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Murders of Thomas and Jackie Hawks

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Thomas and Jackie Hawks were a couple from Prescott, Arizona, United States, who were murdered in 2004. As of October 2008, Skylar James Deleon and Jennifer Henderson have been convicted of charges relating to their murders. Deleon has been sentenced to death, while his former wife Henderson was convicted in 2006 of murder and murder for financial gain in the Hawks' deaths and was sentenced to two terms of life in prison without parole. Another person, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, is currently awaiting trial, and a fourth, Alonso Machain, is awaiting sentencing.[1]

Perpetrator

Skylar James Deleon (born John Jacobson Jr.[2][3]) is a former American child actor.[4] The son of a convicted drug dealer, Deleon began acting in bit parts in commercials as a child. At age 14, he appeared in the series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. As an adult Deleon struggled to remember lines, and his career faltered as a result. At age 20, he joined the United States Marine Corps, but "went UA" fifteen days later.[5][6] He was later dishonorably discharged.[7][6]

Disappearance

Thomas Hawks was a retired probation officer and a bodybuilder. He owned, with his second wife Jackie Hawks (formerly of Mentor-on-the-Lake, Ohio), a 55-foot yacht, the Well Deserved, which they treated as their permanent home and on which they sailed for two years around the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez. In 2004, they decided to sell their yacht, and set up home in Newport Harbor, to be closer to the grandchild of Mr. Hawks' son from his first marriage.[1] Jackie helped raise the boys since they were in their early teens, and considered the new baby as her grandson.[citation needed]

Their advertisement of the sale of the yacht was answered in November by Skylar Deleon. The couple was initially cautious of Deleon, but became more receptive when he brought his then-pregnant wife Jennifer and their other child to a meeting.[8] The Hawks were last seen alive on the morning of November 15, 2004, heading out of the harbor. The yacht returned, but they did not.[1] Their bodies have never been found.[9]

Investigation

Police inquired into the disappearance. On November 26, 2004, an attempt was made to access the Hawks' bank account from Mexico. The family was notified, and filed a missing person report with the Carlsbad police department.[1]

On November 29, 2004, the police interviewed Skylar Deleon. He told them that he bought the boat from the Hawkses and showed them proof-of-purchase documents. He stated to police that the Hawks left in their car with his money, denied being in their car, and named Alonso Machain (a former correctional officer that Deleon met while in jail for burglary) as witness to the purchase. The reason that he bought the boat, he claimed, was that he intended to launder money related to an armed burglary in 2002 for which he had been convicted.[1][9]

In March 2005, Machain confessed to the crime and was arrested in connection with the couple's disappearance, along with Deleon, Deleon's wife Jennifer, and Kennedy. Kennedy pleaded not guilty, and Skylar Deleon initially maintained his innocence as well, claiming that he was not present at the time and that the couple were killed over a drug deal gone bad.[9][10]

Trials

Authorities alleged that during a sea test in Newport Beach Harbor a few days after meeting the Hawkses, Deleon and three accomplices — Alonso Machain, Myron Gardner, and John Kennedy — bound and gagged the couple and threw them overboard.[8][11] Deleon allegedly masterminded the plan to kill the couple for financial gain and enlisted Kennedy (who once served time for attempted murder) and Machain to help.[12][9][13]

Deleon's wife, Jennifer, was found guilty on two counts of first degree murder on Friday November 17, 2006, after only four hours of jury deliberation. In October 2007, Jennifer Deleon, now calling herself Jennifer Henderson since her divorce from Skylar Deleon, was sentenced to two life terms without the possibility of parole.[14]

While awaiting trial in jail, Deleon was also charged with soliciting another inmate to murder his father and cousin. He was also accused of killing John Jarvi, a resident of Anaheim who was found dead in Mexico in 2003. Deleon's father and cousin (who was charged as an accessory to the Jarvi murder) are considered "important witnesses" in both murder cases.[13] On March 13, 2008, Deleon partially severed his penis with a razor blade while being held in jail.[15] After receiving medical attention, he was returned to jail the following day.[16]

