He and his beautiful live-in girlfriend, Brandi McClain, weretheskateboarding couple: they starred in skating videos together, they worked as models together, they even appeared together in a Tom Petty video. You see? At the age of 3, his parents divorced, and he ended up across the country in Escondido, California. On 20th March 1991, Rogowski and Jessica met for the first time in years. He claimed that he believed that Jesus Christ had spoken to him through the accident. Whether Mark fell on his own or was pushed by someone else remains a mystery to this day. Men's Study 8:30 AM. Liam Adams covers religion for The Tennessean. And back then, in the days of 80s skateboarding, any good skate party would be fully equipped with multiple betties, aka skate groupies. Gator was completely devoted to Brandi, and he showered her with gifts regularly, including buying her 2 cars. Join Facebook to connect with Augie Constantino and others you may know. 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 that influenced Rogowski's attitude and skateboard deck designs. He was also recognized in front of well known scholars with theOutstanding Student Urban Award. I came home the night he confessed to find 87 messages on my answering machine. One of his clients was under investigation by an Arizona drug task force, while rumors were rife that he himself was being investigated for money laundering. Former professional skateboarder Mark accumulated enormous fame for his wild skating style and cocky attitude between the 1980s and 1990s. As per the former skate champion, he snuck up on Jessica before hitting her head with a metal club and making her semi-conscious. (LogOut/ He was really worried about becoming a dinosaur, says Perry Gladstone, to whom Gator confided. Around this time, Gator and Brandi started a long-distance courtship, given that he was only in Arizona for the competition. Gator started calling her mothers house, leaving messages on the answering machine. Boto could not be reached for comment on Tuesday. There were Gator stories, Gator spreads, full-page Gator ads he was a hero to us. Most of these girls would hang out and party with the guys and there was obviously a lot of hooking-up going on as well. Pastor Augie Saucedo. He challenged us to actually engage the current generation where they are at to live our Christian walk as did the Jews who were in exile in Babylon. Like Brandi, Jessica was tall, blond, and beautiful, and her friends remember her as tough, savvy, and adventurous. As he drove back to Carlsbad, he tossed her bloodstained-clothes, his sheets, and the Club out the window. Constantino Alberto Bacela is a discreet businessman who in recent years has won many tenders for the supply of goods and services to the Mozambican state, from vehicles to public works . I sincerely hope that they can accept my apology for my carelessness.. He told a reporter that Jessica was a slut, claiming to have a long list of people with whom shed had sadomasochistic sex, including the entire University of Arizona basketball team and a handful of pros their names, however, were off the record. The good times could not last forever, though. 28 Apr 2023 09:56:37 It was, like, quick, were going to have the very best lives, and were going to have them now.. After the breakup with Brandi, he broke into her parents home and proceeded to steal back every gift he had ever given Brandi. Male Surf Perch have the genital lump only during mating season. He survived, but it took months to heal after he got back home. He ended up with possibly career ending injuries. When the police announced Gators confession, the press jumped all over it. He survived and was patched up in Germany, but upon returning home he spent months in San Diego with plastic surgeons trying to save his modeling career. It was later revealed that Augie Constantino was the one who encouraged Markto confess his crimes to the police. Mark Gator Anthony, who has finally broken up and out of the half-pipe of his guilt, will be 43 years old before he is eligible for parole. Now, when you no longer plunge with them into all this reckless dissipation, they cannot understand it. He shuts the Bible with a thump. In his confession to police, he admitted that he had killed Jessica in a fit of rage towards Brandi. Brandi McClain. He did multiple ads for Vision which helped him land a line of Gator skate decks and other merchandise for the company. I just want to make it known that I was led into a sexual situation that I didnt want to have anything to do with. Skatings no more inherently violent than heavy metal is inherently satanic. He paid to fly her with him to all of his competitions, and they even appeared together in Tom Pettys Free Fallin video. But one night soon after he was incarcerated, inmates crowded around a television to hear Gators story on Hard Copy. Skateboarding, like other California phenomena such as surfing and savings-and-loan scams, had a tremendous surge in popularity in the 1980s. They also appeared in multiple ads together. A skateboarder and former professional surfer who lived just two blocks from Gator and Brandi, Constantino had suffered an accident similar to Gator's four years earlier. Later. . However the Church and its Pastors werent finished moving yet. It was hot. An obvious talent, young Gator was picked up by the skatepark team and began winning local contests. Facebook gives people the. He led them to Jessicas body that same day. Ive got no problems. I pointed to the poster. 