What do you think?
Rate this book
DEAD RECKONING
Extensively Revised And Updated!
Tom and Jackie Hawks loved their life in retirement, sailing on their yacht, the Well Deserved. But when the birth of a new grandson called them back to Arizona, they put the boat up for sale. Skylar Deleon and his pregnant wife Jennifer showed up as prospective buyers, with their baby in a stroller, and the Hawkses thought they had a deal. Soon after a sea trial and an alleged purchase, however, the older couple disappeared and the Deleons promptly tried to access the Hawkses' bank accounts.
As police investigated the case, they not only found a third homicide victim with ties to Skylar, they also uncovered an unexpected and unusual motive: Skylar had wanted gender reassignment surgery for years. By killing the Hawkses with a motley crew of assailants and plundering the couple's assets, the Deleons had planned to clear their $100,000 in debts and still have money for the surgery, which Skylar had already scheduled.
Now, in this up-to-the-minute updated edition, which includes extensive new material, New York Times bestselling author Caitlin Rother presents the latest breaking developments in the case. Skylar, who was ultimately sentenced to death row for the three murders, transitioned to a woman via hormones while living in the psych unit at San Quentin prison. Recently, she legally changed her name and gender to female, apparently a strategic step in her quest to obtain taxpayer-subsidized gender confirmation surgery and transfer to a women's prison. Combined with Governor Gavin Newsom's recent moratorium on executions, this only adds insult to injury for the victims' families, who want Skylar to receive the ultimate punishment for her crimes.
Tom and Jackie Hawks loved their life in retirement, sailing on their yacht, the Well Deserved. But when the birth of a new grandson called them back to Arizona, they put the boat up for sale. Skylar Deleon and his pregnant wife Jennifer showed up as prospective buyers, with their baby in a stroller, and the Hawkses thought they had a deal. Soon after a sea trial and an alleged purchase, however, the older couple disappeared and the Deleons promptly tried to access the Hawkses' bank accounts.
As police investigated the case, they not only found a third homicide victim with ties to Skylar, they also uncovered an unexpected and unusual motive: Skylar had wanted gender reassignment surgery for years. By killing the Hawkses with a motley crew of assailants and plundering the couple's assets, the Deleons had planned to clear their $100,000 in debts and still have money for the surgery, which Skylar had already scheduled.
Now, in this up-to-the-minute updated edition, which includes extensive new material, New York Times bestselling author Caitlin Rother presents the latest breaking developments in the case. Skylar, who was ultimately sentenced to death row for the three murders, transitioned to a woman via hormones while living in the psych unit at San Quentin prison. Recently, she legally changed her name and gender to female, apparently a strategic step in her quest to obtain taxpayer-subsidized gender confirmation surgery and transfer to a women's prison. Combined with Governor Gavin Newsom's recent moratorium on executions, this only adds insult to injury for the victims' families, who want Skylar to receive the ultimate punishment for her crimes.
470 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
415 people are currently reading
1503 people want to read
About the author
Caitlin Rother
25 books319 followersNew York Times bestselling author Caitlin Rother has written or co-authored 14 books, ranging from narrative non-fiction crime to mystery and memoir. Her newest book is DEATH ON OCEAN BOULEVARD: Inside the Coronado Mansion Case (April 27, 2021). Her backlist includes HUNTING CHARLES MANSON; SECRETS, LIES, AND SHOELACES; LOVE GONE WRONG; DEAD RECKONING; THEN NO ONE CAN HAVE HER; I'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU; NAKED ADDICTION; POISONED LOVE; BODY PARTS; TWISTED TRIANGLE; LOST GIRLS; WHERE HOPE BEGINS and MY LIFE, DELETED. A Pulitzer Prize nominee, Rother worked as an investigative reporter at daily newspapers for 19 years before quitting the news biz in 2006 to write books full-time. Her journalism has been published in Cosmopolitan, the Los Angeles Times, The San Diego Union-Tribune, the Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe and The Daily Beast. She has done more than 200 appearances as a crime commentator on TV, radio and podcasts, ranging from "20/20," "People Magazine Investigates," "Nancy Grace," and "Crime Watch Daily," to shows on HLN, Oxygen Network, Investigation Discovery, C-SPAN, XM Radio and PBS affiliates. She also works as a writing-research-promotions coach and consultant.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
August 30, 2019
First published in 2011, I remember reading this story about Skylar Deleon, former supposed child star and the three murders he was found responsible for and sentenced to death for. But I sure needed this refresher, and the new and updated edition has lots of new information about what’s happened since then, to keep readers in the know. It seems Skylar, a married father of two, is having issues around his gender identity now that he is in prison. This story with the update included has become a bit long, at nearly 450 pages, but is still fascinating to read about what he did, the excuses he gives for why he claims to have done it, and how strangely some criminal minds work.
