WEBVTT
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Every story has a beginning, but not everyone has an ending.
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In the shadows of headlines and buried police reports lay
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the voices of the missing, the murdered, and the forgotten,
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waiting to be heard and have their stories told. This
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is The Book of the Dead, a true crime podcast
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where we remember forgotten victims of heinous crimes, reopen cold cases,
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re visit haunting disappearances, and uncover the truths buried beneath
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the years of silence. I'm your host, Courtney Liso, and
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every week we turn to another chapter, one victim, one mystery,
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one step closer to justice. Brought to you by Darkast
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Network INDEP Podcasts with the Twist.
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There are over two hundred thousand unsolved homicides in the
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United States justice system right now, and many of those
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cases haven't seen the light of day in years, decades.
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In some instances, the case files and evidence are sitting
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in a box on a dusty shelf and a basement,
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forgotten by law enforcement and the media, while the families
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and friends left behind wait for answers and fight for justice.
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Sometimes there is nobody left to remember or to speak
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up on behalf of the victim.
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I'm Marlene and I'm Leah, and that is exactly what
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Box in the Basement sets out to do. To shine
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a light on those forgotten victims and to bring attention
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to unsolved murders and disappearances. We want to help families
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tell their stories, and we want to assist the families
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and friends of victims find the resources and support they
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need to continue their fight for justice. Join us every
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Thursday for new episodes of Box in the Basement wherever
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you find your podcasts.
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Hello, Hello, and welcome to the next chapter in the
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Book of the Dead. Off the coast of southern California,
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the Pacific Ocean stretches out in every direction. It's a
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thing of beauty, but also of danger, where things can
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vanish without a trace, and even the largest secrets can
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sink below the surface, never to be seen again. However,
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to a couple who had spent years of their lives
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planning to set out on the adventure of a lifetime
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to reward themselves after decades of hard work, the ocean
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wasn't something for them to fear. It was the freedom
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they had been waiting for. When their retirement finally came,
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they set out on their beloved yadd leaving goodbye to
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their friends and family and began a new life, traveling
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along the coast of California, spending their days basking in
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the piece they had waited so long for, described as careful, thoughtful,
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and experienced by their loved ones. When the time came
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to come back to reality and start a new adventure
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with the next generation, they looked to sell their yacht,
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approaching it as they did everything else in their life,
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by the book. But something when terribly wrong. This is
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the murder of Tom and Jackie Hawks. Now I do
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want to propose this before we begin, that one of
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the convicted murderers in this case is transgendered male to female.
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So I will be using gender neutral pronouns when referring
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to them out of respect for the trans community and
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to mitigate any confusion for you as the listener while
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talking about this case. In nineteen eighty six, according to
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an article for the News Herald, Tom Hawks, thirty nine
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years old, newly divorced and the father of two boys,
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was at a cookout when across a crowd of people,
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he spotted a beautiful woman and he was smitten. He
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had never seen her before, and he kept staring just
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mesmerized until the woman noticed him and smiled. Of course,
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he was embarrassed that she had caught him staring, but
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he went up to her and struck up a conversation.
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The woman he was talking to was Jackie O'Neill, a
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twenty nine year old from Ohio who had lost her
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husband the year before. Jackie and her husband, Lester Newell,
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had moved to Arizona and were married for eleven years
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when a few days before the New Year in nineteen
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eighty five, they were riding a motorcycle when a drunk
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driver crashed into them. According to Jackie's mother, Gail, quote
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Lest laid the bike down and put himself between her
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and the truck. He was killed instantly. This action saved
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Jackie's life, but she was left with a damaged leg
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and a serious injury to her pelvis, which prevented her
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from having children. After recovering from her injuries at her
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parents' home, Jackie moved back to Arizona, where she and
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Tom met and he courted her with hoggendaws. According to
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Gail and jack O'Neill, and Jackie wasn't home when Tom
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came by. Tom would leave an empty court behind so
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she would know what she had missed out on. Ryan.
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Tom's sons said that his father did silly things like
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this often quote he was a joker. He's always been
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the center of attention at a party. He exudes confidence.
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He made you feel good. Jackie and Tom were very
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well matched. According to the La Times, Jackie and Tom
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were incredibly into fitness. Tom, a probation officer at the time,
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spent an hour and a half working out every day.
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He was an Arizona arm wrestling champion, and he dabbled
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and body built it, while Jackie was a frequent Jim goer.
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On July twenty ninth, nineteen eighty nine, after a few
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years together, Jackie and Tom married, and Jackie finally had
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which she always wanted children, as Tom had Ryan and
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his younger son Matt, and these boys loved Jackie as
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another mother. Jackie doated on them, and the four of
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them built a very beautiful life together, one that many
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people aspired have. According to family friend Tricia Shoots, Tom
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quote would walk on water for her. I've never experienced
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a couple that much in love, that compatible working together.
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The family went on frequent vacations so they could go boating,
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Tom's passion, and they would bring Tom's power boat out
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to a local lake every other week so they could
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go out on the water. Jackie and Tom started saving
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up for a yacht in anticipation of Tom's retirement. Eventually,
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ahead of retirement, they purchased a yacht that they named
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Well Deserved, and they spent around fifty thousand dollars making
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changes and modifications to it. In October of two thousand
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and two, when they were officially empty nesters and Tom
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had finally retired, the happy couple set sail, embarking on
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an adventure at sea for the next year and a half.
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According to an article for Latitudes and Attitudes, a yachting
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magazine reference in the La Times, Tom had said, quote,
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the sea was calling us and we couldn't wait any longer.
