3rd person 'guilty' of ham radio couple's murder

A jury in Santa Ana, California, has found a third defendant, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, guilty of the murders of Thomas and Jackie Hawks, KD7VWJ and KD7VWK.

The Orange County District Attorney's Office has released the following statement on the case:

February 19, 2009
An Orange County Jury convicted a hardcore, documented gang member today for providing muscle in the murder-for-profit killings of Thomas and Jackie Hawks on their yacht off Newport Beach in 2004.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 43, Long Beach, was convicted of felonies for two counts of special circumstances murder for committing multiple murders for financial gain. His prior strike for a 1988 attempted murder conviction is pending. The District Attorney is seeking the death penalty in this case. Opening statements in the penalty phase against Kennedy is scheduled to begin Monday, Feb. 23, 2009, at 10:00 a.m. in Department C-35, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

Co-defendant Skylar Deleon, 29, Long Beach, was found guilty by a jury on Oct. 20, 2008, of three felony counts of special circumstances murder for multiple murders and murder for financial gain. He has a prior strike for a 2003 residential burglary conviction. A jury recommended the death penalty for Skylar Deleon on Nov. 6, 2008. He is scheduled to be formally sentenced on March 20, 2009, at 9:00 a.m. in Department C-35, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

Skylar Deleon's ex-wife, Jennifer Deleon, 27, Long Beach, was found guilty by a jury on Nov. 17, 2006, of two felony counts of murder with sentencing enhancement allegations for committing multiple murders for financial gain. She was sentenced Oct. 5, 2007, to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Co-defendants Myron Gardner, 45, Long Beach, and Alonso Machain, 25, Pico Rivera, are charged with felonies for two counts of special circumstances murder for committing multiple murders for financial gain. If convicted, they face a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Gardner and Machain are scheduled for pre-trial March 27, 2009, at 9:00 a.m. in Department C-55, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

In November 2004, Thomas and Jackie Hawks placed an advertisement for their 55-foot yacht named "Well Deserved" for $440,000. The couple wanted to spend more time with their new grandchild in Arizona. Skylar Deleon, who changed his name from John Jacobson Jr., was the brain behind the plot to murder the Hawks' and take their boat and life savings with Machain, Gardner, Kennedy, and his then-wife Jennifer Deleon.

On Nov. 9, 2004, Skylar Deleon plotted with his then-pregnant wife, Jennifer Deleon, to gain the Hawks' trust by taking Jennifer Deleon and their 9-month-old baby to meet the Hawks on their boat, which Skylar Deleon and Machain had staked out three days prior. Gardner is accused of recruiting Kennedy, a hard-core, documented Los Angeles gang member, to provide "muscle."

On Nov. 15, 2004, Kennedy went with Skylar Deleon and Machain to take the boat out of the harbor with the Hawks' under the pretense of test driving it for a possible sale. Kennedy posed as Skylar Deleon's "accountant." Once out at sea, Kennedy overpowered the victims with the help of Skylar Deleon and Machain, forcing the Hawks' to sign the transfer of title documents, handcuffing and tying them to the anchor, and drowning them in the ocean. Skylar and Jennifer Deleon were in constant cell phone communication while the murder plot was being executed.

During the guilt phase of the death penalty trial against Skylar Deleon, Machain testified that while tied to the anchor of their yacht, Jackie Hawks was begging for her life as Thomas stroked her hand to comfort her. When forced to sign yacht ownership papers over to the Deleons', Jackie Hawks intentionally misspelled her own name by leaving off an "S" in hopes that someone would notice that something was wrong with the documents.

After murdering the Hawks', Kennedy fished off the back of the yacht and drank a beer taken from the Hawks' refrigerator while Deleon drove the yacht back to the harbor.

Skylar and Jennifer Deleon cleaned the boat with bleach wipes and destroyed evidence and personal items belonging to the Hawks'. The Deleons unsuccessfully tried to take money out of the Hawks' bank account in Arizona to deposit it in a bank account in Mexico.

On Jan. 16, 2005, Skylar Deleon was arrested while trying to flee to Mexico. Machain was arrested on March 2, 2005, Gardner was arrested the next day, Kennedy was arrested a week later, and Jennifer Deleon was arrested on April 8, 2005.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Matt Murphy of the Homicide Unit is prosecuting this case.