For true crime fans who like updated stories with a real twist, especially those who like Caitlin Rother, check it out. I was already a fan of Rother’s writing when I read this book, after reading Poisoned Love, and Twisted Triangle by her. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Caitlin Rother, and the publisher.
Published first on my WordPress blog seen here:
https://wordpress.com/post/bookblog20...
For true crime fans who like updated stories with a real twist, especially those who like Caitlin Rother, check it out. I was already a fan of Rother’s writing when I read this book, after reading Poisoned Love, and Twisted Triangle by her. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Caitlin Rother, and the publisher.
Published first on my WordPress blog seen here:
https://wordpress.com/post/bookblog20...
August 30, 2019
First published in 2011, I remember reading this story about Skylar Deleon, former supposed child star and the three murders he was found responsible for and sentenced to death for. But I sure needed this refresher, and the new and updated edition has lots of new information about what’s happened since then, to keep readers in the know. It seems Skylar, a married father of two, is having issues around his gender identity now that he is in prison. This story with the update included has become a bit long, at nearly 450 pages, but is still fascinating to read about what he did, the excuses he gives for why he claims to have done it, and how strangely some criminal minds work.
For true crime fans who like updated stories with a real twist, especially those who like Caitlin Rother, check it out. I was already a fan of Rother’s writing when I read this book, after reading Poisoned Love, and Twisted Triangle by her. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Caitlin Rother, and the publisher.
Published first on my WordPress blog seen here:
https://wordpress.com/post/bookblog20...
For true crime fans who like updated stories with a real twist, especially those who like Caitlin Rother, check it out. I was already a fan of Rother’s writing when I read this book, after reading Poisoned Love, and Twisted Triangle by her. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Caitlin Rother, and the publisher.
Published first on my WordPress blog seen here:
https://wordpress.com/post/bookblog20...
September 2, 2019
Probably the stupidest sociopath I've ever read about. His crime was so easily broken apart, I can't believe he found accomplices. And his wife is a greedy hoydon
They deserved what they got
Lenten Buddy Reading Challenge book #8
They deserved what they got
Lenten Buddy Reading Challenge book #8
August 10, 2011
This is a case that will haunt me. The way these people were murdered.
I thought I had written a review cause this book stayed with me long after I read it. The way these people were killed, so gruesome, so heartless, I could not stop thinking about it.
Plus one photo of Jackie (the one with the butterfly) reminded me she could be one of my family)
Wish I had written a review when I was done cause I am very forgetful. Well I do know I am recommending this book!
I thought I had written a review cause this book stayed with me long after I read it. The way these people were killed, so gruesome, so heartless, I could not stop thinking about it.
Plus one photo of Jackie (the one with the butterfly) reminded me she could be one of my family)
Wish I had written a review when I was done cause I am very forgetful. Well I do know I am recommending this book!
December 23, 2011
Tom and Jackie Hawks were living their dream, retired living on their boat, aptly named Well Deserved, sailing around Southern California and Mexico.
They had started to think about selling their boat when Skylar Deleon and his pregnant wife Jennifer offered cash to purchase the yacht. But the trial voyage was a total nightmare. Tom and Jackie pleaded for their lives as Skylar forced them to not only sign over the boat to him, but their home and bank accounts as well. Believing if they did what he asked their lives would be spared, but before the ink was even dry, the couple was duck taped together, had the ship's heavy anchor tied around them and where thrown overboard - ALIVE!!!
This is just the first part of this tragic story. While on work furlough from jail Deleon kills another man and orders hits on 4 other people from prison, including a hit on his own father, who granted was not the best father in the world. The devotion shown to him my his wife is cult-like as is the effect he has on others he convinces to work with him.
Rother takes us step-by-step through the case, from Skylar Deleon's past to evidence and interviews with Deleon through the several trials that take place and I am happy to report this criminal is sitting on death row.
This is not the type of book where my usual Rating System of little pictures is appropriate. The is real life, not fiction, and I can't say I love this story. It is wonderfully well researched and well written and I love the author's thoroughness as she has dealt with this horrific story. I did not see the reports on the various television shows but do remember reading in newspapers and seeing on the news tidbits about this case, but had forgotten all about it until I found myself lost in the pages of this book. Now these events will never leave my mind.
There are not enough adjectives to encompass this crime, chilling, frightening, intense, etc. just doesn't cover the raw emotion I was left with after reading this book. My feelings do not just come from the horrendous acts but from the way Rother describes, writes, handles and makes the material grab your attention and won't let go. Don't be intimidated by the page count. Once you start this book, it will be virtually impossible to put down. It reads just like a fiction novel and sometimes you have to stop and remind yourself, "Hey, wait a minute, this really happened!". This book is a MUST READ for any True Crime fan, but if you are like me, a fan of the fictional thriller and suspense novels, this book should also be at the top of your Books To Read list. You will become a fan of this author instantly!!