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Life is just too short to put things off, and
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one cannot discover new oceans unless they have the courage
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to loose sight the shore. On their trip, they sailed
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the coast to Baja, around Cabo San Lucas and into
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the Sea of Cortes, sending emails to friends and family
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about their adventures. How they went diving for clams, swimming
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with sharks, and how they even docked in Mexico and
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spend Christmas with a local family they had met. They
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were truly living a dream. In one of their emails,
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they said, quote, we are so happy that we are
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finally in the Sea of Cortes. This is what we
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have been waiting for. The weather is wonderful. The sea
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is like a lake. We just had a whale surface
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beside us. Wow. Tom and Jackie sailed around living their
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dream life for about two years until they got news
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that would bring them back to land. Matt, their younger son,
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had called to tell them that he and his wife
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were expecting their first grandchild. Tom and Jackie were overjoyed
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and decided it was time to come home. They made
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plans to sell Well Deserved and buy a home to
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be close to their growing family. According to ABC News,
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On November twelfth, two thousand and four, they took one
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final trip to Santa Catalina Island, which is off the
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coast of Los Angeles, and they told friends and family
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that they had found potential buyers after listing the yacht
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for sale in a fishing magazine for a round a
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half million dollars. The potential buyer was a former child star,
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but then no one could get a hold of the couple.
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Ryan expressed to ABC that this wasn't like his parents
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at all. They were very close with family and friends
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and always communicated. Soon after the proposed sale, Ryan had
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spoken to his father about attending a party they were
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throwing to say farewell to well deserved. Tom had also
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made plans to meet up with his friend Donnie Trufferin,
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who was going to help him move some belongings Prescott, Arizona,
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but Tom never showed up. According to an article for
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Crime Library, Donnie called Ryan and asked if he had
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heard from his father because Tom's phone was turned off,
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and when Ryan gave Donnie Jaggie's number, they discovered her
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phone was turned off as well. Ryan checked with Tom's
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brother to see if he had heard from the couple,
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but he hadn't, and Ryan assumed that they had taken
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one final trip and waited a few days to see
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if they would reach out. After about a week of
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no contact, on November twenty second or twenty third, according
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to the La Times, Tom's brother Jim, who was a
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retired Carlsbad police chief, drove out to Newport Harbor with
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Donnie to look for them. Jim met up with the
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ledo Isle Yacht Club, poor Captain carter Ford, who knew
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the couple and had liked them very much. He reported
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that the dinghy that the Hawks used to go between
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Balboa Peninsula and the Well Deserved was quote tied sloppily
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to the dock and was still in the water. This
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was something that Carter knew Tom and Jaggie would never do.
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They did things properly, and leaving the dinghy ha shazardly
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tied where it could potentially come loose was careless. Tom
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and Jackie were not careless. Jim and Carter head to
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the Well Deserved via Carter's Harbor cruiser. When they made
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it to the yacht, they circled it a few times,
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noting that the green canvas that covered the equipment for
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the yacht was half off and a towel was hanging
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out of the porthole. This was concerning again, because Tom
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and Jackie were meticulous about caring for and maintaining the
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boat that they had worked so hard to get. Jim
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climbed aboard and looked around, noticing the disarray, and he
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figured that maybe the sow of the boat had gone through,
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so he left a note for the new owners to
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call him. The next day, Jim received a call from
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a woman named Jennifer Henderson, who claimed that she and
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her spouse, Skuyler de Leon, had purchased the Well Deserved
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from Tom and Jackie ten days prior and that they
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hadn't heard from the Hawks since. She then asked him
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to relay a message to Tom that he needed to
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contact Skyler about changing the fuel tanks. Now, before we
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get back into the case and what was going on
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with the investigation, I'm going to tell you about Skyler
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and Jennifer. According to court records, Jennifer and Skyler met
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on the Internet, and their relationship seemed to burn bright
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before cooling off for a while. Jennifer was described by
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family and friends as being kind, loyal, loving, religious, naive,
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and trusting, while they described Skyler as being immature, irresponsible,
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and manipulative, prone to telling crazy stories about their life.
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Skyler allegedly claimed to not have a family, then claimed
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to have been adopted or raised in foster care before
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being raised by a wealthy family friend. They also claimed
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to be intersex and having a uterus riddled with cancer.
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In reality, Skyler Delone was born to Lynette O'Daniel and
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John Jacobson Senior, and they had a volatile upbringing. According
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to The Daily Pilot, John was a drug dealer and
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very abusive, and Lynnet claimed that she abused cocaine and
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participated in orgi's After two year old Skyler had been
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put to bed, John would beat Skyler respoons, and witnesses
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claim they had seen him shoved toothpicks under Skyler's nails
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when they bit them. However, from six to ten years old,
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Afalynette separated from John. She and Skyler moved in with
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her new husband, Edward Fisher, who showed Skyler love and
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taught them right from wrong. Skyler also, at least for
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a short time, had aspirations of being an actor, and
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even had a non credited part in an episode of
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Power Rangers. When they got older, Skyler joined the Marines,
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but this was a short lived career move, and they
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went a wall after just over a year of service
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and received a dishonorable discharge upon being found. This story
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would be embellished by Skyler in future tellings, where they
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portrayed themselves as a special courses. Sniper. Jennifer and Skyler
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had broken up for a short time until getting back
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together when Skyler told Jennifer they had been in a
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terrible motorcycle accident, and they resumed their relationship when Jennifer
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came back to take care of them. Jennifer claimed to
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support and trust Skyler even after they had been arrested
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for armed robbery. They married on September twenty second of
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two thousand and one and moved in with Jennifer's parents.
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The Henderson supported the young couple, paying off their seventeen
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thousand dollars in credit card debt. However, their dead continued
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to pile up, and by the end of two thousand
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and three, they owed the Henderson's thirty thousand dollars and
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had an additional twenty five thousand dollars in credit card debt.
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After their arrest for burglary, Skyler pled guilty and the
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Hendersons paid the monthly fee for Skyler to attend a
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Seal Beach City work for a low jail facility. Skyler
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would be required to sleep at the facility during the week,
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but could lead during the day to work. While attending
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this facility, Skyler met Alonzo McCain who was employed there,
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as well as John Jarve who was another inmates sentenced
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for counterfeiting and had a drug problem. Both of these
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men will be important later. Jennifer and Skyler would go
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on to have a baby in January two thousand and four,
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and Jennifer again would become pregnant in the coming months.
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Around November twenty sixth, according to an article for Good
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Morning America, Jim contacted Tricia Shoots, the friend of the
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Hawks who managed their finances while they were out at sea.
