Who was Mark Rivas? To know everything about his murder and Hulu’s documentary, The Curse of Von Dutch: A Brand to Die For, that talks about it, keep reading.
People know Mark Rivas as the one who died in 2005 at the hands of Robert Vaughn.
Recently, there has been a lot of talks about him as The Curse of Von Dutch: A Brand to Die For, a documentary on the rise and downfall of the clothing brand known for their then-ubiquitous trucker hats which many celebrities including, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and Jay-Z, favored, released on 18 November.
Hulu’s new three-part doc ‘The Curse of Von Dutch: A Brand to Die For’ delves into what makes people identify so intensely with mass-produced brands — and how that can go terribly wronghttps://t.co/UP0MUSivGV
— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) November 18, 2021
Who Was Mark Rivas And Who Killed Him?
Mark Rivas was the man who died in February 2005. Robert “Bobby” Vaughn was the name of the person who killed him and the one who reported the murder to the police.
Robert then dialed 911 and said that multiple shots were fired in his home, leading to the death of one person. He then identified the killer of his best friend and roommate, Mark, as himself. Reports suggest that Vaughn helped him across the Mexico border after a fatal shooting.
The incident stemmed from a violent confrontation between the two. Seemingly, Rivas attacked Vaughn with a broken beer bottle. Although charged with first-degree murder, the defendant claimed self-defense, and the jury later acquitted him as they ruled it justifiable homicide.
Although there isn’t much about Mark online, we do know a few things about his killer. Vaughn was one of the three members who founded the Von Dutch clothing brand in 1999. But, he lost his stake in the company, and then CEO Tonny Sorensen fired him.
[emed-2]
Following that, he moved to New York City from LA but again found himself tangled with law enforcement as they arrested him for possessing an unregistered handgun. As a result, he served a five-year probation sentence.
Growing up in Santa Cruz, also known as surf city, he was a member of the Westsiders surf crew and surfed competitively as a teenager. He even had some endorsement deals, but his affiliation with gang members kind of ruined it.
In 2009, he opened a surf shop in the Rockaways on Beach 116th Street. At the opening, he told about his intentions to cultivate a West Coast vibe in the shop. He also had plans of using the sport to create anti-gang initiatives for the youths.
In recent years though, Robert has remained out of the spotlight as well as the troubles.
Mark Rivas Family Today
I dug into the crazy secret history of Von Dutch and why it’s having a moment again for @nytimes https://t.co/njK3gin7CJ
— ilana kaplan (@lanikaps) November 17, 2021
Regarding Mark Rivas’ family, we don’t know much including, their whereabouts.
Nonetheless, his death probably is something they cannot forget. As far as their location today, it remains a mystery.