They had started to think about selling their boat when Skylar Deleon and his pregnant wife Jennifer offered cash to purchase the yacht. But the trial voyage was a total nightmare. Tom and Jackie pleaded for their lives as Skylar forced them to not only sign over the boat to him, but their home and bank accounts as well. Believing if they did what he asked their lives would be spared, but before the ink was even dry, the couple was duck taped together, had the ship's heavy anchor tied around them and where thrown overboard - ALIVE!!!
This is just the first part of this tragic story. While on work furlough from jail Deleon kills another man and orders hits on 4 other people from prison, including a hit on his own father, who granted was not the best father in the world. The devotion shown to him my his wife is cult-like as is the effect he has on others he convinces to work with him.
Rother takes us step-by-step through the case, from Skylar Deleon's past to evidence and interviews with Deleon through the several trials that take place and I am happy to report this criminal is sitting on death row.
This is not the type of book where my usual Rating System of little pictures is appropriate. The is real life, not fiction, and I can't say I love this story. It is wonderfully well researched and well written and I love the author's thoroughness as she has dealt with this horrific story. I did not see the reports on the various television shows but do remember reading in newspapers and seeing on the news tidbits about this case, but had forgotten all about it until I found myself lost in the pages of this book. Now these events will never leave my mind.
There are not enough adjectives to encompass this crime, chilling, frightening, intense, etc. just doesn't cover the raw emotion I was left with after reading this book. My feelings do not just come from the horrendous acts but from the way Rother describes, writes, handles and makes the material grab your attention and won't let go. Don't be intimidated by the page count. Once you start this book, it will be virtually impossible to put down. It reads just like a fiction novel and sometimes you have to stop and remind yourself, "Hey, wait a minute, this really happened!". This book is a MUST READ for any True Crime fan, but if you are like me, a fan of the fictional thriller and suspense novels, this book should also be at the top of your Books To Read list. You will become a fan of this author instantly!!
March 5, 2011
Always like to read about totally whacked out folks from Southern CA. This was just a strange story, with a couple of really stupid people who were just greedy and evil. I sort of think the sign of a "good" true crime book is if you are compelled to go online and look up the case and pictures etc. -- and I did.
March 16, 2014
THIS BOOK WAS OUTSTANDING . CAITLIN MAKES YOU BELIEVE YOU KNOW THE PEOPLE AND ITS NOT CLINICAL. I LOVED THIS BOOK . HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
February 19, 2017
As far as true crime goes, this was great-- far better than the subjective yarns spun by Ann Rule. Rule drives me crazy because I feel like she not only insults my intelligence, she insults the intelligence of her readers as a group. Very little critical thinking going on. Rule can't live with any ambiguity. This author does a much better job of just providing the story so the reader can think for themselves.
I wasn't sure I would like this book, but I downloaded it in on hoopla because I needed something I didn't have to fully concentrate on while I ran errands and fixed things around the house. It made the time fly. Very memorable story and really interesting dynamic between the husband and wife. I would recommend for anyone looking for a true crime story.
I wasn't sure I would like this book, but I downloaded it in on hoopla because I needed something I didn't have to fully concentrate on while I ran errands and fixed things around the house. It made the time fly. Very memorable story and really interesting dynamic between the husband and wife. I would recommend for anyone looking for a true crime story.
October 7, 2019
Fans of true crime novels will want to read this book. I read the revised version that examined more into Skylar's life and obsession with transitioning to a woman.
While, I am very sorry to the families of Tom and Jackie; I do have to admit that I was fascinated by Skylar. The great lengths and lies that she went through to get the money for her surgery is fascinating. You have to be really motivated and have no compassion to take human lives. The other factor is Jennifer. How she could go along with Skylar and her plan was a bit puzzling. Although, I do see why she did it. She was money hungry and so caught up in Skylar's lies that she could not see reality.
Final thoughts: My own opinion but I like the families of Tom and Jackie do not really believe that justice has been served for them. After reading this book, I do want to read other books from this author.
While, I am very sorry to the families of Tom and Jackie; I do have to admit that I was fascinated by Skylar. The great lengths and lies that she went through to get the money for her surgery is fascinating. You have to be really motivated and have no compassion to take human lives. The other factor is Jennifer. How she could go along with Skylar and her plan was a bit puzzling. Although, I do see why she did it. She was money hungry and so caught up in Skylar's lies that she could not see reality.
Final thoughts: My own opinion but I like the families of Tom and Jackie do not really believe that justice has been served for them. After reading this book, I do want to read other books from this author.
October 29, 2020
This is a must read!
The murder of the entirely innocent couple in this book is just the beginning of a case that is cold, calculating and unlike any you have ever read before.