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The reason for this was because if they had sold
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the boat, there would be activity in their account of
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a large deposit of money, but there was no activity
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at all, so Jim contacted the police and officially reported
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Tom and Jackie missing. Now police were told that Jennifer
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Henderson contacted Jim and how she and her spouse were
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the supposed buyers of the yacht, so police look into
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the couple as they are investigating the Hawks's disappearance. On
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the twenty seventh, the police arrived at the Well Deserved
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to search the yacht for clues as to where Tom
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and Jackie are, and while there they find a target
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receipt dated ten days prior for two containers of chlorox bleach,
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trash PAGs and TOMPs. Police contacted the target and received
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surveillance footage the transaction records for that purchase that identified
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the buyer of these items as a Stephen Henderson. When
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police go and speak to him, Steven identifies his daughter
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and Skuyler as the buyers of the yacht. He tells
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police that they could find the couple at a local
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church that they were cleaning. When they arrived at the church,
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Newport Beach Detective Sergeant Dave Byington said, quote, when I
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see a family volunteering at a church, I was put
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at ease a little bit with that, thinking, Okay, this
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is going to turn out. Okay, the Hawks are fine.
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I was talking to Jennifer and basically said, we're looking
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for the Hawks. The family's very concerned. And she said,
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and she was very genuine, She goes, we're really concerned too.
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Jennifer goes on to tell police that she and Skyler
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had been trying to get a hold of Tom and
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Jackie because they had left their personal belongings on the
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yacht and she and Skyler didn't know what to do
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with them. According to court records, Jennifer claimed that she,
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00:15:58.799 --> 00:16:02.200
who was currently and Skyler had gone to see the
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yacht with their young daughter and friend Alonzo McCain, and
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they had purchased the boat for two hundred and sixty
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five thousand dollars in cash which they had gotten from
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Skyler's acting royalties and money that they had made from
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00:16:15.200 --> 00:16:19.000
real estate investments. She also said that they had all
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the necessary paperwork confirming the sale that she could provide. However,
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00:16:24.159 --> 00:16:27.799
when speaking to Skyler, they said that they had paid
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four hundred and sixty five thousand dollars for the boat.
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Skyler also said that they made the purchase in the
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00:16:34.039 --> 00:16:37.039
parking lot where the yacht was docked on November fifteenth.
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When asked where all this money had come from, as
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Skyler and Jennifer were living in the converted garage behind
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her parents' home, Skyler admitted to selling narcotics, so admitting
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to a felony, but they also claimed that they were
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00:16:50.799 --> 00:16:53.320
on the street and narrow and trying to do right
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by their family. Skyler claimed that the Hawks were paid
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with a briefcase full of cash on November fifteenth, in
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the present of two witnesses. They handed over the keys
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to the yacht, and then Tom and Jackie drove off
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in their nineteen ninety eight silver Honda CRV. Now, while
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there had been no suspicious activity in the Hawks's bank
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account initially, three weeks later there was, and it was
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learned that the people trying to access the money were
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Skyler and Jennifer. This is also when police learn about
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Skyler's arrest for armed robbery. Police, according to Oxygen, are
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presented with documents showing that Tom and Jackie had granted
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00:17:35.160 --> 00:17:40.119
durable power of attorney to Skuyler before their disappearance, which
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according to Skyler, was done because they were helping them
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buy a vacation home in Mexico. But the document was
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00:17:48.279 --> 00:17:54.039
questionable Jackie's last name was signed with two s's. Despite this, though,
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it seems as if the document was legitimate, as they
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had tracked down the two witnesses named in it, Alonzo
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McCain and a woman named Kathleen Harris, who was a
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notary and friends with Skuyler and Jennifer. Of course, with
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the strange bank activity now the police are a bit
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suspicious of the young couple. There was, at least at present,
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no proof that anything bad had happened to Tom and Jackie,
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00:18:18.680 --> 00:18:22.200
but there was a potential financial motive to harm them,
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and it was looking more and more like Skuyler and
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Jennifer were involved in the disappearance in some way. Even
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as the police's suspicion mounted, they hit a dead end
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in terms of an evidence trail, as no one had
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00:18:35.519 --> 00:18:39.559
seen any sign of the Hawks or their vehicle in
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the weeks they had been missing. Finally, after a month
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00:18:44.000 --> 00:18:47.759
of no answers, Ryan Hawks was urged by his uncle
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00:18:47.839 --> 00:18:51.319
to go to the media to garner Leeds. As the
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news broke, a retired couple living in San Miguel, Mexico,
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called the police, informing them that they had seen a
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00:18:58.000 --> 00:19:02.000
nineteen ninety eight silver Honda CRV parked near a mobile
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home that seemed to match the reported description of Tom
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00:19:05.839 --> 00:19:09.559
and Jackie's car. When Mexican authorities approached the owner of
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00:19:09.599 --> 00:19:12.839
the mobile home, according to ABC, the owner told them
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00:19:12.920 --> 00:19:15.400
he had no idea who Tom and Jackie were. He
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had never met them, but a friend of his had
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given him the car. This friend's name was Skyler de Leone.
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At this revelation, Byington said, quote, at that moment, any
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possibility that the Hawks were still alive died right there. Unfortunately,
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when asked about the vehicle, Skyler claims they had never
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been inside it. Policeman door to door at the mobile
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home park and showed photos to the residents, but not
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00:19:41.880 --> 00:19:45.880
of Tom and Jackie. Rather, they showed pictures of Skyler
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and Jennifer, and they were recognized by countless witnesses who
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00:19:50.720 --> 00:19:53.720
confirmed that they had been in the area and had
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definitely been driving the Honda when they arrived. At this point,
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police knew that Tom and Jackie had den andly being killed.
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There was no other explanation for what had happened, but
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they still had no idea how to prove it. There
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was still an alarming lack of evidence that they needed
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to gather before they could make an arrest. Additionally, they
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still had no idea where Tom and Jackie's bodies could be.
