By Tori Richards

November 15, 2006

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SANTA ANA, Calif. (Crime Library) — Jennifer Deleon has been in jail for 19 months and her friends and family are optimistic that she'll be out soon.

However, first she has to get through her double murder trial and hope that a jury finds she played no role in tying a retired couple to the anchor of their yacht and throwing them overboard. The bodies of Thomas and Jackie Hawks were never found and Jennifer, 25, and her husband Skylar Deleon, 27, were in possession of the yacht.

Skylar and Jennifer (Henderson) Deleon

The prosecution is almost finished presenting its side of the case in Orange County Superior Court.

"She knows what she did and she knows what she didn't do. She believes in the system and God is in control of everything," said Jennifer's mother, Lana Henderson, who has faithfully attended every one of her daughter's court appearances. "We believe the truth is going to come out and she believes in the truth. There is no middle ground here."

Jennifer and an older brother grew up in a suburb of Los Angeles called Long Beach and were raised by parents who are steadfast Christians. She continues to hold on to her faith and the congregation of her small church, Hope Chapel, has been praying, Henderson said.

"Jennifer has never been in any trouble, she doesn't even have a traffic violation," Henderson said. "This is totally out of our comprehension."

The Hawkses

But if you ask the authorities, they'll say otherwise. Although Jennifer was not on the yacht when the Hawkses were killed, she helped lull them into a false sense of security so that they would take her husband on the fateful Nov. 15, 2004 cruise that would be their last, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

A week before, the Deleons answered a "for sale" ad that was listed for the yacht in a boating magazine. Posing as buyers, Skylar, a pregnant Jennifer and their toddler daughter met with the Hawkses and assured them that they had the money to purchase the vessel because of lucrative real estate holdings, said Deputy District Attorney Matt Murphy.

The Hawkses' yacht

"She wears the pants in the family and was the brains behind the operation," Murphy said. "She knew exactly what she was doing."  

And that included about 14 cell phone calls to and from her husband the day of the murders that occurred at crucial times such as when the Hawkses were being tied up, interrogated and thrown overboard, Murphy says.

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Contact Tori Richards at NewsWriter2@aol.com

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