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.. Judge, you must have heard that same story 100 times. She was the one I killed. , Constantino remembers what he told Gator as he drove him to the police department in the early morning of May 5. Street skating is a form of skating that does not require ramps, but simply skating the streets and using what you have around you to perform tricks. He clasped his hands around her neck and strangled her. Rogowski claimed to be plagued by guilt and confessed what he had done to Augie. Gator takes a deep breath, sighs, then continues. Pastor Augie complicated and accelerated culture, which leaves many with images of the church as overprotective, repressive, anti-science, exclusive, shallow and rigid. In 1975 Pastor Augie and Mary, his girlfriend of three years, were invited to Victory Outreach where they encountered the Lord and . Characterized by the sound of boards smacking against the pavement, it was louder, more dangerous, decidedly anti-establishment and, therefore, more appealing to the kids. The same night, he fell from the hotel window and sustained a horrible injury. Jimenez appealed the rape charge, insisting that the decomposed body could show no signs of forcible rape. They were all wrapped up in the fashion and those types of superficial interests, they ended up fading out and I fucking lasted.. He then placed Jessica into a surfboard bag. Southern Baptists vote to debate sex abuse probe, More than two-thirds of the delegates attending the Southern Baptist Convention have voted to debate a proposal to investigate leaders' handling of sex abuse claims. He claims to take responsibility for the crimes and explains his remorse for the murder of Jessica Bergsten. Initially introduced in the 1940s, skating did not get much attention from the crowd until much laterin the form of vertical skateboarding. It is said that there were uniformed bailiffs in attendance to the hearing because the father of the victim could potentially attempt to harm Rogowski. As a result, he became a born-again Christian under Augie's guidance and started following Evangelicalism. Its really hard for me to say these things about Jessica; we lost her and I dont feel good about that. I think youll find that most skaters wont even talk about Gator. The police continued to compile evidence in case Gator decided to plead not guilty to a murder charge. During his recovery, he befriended Augie Constantinoa born-again Christian, who was also an ex-surfer. His fame led him to sign lucrative contracts with well-known brands like Gullwing Truck and Vision. He claimed to love being arrested, for example. How big is the family now? In the mid-1980s, skateboarding pioneers like Tony Hawk, Stacy Peralta, Mark Gonzales, etc., helped popularise the sport among younger generations. Jessica Bergsten. In Carlsbad Mark befriends Augie Constantino. Gators sentencing took place on March 6. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. On another of those wild tour dates, in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 1987, Gator, then 21, met two beautiful 17-year-old blondes from rich families, Jessica Bergsten and Brandi McClain. 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. Tell he whole family hi and Keep praising the Lord!! She was of the same mold that Brandi was made of. He told the police that he blamed Jessica for his breakup. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. The primary vehicle for the wealth of pro skaters was skateboard sales, and Gator was one of the hottest tickets in that market too. After getting discharged, Rogowski returned home to Carlsbad and started his rehabilitation. Little did Gator know that one such occasion would change his life forever. Around 5am, Rogowski started to clean up, and still had not decided what he was going to do with Jessicas body. Mark Rogowski's relationship with former model and aspiring actor Brandi McClain turned his life around. She wanted to have fun and nothing else mattered. Brandi was still in party mode, and Gator told her that they could no longer have sex unless they were married, when they had previously been having sex on a regular basis. That night, I didnt realize what kind of a purring feline she was. There were no other witnesses to her disappearance. Reach him on Twitter @liamsadams. Kids decorated their jeans jackets with the phrase Free Mark Anthony. The statement and decision about the list were immediate actions from the SBC Executive Committee following the release of a historic report on Sunday about . He landed on a wrought-iron fence, impaling his neck, face, and thumb. The following day, Rogowski turned himself to the police and admitted guilt to Jessica's murder. 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. I should take you out to the desert right now, I should drive you out right in the middle of the night and beat the shit out of you and leave you there. Furthermore, he also forcibly tried to marry his then-girlfriend Brandi McClain after four years of dating. fucking forging reality, pushing his body up the wall. One of the benefits of this, said Gator, was that its a real productive way of venting some way harsh aggressions. 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. Because despite all he had, on March 20, 1991, Gator beat 21-year-old Jessica Bergsten over the head with a steering-wheel lock called the Club and raped her for nearly three hours. For more information, please see our Gator was still trying to milk vert skating for all he could. Boto's message to Brown in 2006 is one example of many in which Boto who served successively as executive committee vice president for convention policy, then general counsel and then interim president/CEO ignored reports of abuse, fought proposals for policy reform, and helped maintain a secret list of ministers accused of sexual misconduct. Photo Source: Social Media. First Peter, Chapter 4, Verse 3. Hes built like a fireplug, wears a goatee, and has one eye slightly askew a result of his accident. Augie Constantino takes the credit for Gators metamorphosis. A skateboarder and former professional surfer who lived just two blocks from Gator and Brandi, Constantino had suffered an accident similar to Gators four years earlier. To escape the reality of his family's struggles and hardships, Mark picked up skating as a hobby in his teenage years. Bigger sponsors followed, and in 1982 he won the Canadian Amateur Skateboarding Championships in Vancouver, his first major title. Born Mark Anthony Rogowski in Brooklyn, he moved with his mother and older brother to San Diego at age three, following his parents divorce.