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To buy time to find their much needed evidence, Skyler
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was arrested on fraud and money laundering charges on December seventeenth,
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two thousand and four, regarding the money obtained to buy
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the well deserved that they had. If you remember, admitted
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00:20:33.160 --> 00:20:37.319
to purchasing using funds from the sale of arcotics. After
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00:20:37.400 --> 00:20:40.400
they were securely ensconced in a cell with no chance
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of flaying or destroying any evidence. The police searched the
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Delhion home and found some very interesting things inside. Some
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of the things they found were the Hawks's laptop, as
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well as their video camera, which the Delions had used
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to memorialize their own Thanksgiving celebration. Investigators asked Jennifer multiple
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times why they have the Hawk's belongings, even going so
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far as to offer her immunity in exchange for her
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assistance in the investigation, but she refused, insisting Skyler was
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00:21:19.079 --> 00:21:22.799
innocent of any wrongdoing. Also inside the home was another
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00:21:22.880 --> 00:21:25.720
piece of evidence that would ultimately help put a much
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more alarming picture together. Newport police discover a business card
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for LAPD detective Joe Bheena, who, according to ABC, was
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a liaison with the Mexican police. In speaking with Detective Bohema,
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investigators learned that he was assisting the Ensignata State Police
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investigate the murder of John Jarvi, who had been found
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00:21:48.759 --> 00:21:52.400
with his throat cut in Mexico in two thousand and three.
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As I mentioned earlier, John Jarvey, who went by JP
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00:21:55.920 --> 00:21:58.920
to his family, had met Skuyler when he was serving
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00:21:58.920 --> 00:22:02.039
his sentence for counter fitting at the Seal Beach City Jail.
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He was a licensed pilot and had suffered with a
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substance use disorder after paying medications had been prescribed following
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multiple back surgeries. According to his mother, Betty, while he
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00:22:14.000 --> 00:22:17.079
struggled with this throughout his life, he also found periods
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of success when he was sober. According to the Orange
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County Register, John became a pilot and an announcer for
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a traveling air show called Team America. Later, he would
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00:22:28.119 --> 00:22:31.359
also make and sell custom jewelry. According to Betty, her
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son was easy going and made friends very easily, but
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00:22:35.079 --> 00:22:38.519
he consistently made friends with the wrong kinds of people.
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00:22:39.119 --> 00:22:42.519
One group robbed him of his belongings, another roped him
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00:22:42.559 --> 00:22:44.920
into the scheme that would lead to his arrest, and
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the third, according to Betty, was his ill fated relationship
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with Skuyler de Leon and Jennifer Henderson. The more the
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00:22:52.160 --> 00:22:55.680
police looked into Jarvis following his connection to de Leon,
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they uncovered a scenario that could explain what happened to
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the Hawks, and they realized that Skyler de Leon had
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00:23:03.160 --> 00:23:07.799
in fact killed before. In speaking with Jeff Jarvey, John's brother,
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as well as the Anciata State Police. Newport Police put
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00:23:11.599 --> 00:23:15.200
together a picture of what happened to John. In December
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00:23:15.279 --> 00:23:17.759
of two thousand and three, Skyler approached John with a
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00:23:17.799 --> 00:23:21.000
business proposition in which they would both make a lot
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00:23:21.079 --> 00:23:25.319
of money. However, John would need to invest fifty thousand
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00:23:25.359 --> 00:23:28.240
dollars to make this happen, so he agreed to take
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00:23:28.279 --> 00:23:31.799
out a loan. The two headed to Mexico, with Skyler's cousin,
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Michael Lewis, accompanying them. According to Michael, who wo had
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00:23:35.680 --> 00:23:39.480
initially lied to police multiple times, he had not been
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00:23:39.519 --> 00:23:42.119
told the truth by Skyler as to what was going on,
400
00:23:42.720 --> 00:23:45.720
and Skyler had lured John to Mexico under the pretense
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00:23:45.759 --> 00:23:49.759
of showing him a house. Michael would later testify that
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00:23:49.839 --> 00:23:52.599
he followed Skyler and John in his vehicle as they
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00:23:52.680 --> 00:23:56.279
drove towards the outskirts of Nsignata and watched as Skyler
404
00:23:56.319 --> 00:23:59.200
and John get out of their car. John was blindfolded
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00:23:59.240 --> 00:24:02.359
and skyed him away toward the trees and bushes out
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00:24:02.400 --> 00:24:04.920
of sight of the highway. Michael would later say that
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00:24:05.000 --> 00:24:08.960
he thought, according to the La Times quote, something's not cool.
408
00:24:09.519 --> 00:24:12.279
I don't need to be here. It's the same old crap.
409
00:24:12.599 --> 00:24:16.640
I'm getting pulled into something, and so Michael left, heading
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00:24:16.680 --> 00:24:21.039
back towards the border. A few hours later, missionaries found
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00:24:21.119 --> 00:24:24.599
John's body lying near the side of the road. According
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00:24:24.640 --> 00:24:27.519
to police, John had managed to crawl a few hundred
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00:24:27.559 --> 00:24:29.920
feet out of the brush and towards the road before
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00:24:29.960 --> 00:24:33.039
he ultimately succumbed to his injury. That last bit of
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00:24:33.039 --> 00:24:37.480
strength had allowed for his body being found. Jeff Jarvey
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00:24:37.559 --> 00:24:41.000
told twenty twenty quote, there was never any deal in Mexico.
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00:24:41.440 --> 00:24:44.000
They took my brother down there, specifically with the role
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00:24:44.079 --> 00:24:47.480
of murdering him. Michael Lewis was not the only person
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00:24:47.480 --> 00:24:51.720
that was habitually lying to the police, though. Kathleen Harris,
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00:24:51.759 --> 00:24:54.440
the notary who had certified the paperwork for the sale
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00:24:54.440 --> 00:24:57.440
of the Hawk's yacht, was questioned multiple times by the
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00:24:57.440 --> 00:25:02.240
police as well. She continuously denied anything was suspicious about
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00:25:02.279 --> 00:25:05.960
the paperwork until the pressure became too much and she
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00:25:06.119 --> 00:25:10.200
finally opened up. Former Orange County Prosecutor Matt Murphy told
425
00:25:10.200 --> 00:25:13.519
ABC quote, she came in and she said she's never
426
00:25:13.599 --> 00:25:16.440
met Tom and Jackie Hawks. She had nothing to do
427
00:25:16.519 --> 00:25:19.119
with the murder. She was given documents and paid in
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00:25:19.160 --> 00:25:22.839
cash to backdate the documents, and so she backdated them
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00:25:22.839 --> 00:25:25.640
to November fifteenth, which was the day they went missing.
