|
|
|
|
 |
| Skylar Deleon faces the death penalty
if convicted |
First defendant faces trial in Ham Radio couple's murder
Jennifer Deleon's trial has been severed from Skylar
Deleon and John Kennedy
The trial of Jennifer Deleon, 24, of Long Beach, California, is scheduled
to begin next week for the murder of amateur radio couple Thomas
and Jackie Hawks, KD7VWJ and KD7VWK.
Jennifer Deleon is the first of three co-defendants to be tried and
is charged with two counts of murder with allegations for committing multiple
murders for financial gain. If convicted, she faces a possible sentence
of 15 years to life in prison.
The Honorable Judge Frank Fasel granted a motion today to sever Jennifer
Deleon's trial from that of her husband, Skylar Deleon, 26, and John Fitzgerald
Kennedy, 40, both of Long Beach. The Orange County District Attorney is
seeking the death penalty on Skylar Deleon and Kennedy.
Motions are scheduled to begin Monday, October 30th, 2006, and Opening
statements are expected to begin Monday, November 6, 2006 at 8:30 a.m.
in Department C-35, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana, California.
In November 2004, Thomas and Jackie Hawks placed an advertisement for
their 55-foot boat named "Well Deserved" for $440,000. They
wanted to spend more time with their new grandchild in Arizona. Jennifer
Deleon, Skylar Deleon, Kennedy, Alonso Machain, 22, Pico Rivera, and Myron
Gardner Sr., 33, Long Beach, are accused of participating in the murder
of the Hawks to take their boat and life savings.
Skylar Deleon and Machain are accused of staking out the boat and the
victims on November 6th. Jennifer Deleon is accused of gaining the trust
of the Hawks by bringing her 9-month old baby to meet the Hawks on November
9th.
Gardner is accused of recruiting Kennedy, a well documented, hard-core,
Los Angeles gang member. On November 15th, Skylar Deleon, Machain, and
Kennedy are accused of taking the boat out of the harbor, overpowering
the Hawks, forcing them to sign the transfer of title documents, handcuffing
and tying them to the anchor, and drowning them.
Skylar and Jennifer Deleon are accused of cleaning the boat with bleach
and destroying evidence and personal items belonging to the Hawks. They
are accused of getting papers signed by the Hawks' notarized with backdates.
The Deleons are accused of trying to take money out of the Hawks bank
account in Arizona and placing it in a bank account in Mexico. The Deleons
and Machain are accused of trying to create evidence the Hawks were moving
to Mexico after they were murdered.
On January 16, 2005, Skylar Deleon was arrested while he was trying to
leave for 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. Skylar Deleon was charged with a "Strike"
from a 2003 residential burglary case. Kennedy was charged with a "Strike"
from a 1988 attempted murder case.
During the preliminary examination held in 2005, defendant Jennifer Deleon
laughed during the hearing while the grieving Hawks family watched.
|
|
|