On September 22, 2008, jury selection began in the case against Skylar Deleon.[17] Despite Deleon's earlier protestations of innocence, once his trial began, Deleon's attorney conceded that Deleon had indeed committed all three murders. The attorney said that he had taken the case to trial only to argue to a jury that Deleon should not be sentenced to death.[18] On October 20, Deleon was convicted of three counts of first-degree murder and special circumstances for financial gain and multiple victims,[4] and on November 6, 2008, the jury recommended the death penalty.[19] Sentencing was originally scheduled for January 16, 2009,[20] but was then rescheduled to March 20 on request by Deleon's attorney.[21] On March 13, it was announced that sentencing would again be rescheduled, to April 10, so that the family of the victims could attend.[22] On April 10, 2009, Deleon was sentenced to death by Orange County Superior Court Judge Frank Fasel.[23]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Christine Hanley (2008-10-08). "Defense in yacht killings says his client did it". Los Angeles Times. Cite error: The named reference "LATimes1" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  2. ^ Rackauckas, Tony (2006-07-26). "Long Beach man charged with soliciting the murder of his own father and another witness while in jail on two murder cases". Orange County District Attorney (press release). Retrieved 2008-10-21.
  3. ^ "Skylar Deleon 'Power Ranger' Yacht Killing Case Underway". au.ibtimes.com (International Business Times). 2008-10-08. Retrieved 2008-10-21.
  4. ^ a b "Man convicted of killing couple thrown off yacht". The Washington Post. 2008-10-20. Retrieved 2008-10-20.
  5. ^ Dirmann, Tina (2008). Vanished at Sea: The True Story of a Child TV Actor and Double Murder. Macmillan. p. 6. ISBN 0-312-94197-8.
  6. ^ a b Jeff Gottlieb (2005-05-23). "What Happened to Tom and Jackie Hawks?; A couple sold their yacht in November and drove off, says the supposed buyer — and murder suspect. They haven't been seen since". Los Angeles Times. pp. B.1. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ Hanley, Christine (2007-05-28). "'He did it. I know he did it,' man says of son". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
  8. ^ a b "Skylar Deleon goes on trial in killing of yacht owners". Los Angeles Times. 2008-10-08. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ a b c d Wagner, Dennis (2007-04-15). "Prescott couple took fatal voyage". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved 2008-09-24.
  10. ^ Ben Fox (2005-03-04). "Police arrest two more in deaths of Arizona couple off Newport Beach". Associated Press.
  11. ^ "'Power Ranger' faces death penalty in yacht killings". CNN.com. 2007-10-07. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ "Depths of Evil". timespublications.com. 2006-11. Retrieved 2008-09-25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ a b Vane, Lauren (2006-08-04). "Deleon pleads not guilty to murder plot". dailypilot.com. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
  14. ^ "California Mother Convicted in Plot to Kill Couple for Yacht Sentenced to Life Terms". FOX News. 2007-10-06. Retrieved 2008-09-24.
  15. ^ "Man awaiting trial tries to 'saw off' his penis". Long Beach Press Telegram. July, 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ Reyes, David (2008-07-12). "Accused killer attempts to sever own penis in O.C. jail". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-09-24.
  17. ^ Welborn, Larry (2008-09-22). "Jury selection under way in yacht murder case". Orange County Register. Retrieved 2008-09-24.
  18. ^ "Ex-actor guilty of yacht killings, defense says". CNN.com. 2008-10-08.
  19. ^ Tran, My-Thuan (2008-11-06). "Death sentence in murder of yacht owners". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-11-07. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Unknown parameter |curly= ignored (help)
  20. ^ "Jury recommends death penalty in yacht killings". CNN.com. November 6, 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-07.
  21. ^ Serna, Joseph (January 16, 2009). "Sentencing delayed for area couple's killer". dailypilot.com. Retrieved 2009-01-24.
  22. ^ Serna, Joseph (March 13, 2009). "Deleon to wait for his fate". dailypilot.com. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
  23. ^ "Skylar Deleon gets death sentence in Newport Beach yacht murders". latimes.com. April 10, 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-11.

Further reading

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