430
00:25:26.160 --> 00:25:30.400
Alonzo McCain had also been spoken to by police numerous
431
00:25:30.440 --> 00:25:34.119
times throughout the investigation and had repeatedly told police that
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00:25:34.200 --> 00:25:37.240
he had seen Skuyler pay Tom Hawks for the Well
433
00:25:37.279 --> 00:25:42.559
Deserved and then watched Tom and Jackie drive away. However,
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00:25:42.680 --> 00:25:47.079
when police confronted McCain and told him that unless he cooperated,
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00:25:47.519 --> 00:25:51.319
he would be looking at the death penalty, he sang
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00:25:51.599 --> 00:25:55.319
like a canary. According to McCain, he was approached by
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00:25:55.319 --> 00:25:58.480
Skyler in October of two thousand and four, after the
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00:25:58.599 --> 00:26:01.200
ad for the sale of the Well Desire had been published,
439
00:26:01.319 --> 00:26:04.960
and asked if he wanted to make a few million dollars.
440
00:26:05.680 --> 00:26:08.680
According to court records, Skyler claimed that they were an
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00:26:08.720 --> 00:26:12.039
international hit man who had been tasked with taking out
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00:26:12.039 --> 00:26:15.119
the Hawks because they were evil. They explained that they
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00:26:15.119 --> 00:26:17.200
were going to kill the Hawks and take the yacht
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00:26:17.200 --> 00:26:21.319
they were trying to sell. Then Skyler began setting their
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00:26:21.359 --> 00:26:25.359
plan into motion. On November first, Skyler made their first
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00:26:25.400 --> 00:26:28.359
contact with Tom Hawks via an eight minute phone call,
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00:26:28.519 --> 00:26:31.720
presumably to discuss their interest in purchasing the well deserved.
448
00:26:32.680 --> 00:26:35.119
The next day, Skyler and Jennifer met with a real
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00:26:35.240 --> 00:26:38.279
estate agent and inquired about looking at homes for sale
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00:26:38.319 --> 00:26:41.240
in the two million dollar range. That also came the
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place to store a boat. When the real estate agent,
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00:26:45.200 --> 00:26:47.640
who was a client of Jennifer's she did her hair,
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00:26:48.319 --> 00:26:50.599
asked where the money was coming from to afford a
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property this expensive. Jennifer claimed that they were selling two
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00:26:54.640 --> 00:26:57.759
boats and that Skyler had family in Mexico that would
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00:26:57.799 --> 00:27:00.720
be giving them a four hundred thousand dollars yacht in
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00:27:00.839 --> 00:27:04.039
Newport Beach as well as giving the money that was
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00:27:04.039 --> 00:27:07.880
owed to them. That evening, a phone call was made
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00:27:07.880 --> 00:27:11.599
to Tom Hawks via Jennifer's phone that lasted eleven minutes.
460
00:27:14.400 --> 00:27:18.319
On November three, according to court records, Skyler and McCain
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00:27:18.400 --> 00:27:21.200
purchased two stun guns, and McCain would go on to
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00:27:21.240 --> 00:27:24.960
purchase two pairs of handcuffs two days later. On the sixth,
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00:27:25.079 --> 00:27:29.160
Skyler made multiple calls to McCain, their father, John Jacobson Senior,
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00:27:29.839 --> 00:27:32.960
and Jennifer before driving to Newport Beach to meet up
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00:27:32.960 --> 00:27:36.079
with Tom and Jackie. With McCain in tow, they parked
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at the dock and Skyler placed a few more calls
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00:27:38.680 --> 00:27:42.039
to Jennifer and their father before making contact to Tom,
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00:27:42.240 --> 00:27:44.160
who picked them up in a dinghy and brought them
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to the Well Deserved to discuss the sale with Jackie.
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During their discussion, McCain would claim that he noticed that
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00:27:50.400 --> 00:27:54.200
Skyler's demeanor had noticeably changed the longer they chatted with
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the Hawks. McCain, who was originally supposed to overpower Jackie
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00:27:59.359 --> 00:28:03.359
and Skyler their take on Tom, but as mentioned earlier,
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00:28:03.440 --> 00:28:08.359
Tom was incredibly physically fit. Tom worked out consistently and
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00:28:08.599 --> 00:28:12.720
was far bigger than Skyler had anticipated. They mutually decided
476
00:28:12.880 --> 00:28:16.079
in silence that this was not the day to execute
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00:28:16.119 --> 00:28:18.559
their plan. As Tom brought them back to the dock,
478
00:28:18.799 --> 00:28:21.960
DeLeon casually mentioned that they had a little girl and
479
00:28:22.039 --> 00:28:27.079
their wife was currently pregnant with their second child. DeLeon
480
00:28:27.200 --> 00:28:29.960
later placed a call to Jennifer asking her to come
481
00:28:30.000 --> 00:28:33.119
and meet the Hawks to quote make them feel more
482
00:28:33.200 --> 00:28:38.599
at ease. Over the next few days, Skyler brought Jennifer
483
00:28:38.640 --> 00:28:41.359
and their baby to meet the Hawks, and then Skyler
484
00:28:41.400 --> 00:28:44.200
and Alonzo McCain met up with them one more time,
485
00:28:44.279 --> 00:28:46.160
where they were taken on a tour of the harbor
486
00:28:46.559 --> 00:28:48.799
McCain would later say that it was clear that Tom
487
00:28:48.839 --> 00:28:52.440
and Jackie seemed more at ease after meeting Skyler's family.
