he spent the night getting sloshed, wandering from party to party. "Horrible. He also dragged Brandi to the church several times, but Brandi downright refused and eventually broke up with him. With the bailiffs standing between Bergsten and Gator, the skater offered a solemn apology to Jessicas family, asking them to forgive him. "Moral to the. I was just reading this interview tonight randomly after watching the video earlier today. Much Love Always & Forever I. Y'Shua, Amein. These are so cool. By 1981, at age 14, he was already skating professionally in competitions throughout California. Except Mr. Rogowski, who ignored Ms. Stickler's initial entreaties. We both sat and cried. To pay for her education and first few short films, she worked as a stripper. Mr. Rogowski, with his dark, boyish good looks, wild hair and palpable rock-star charisma, would be the pinup boy to take skating mainstream. It's awesome that the girl from the Free Fallin' video became a Christian! Thank you for your understanding, much Love Always & Forever, Devon Kidd. Save up to 50% on Swimwear when you shop now. Don't lose faith! Topline Hockey hopes to make the glide path to the NHL easier for New York City kids. We were very much alive. Here's the truth behind his reckless fall from Fox News stardom, Standing by her man! ''Everyone had their 2 cents about Gator,'' she said. Skateboarding, like other California phenomena such as surfing and savings-and-loan scams, had a tremendous surge in popularity in the 1980s. He confessed to this crime and was sent to jail for a prolonged time. We prayed for about an hour, asking God what we should do. McClain informed police about Rogowski's behavior. Nor does he think it was unethical for him, as a minister, to turn in someone confessing to him. One of them is Brandi. ''By the time I started looking into the story, everyone had been speculating and gossiping about it for years, but there were no real answers.''. He was mainly prominent in the 1980s and early 1990s. His girlfriend of five years, Brandi McClain, left him for a surfer. 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