488
00:28:53.920 --> 00:28:57.319
On November fourteenth, the day before the last confirmation that
489
00:28:57.400 --> 00:29:00.559
the Hawks were alive, Skyler made a number of calls
490
00:29:00.559 --> 00:29:05.039
in the evening, some of which were to McCain and Jennifer. Then,
491
00:29:05.279 --> 00:29:09.880
according to court records, approximately thirty minutes after calling Jennifer,
492
00:29:10.400 --> 00:29:13.799
the fraudulent durable power of Attorney was created on Skyler
493
00:29:13.839 --> 00:29:18.160
and Jennifer's computer. This document stated that Tom Hawks granted
494
00:29:18.240 --> 00:29:22.759
general power of attorney to Skyler de Leone. Skyler and
495
00:29:22.799 --> 00:29:25.839
Jennifer would exchange a few more phone calls, during which
496
00:29:25.920 --> 00:29:28.799
computer records would show that the power of attorney document
497
00:29:28.880 --> 00:29:32.599
was edited. Twenty minutes after their last call with Jennifer,
498
00:29:32.880 --> 00:29:36.599
Skyler placed the call to Tom Hawks, presumably to arrange
499
00:29:36.599 --> 00:29:39.279
a meeting to finalize the sale of the Well Deserved.
500
00:29:39.480 --> 00:29:43.440
On November fifteen, two thousand and four, after again placing
501
00:29:43.480 --> 00:29:47.720
several calls to Alonza, McCain and Jennifer Henderson, Skyler picked
502
00:29:47.720 --> 00:29:50.160
a McCain and they drove to Los Angeles, where they
503
00:29:50.200 --> 00:29:54.599
picked up a man named John Fitzgerald. Kennedy John Kennedy
504
00:29:54.720 --> 00:29:58.240
was brought along by Skyler as extra muscle to accommodate
505
00:29:58.279 --> 00:30:03.000
for tom Hawks's unexpected size, and Kennedy was allegedly told
506
00:30:03.039 --> 00:30:06.640
the exact same story McCain was and offered the same
507
00:30:06.680 --> 00:30:09.680
amount of money to assist in Skyler's plot. When the
508
00:30:09.680 --> 00:30:12.039
three arrived at the dock and Thomas came to pick
509
00:30:12.079 --> 00:30:15.000
them up in his dinghy, Kennedy was introduced to him
510
00:30:15.039 --> 00:30:19.680
as Skuyler's accountant. Aboard the Well Deserved, Skuyler spends time
511
00:30:19.720 --> 00:30:22.559
going through the motions of someone looking to purchase a yacht,51200:30:22.880 --> 00:30:26.960
making inspections and even borrowing a wetsuit as they're an51300:30:27.000 --> 00:30:31.440
accomplished scuba diver to inspect the hull of the boat. Finally,51400:30:31.640 --> 00:30:36.079
Kennedy overpowered Tomahawks his arm around his neck, which terrified Jackie,51500:30:36.240 --> 00:30:38.400
and though she was able to fight McCain off for51600:30:38.440 --> 00:30:41.960
a short time, he was ultimately able to get her handcuffed.51700:30:42.880 --> 00:30:45.680
The Hawks were brought to the bedroom below deck, where Jackie,51800:30:45.799 --> 00:30:49.119
according to court records, said, quote Skyler, why are you51900:30:49.240 --> 00:30:52.559
doing this? We trusted you. You brought your wife and52000:30:52.599 --> 00:30:55.880
your kids, you had them here. How can you do this?52100:30:56.039 --> 00:30:58.759
We trusted you? That tape was placed over Tom and52200:30:58.839 --> 00:31:01.720
Jackie's eyes and mouths. Since Skyler went back upstairs to52300:31:01.759 --> 00:31:04.400
bring the yacht farther out to sea. According to the52400:31:04.440 --> 00:31:07.839
Well Deserved GPS, they traveled fifty five miles away from52500:31:07.880 --> 00:31:11.319
the coast, at which point Skyler placed another call to Jennifer.52600:31:11.720 --> 00:31:14.279
At this point, the Hawks were brought back upstairs and52700:31:14.359 --> 00:31:17.160
told if they complied with signing the durable Power of52800:31:17.160 --> 00:31:22.920
Attorney and provided their fingerprints, social Security numbers, address and birthdates,52900:31:23.559 --> 00:31:27.440
they would be left unharmed. According to Skyler's laptop, which53000:31:27.559 --> 00:31:30.559
was used to type in this information, this occurred at53100:31:30.559 --> 00:31:33.960
four fifty one pm. McCain then kept watch over Tom53200:31:34.000 --> 00:31:36.720
and Jackie as Kennedy and Skyler went to retrieve the53300:31:36.759 --> 00:31:40.599
anchor and some rope. From six twenty five to six53400:31:40.720 --> 00:31:44.200
forty seven, Skyler and Jennifer spoke on the phone five times.53500:31:45.519 --> 00:31:47.920
At some point during this time, the Hawks were led53600:31:47.960 --> 00:31:49.680
to the back of the boat and their mouths and53700:31:49.720 --> 00:31:52.839
eyes were duct taped again, were duct taped again. The53800:31:52.839 --> 00:31:55.480
two were tied together to the anchor, and Tom, in53900:31:55.519 --> 00:31:58.359
an attempt to stop what was happening, kicked a leon,54000:31:58.599 --> 00:32:03.160
sending them flying across the back. In retaliation, Kennedy hit54100:32:03.279 --> 00:32:06.279
Tom over the head and Skuyler threw the anchor overboard.54200:32:07.559 --> 00:32:09.720
As it fell, Jackie hit the side of the ship,54300:32:09.799 --> 00:32:12.039
and the Hawks sank below the surface of the water.54400:32:13.960 --> 00:32:16.519
The three then made the one hour trip back to shore,54500:32:16.799 --> 00:32:19.160
stopping for a beer and a bit of fishing along54600:32:19.200 --> 00:32:23.119
the way. Based on what McCain told police, as well54700:32:23.160 --> 00:32:26.559
as what was found in phone and computer records, even54800:32:26.640 --> 00:32:29.640
though Jennifer had not been on the yacht at the54900:32:29.680 --> 00:32:33.119
time of the Hawks's murder, she was arrested in April55000:32:33.160 --> 00:32:36.279
of two thousand and five, just weeks after giving birth55100:32:36.319 --> 00:32:39.880
to her second child, for what investigators believed was her55200:32:40.000 --> 00:32:45.079
clearly assisting in guiding the events of the November of55300:32:45.119 --> 00:32:48.279
November fifteen, two thousand and four, she was charged with55400:32:48.359 --> 00:32:51.599
the murders of Tom and Jackie Hawks, and later she55500:32:51.720 --> 00:32:55.519
was charged with the murder of John Jarvey after investigators55600:32:55.599 --> 00:32:59.319
learned she and Skuyler had made numerous calls before and55700:32:59.519 --> 00:33:04.799
after his murder as well. Schuyler, already in police custody,55800:33:05.119 --> 00:33:09.440
was also charged with all three murders. John Kennedy and55900:33:09.480 --> 00:33:14.319
Alonzo McCain were charged as well with everyone barring McCain56000:33:14.680 --> 00:33:19.160
looking at life in prison or even the death penalty. McCain,56100:33:19.440 --> 00:33:23.000
in exchange for leniency, agreed to testify at all three56200:33:23.079 --> 00:33:26.440
trials for Henderson, de Leon, and Kennedy, as well as56300:33:26.440 --> 00:33:30.359
pleading guilty. Alonza McCain pled guilty to two counts of56400:33:30.400 --> 00:33:33.759
voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to twenty years In four56500:33:33.799 --> 00:33:38.319
months in prison, Jennifer Henderson, while awaiting trial, wrote various56600:33:38.440 --> 00:33:41.519
letters to her spouse, telling Skyler how much she loved56700:33:41.559 --> 00:33:44.319
them and how upset she was that her parents refused56800:33:44.319 --> 00:33:46.839
to bring their children to visit them in prison. In56900:33:46.880 --> 00:33:49.319
two thousand and six, Jennifer went to trial for the57000:33:49.400 --> 00:33:53.359
murders of Tom and Jackie Hawks and John Jarvey. Though57100:33:53.400 --> 00:33:57.200
the evidence against her was mostly circumstantial, and McCain admitted57200:33:57.279 --> 00:34:00.000
during his testimony that the only time she was met57300:34:00.000 --> 00:34:02.960
mentioned in relation to the Hawks was when Skyler asked57400:34:02.960 --> 00:34:05.480
her to meet them to put them at ease. There57500:34:05.559 --> 00:34:09.719
was more than enough testimony from other witnesses, including family,57600:34:09.920 --> 00:34:13.280
that Jennifer was financially motivated to participate in the murders,57700:34:15.199 --> 00:34:18.440
While the charge for murdering John Jarvey was ultimately dismissed57800:34:18.519 --> 00:34:22.400
due to insufficient evidence. Henderson was found guilty of the57900:34:22.440 --> 00:34:26.079
Hawks's murders as well as murder for financial gain, and58000:34:26.159 --> 00:34:29.880
sentenced to two life terms without the possibility of parole58100:34:30.119 --> 00:34:32.760
for her role in the Hawks murders in two thousand58200:34:32.800 --> 00:34:37.079
and six. Of course, she appealed this, but her appeal58300:34:37.159 --> 00:34:41.039
was denied. She would also later go on to divorce Skyler.58400:34:41.639 --> 00:34:44.920
Skuyler DeLeon and John Kennedy would go to trials separately58500:34:45.000 --> 00:34:48.280
in two thousand and eight and became a testify against them. Both.58600:34:49.639 --> 00:34:53.639
Also testifying against Skyler would be their cousin Michael Lewis.58700:34:54.840 --> 00:34:59.039
Gary Poulsen. Delion's attorneys said during his opening statement that yes,58800:34:59.320 --> 00:35:03.079
his client he was guilty of these murders. His goal, though,58900:35:03.159 --> 00:35:06.039
was to convince the jury not to sentence Skyler to59000:35:06.159 --> 00:35:08.800
death due to the abuse that they had suffered as59100:35:08.840 --> 00:35:13.119
a child, making them more susceptible to violence. According to59200:35:13.159 --> 00:35:16.880
the La Times, Lewis, who was originally charged as an59300:35:16.920 --> 00:35:19.840
accessory after the fact in the murder of John Jarvey59400:35:20.039 --> 00:35:22.400
and who was looking out a life sentence as well59500:35:22.480 --> 00:35:26.400
until his folk cooperation, testified that the reason he had59600:35:26.440 --> 00:35:29.119
lied to the police so many times was because of59700:35:29.159 --> 00:35:33.800
threats received from Schuyler. He said, quote, they killed in Mexico,59800:35:34.079 --> 00:35:37.159
they killed at sea. What's to stop them from coming59900:35:37.199 --> 00:35:39.880
to my little town in killing me and my family.60000:35:40.360 --> 00:35:44.119
Echoing this sentiment was Kathleen Harris, who also testified at60100:35:44.159 --> 00:35:47.280
Skyler's trial and said that she had agreed to backdate60200:35:47.320 --> 00:35:49.800
the documents related to the sail of the boat because60300:35:49.800 --> 00:35:53.039
she had been threatened. She said a trial, according to60400:35:53.079 --> 00:35:56.119
The La Times, quote, I was scared for my lights.60500:35:56.559 --> 00:35:58.960
I was told that they had killed over twenty people.60600:35:59.559 --> 00:36:02.320
I was always watching my back and afraid someone was60700:36:02.360 --> 00:36:05.679
after me and going to kill me. Skuyler DeLeon was60800:36:05.760 --> 00:36:08.480
ultimately found guilty of three counts of murder in the60900:36:08.519 --> 00:36:11.760
deaths of Tom and Jackie Hawks and John Jarvey. In61000:36:11.800 --> 00:36:14.679
April of two thousand and nine, Orange County Superior Court61100:36:14.760 --> 00:36:18.840
Judge Frank Fassel sentenced Skyler to death fea lethal injection.61200:36:20.719 --> 00:36:23.800
At the sentence, prosecutor Matt Murphy said, quote, it is61300:36:23.880 --> 00:36:26.880
difficult to imagine a case where it's more cold blooded61400:36:26.920 --> 00:36:30.639
and calculated than this series of murders. I can't imagine61500:36:30.639 --> 00:36:33.920
a situation that is more deserving of the ultimate punishment.61600:36:34.440 --> 00:36:36.920
Family members of the victims had been vocal about their61700:36:36.920 --> 00:36:40.000
wish for Delion to receive the death penalty, and Ryan61800:36:40.039 --> 00:36:43.000
Hawks expressed his wish that the Delion children would never61900:36:43.159 --> 00:36:46.039
know what their parents had done, and their daughter would62000:36:46.039 --> 00:36:48.039
never find out she had been used as a pond62100:36:48.079 --> 00:36:51.760
to gain the Hawks's trust. He said, quote, no one62200:36:51.800 --> 00:36:54.280
wants to know they were used as decoys or fakes62300:36:54.320 --> 00:36:57.880
to murder my parents. John Kennedy, for his role in62400:36:57.880 --> 00:37:02.360
the murders, was also found guilty in se sentence to death. However,62500:37:02.679 --> 00:37:06.280
neither Schuyler nor John Kennedy will ever be put to death.62600:37:07.519 --> 00:37:11.239
Shortly after assuming office, the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom,62700:37:11.440 --> 00:37:14.679
signed an executive order in twenty nineteen and announced a62800:37:14.760 --> 00:37:19.400
moratorium on executions. He said, according to death penalty info62900:37:19.480 --> 00:37:23.000
dot org, quote, the death penalty system has been by63000:37:23.079 --> 00:37:27.880
all measures of failure. The death penalty has discriminated against63100:37:27.920 --> 00:37:31.239
defendants who are mentally ill, black and brown, or can63200:37:31.360 --> 00:37:35.639
afford expensive legal representation, while providing no public safety benefit63300:37:35.760 --> 00:37:39.199
or value as a deterrent. In twenty twenty two, he63400:37:39.320 --> 00:37:42.760
also signed California's Racial Justice Act to provide death row63500:37:42.800 --> 00:37:45.960
inmates with a legal process to get relief from convictions63600:37:45.960 --> 00:37:49.719
and death sentences that were obtained on the basis of race, ethnicity,63700:37:49.840 --> 00:37:54.239
or origin. He also signed additional legislation to remove those63800:37:54.320 --> 00:37:58.920
found mentally impaired from death route. Governor Newsom had also63900:37:58.920 --> 00:38:01.760
announced a plan that the can California Department of Corrections64000:38:01.760 --> 00:38:05.719
and Rehabilitation would transfer death row inmates on San Quentin's64100:38:05.760 --> 00:38:09.679
Death Row to other maximum security prisons in order to64200:38:09.719 --> 00:38:12.760
transform the death row facility into something that would support64300:38:12.840 --> 00:38:16.880
initiatives for rehabilitation. The death row inmates were in fact64400:38:17.039 --> 00:38:21.280
moved to GenPop prisons in the state. However, these prisoners64500:38:21.280 --> 00:38:25.239
are all still technically on death row. None of their64600:38:25.280 --> 00:38:28.880
sentences had been commuted to life sentences, even though in64700:38:28.960 --> 00:38:31.840
recent years there had been efforts for mass clemency, with64800:38:31.960 --> 00:38:36.519
advocacy groups calling California's death penalty system un constitutional and64900:38:36.639 --> 00:38:42.480
racially biased. This issue was currently ongoing, and while Kennedy65000:38:42.480 --> 00:38:46.639
and Delion remain incarcerated, Alonzo McCain was released in twenty65100:38:46.679 --> 00:38:50.920
twenty one after spending fourteen years on hormone replacement therapy.65200:38:51.159 --> 00:38:55.239
Skuylar DeLeon underwent gender affirming surgery. Their lawyers have since65300:38:55.239 --> 00:38:58.440
attempted to get Delion transferred to a woman's prison, but65400:38:58.559 --> 00:39:02.559
they have as of yet been unsuccessful, and Delion remains65500:39:02.559 --> 00:39:05.840
housed in the prison hospital for their safety. Even though65600:39:05.840 --> 00:39:07.639
the police had a rough idea of where Tom and65700:39:07.719 --> 00:39:11.440
Jackie had been thrown overboard such epherds were unsuccessful and65800:39:11.480 --> 00:39:14.920
their bodies have never been found. But it's a small65900:39:15.000 --> 00:39:18.039
consolation to note that the sea they loved so much66000:39:18.159 --> 00:39:22.280
embraced them even in death. As always, I thank you66100:39:22.519 --> 00:39:25.239
so much for listening, and I hope you have a66200:39:25.440 --> 00:39:30.280
wonderfully and I will see you in the next chapter66300:39:30.519 --> 00:39:36.159
of the Book of the Dead. Bye, guys. Another page closed,66400:39:36.920 --> 00:39:41.000
But the story isn't over for the families left behind.66500:39:41.159 --> 00:39:44.519
The pain doesn't end when the headline's fade. And for66600:39:44.599 --> 00:39:48.599
the victims, we owe them more than silence for our66700:39:48.639 --> 00:39:52.639
on solved cases. If you have any information, please reach66800:39:52.679 --> 00:39:55.239
out to local authorities or visit our show notes for66900:39:55.320 --> 00:40:01.519
links and resources. Someone out there knows something, maybe it's you.67000:40:03.480 --> 00:40:05.719
Thank you for listening to the Book of the Dead.67100:40:06.199 --> 00:40:08.960
If this story moved or spoke to you in some way,67200:40:09.320 --> 00:40:15.480
talk about it, share it, keep their names alive. Until67300:40:15.519 --> 00:40:21.599
next time. I'm Courtney Liso. Stay safe, stay curious, and67400:40:21.639 --> 00:40:26.079
stay vigilant. And remember the dead may be gone, but67500:40:26.199 --> 00:40:28.360
their stories will not be forgotten.