Tom and Jackie Hawks were brutally murdered by the most sickening Skylar Deleon and his 2 associates. Skyler with his accomplice and pregnant wife Jennifer gained the trust from the Hawks when he feigned interest in purchasing their yacht The Well Deserved. The Hawks were tied up and pushed into the ocean weighed down by an anchor whilst still alive.
Skylar had wanted gender reassignment surgery for years and Jennifer liked to live the High life. By killing the Hawkes and plundering their assets, the Deleon’s planned to clear their $100,000 in debts and still have money for the already-scheduled surgery. Once the family reported Tom and Jackie Hawks missing the police got involved and soon learned what Skyler, Jennifer and associates did and found also that Skyler had murdered another man.
Now I am outraged to learn that Skyler has the right to change his name and that the taxpayers would bear the brunt of these costs, in addition to trial costs! for GRS.
How can someone on death row have any such rights after the horrific murders and the last minutes of mental anguish and torcher Tom and Jackie suffered as you are bound to an anchor and thrown overboard. Where were their rights. I just do not get the American system but sexual reassignment surgery really. My heart goes out to both of the victim’s family’s.
I Recommended this book highly to readers of True Crime. The Story moves along well. Very Thought provoking to say the least. Well done! Caitlin Rother another good book. Thanks to Wildblue Press also
The murder of the entirely innocent couple in this book is just the beginning of a case that is cold, calculating and unlike any you have ever read before.
Tom and Jackie Hawks were brutally murdered by the most sickening Skylar Deleon and his 2 associates. Skyler with his accomplice and pregnant wife Jennifer gained the trust from the Hawks when he feigned interest in purchasing their yacht The Well Deserved. The Hawks were tied up and pushed into the ocean weighed down by an anchor whilst still alive.
Skylar had wanted gender reassignment surgery for years and Jennifer liked to live the High life. By killing the Hawkes and plundering their assets, the Deleon’s planned to clear their $100,000 in debts and still have money for the already-scheduled surgery. Once the family reported Tom and Jackie Hawks missing the police got involved and soon learned what Skyler, Jennifer and associates did and found also that Skyler had murdered another man.
Now I am outraged to learn that Skyler has the right to change his name and that the taxpayers would bear the brunt of these costs, in addition to trial costs! for GRS.
How can someone on death row have any such rights after the horrific murders and the last minutes of mental anguish and torcher Tom and Jackie suffered as you are bound to an anchor and thrown overboard. Where were their rights. I just do not get the American system but sexual reassignment surgery really. My heart goes out to both of the victim’s family’s.
I Recommended this book highly to readers of True Crime. The Story moves along well. Very Thought provoking to say the least. Well done! Caitlin Rother another good book. Thanks to Wildblue Press also
June 1, 2011
Very good read. But a very disturbing young man
October 6, 2021
This was one disturbing book. I'd seen a few shows on this case and it's the stuff of nightmares. Tom and Jackie Hawks were good decent people who wanted to sell their boat and were looking forward to spending more time with their family. The sale of the boat would cost them their lives in the most horrific way when they crossed paths with Skykar and Jennifer Deleon. Like the prosecutor and detectives I believe they are both equally guilty I this case. Both were greedy and cold. They even used their little girl to gain their victims trust. The case is long and convoluted but Rother breaks it down into easier to understand parts from the childhoods of the criminals to the investigation to the trials that followed. It was all very readable and at times hard to put down and at others I had to because the crime was very disturbing and heartbreaking thinking of what not only the Hawks but also Jon Jarvi had to ho through in their final moments on earth. It's good to know justice was served in this case and we can all hope that none of these criminals ever see the outside world again.
March 14, 2022
Dead Reckoning was a true crime story of two extremely visious murderers and their trial to prove the case. Very interesting, but the story sometimes dragged and became quite repetitive.
April 12, 2022
The crime may have been solved and the guilty parties convicted, but a seemingly infinite number of questions remain unanswered. In Dead Reckoning, Rother, a Pulitzer Prize-nominated investigative reporter, details in a straight-forward manner the unspeakable crime that garnered widespread media attention and outlines the painstaking investigation that culminated in the arrest and conviction of the Deleons and their several accomplices. It is one of the most frightening tales of premeditated murder imaginable, its impact even more chilling because of Rother’s unembellished account of how greed, envy, a sense of entitlement, and immorality led to the Hawkses’ senseless deaths.
The early detective work by Tom’s brother started the investigation off. Because of his status as a recently retired, well-respected police chief, his concerns and refusal to accept the explanations provided by the Deleons were given immediate credence and attention by local authorities. Employing a “vertical advocacy” model which is also utilized by other law enforcement agencies, the Orange County investigators and District Attorneys worked as a team to ensure that every lead was pursued, every clue followed, and every question asked during well-timed interviews. The inquiry necessitated a tremendous dedication of resources: numerous detectives and the cooperation of several different agencies working together.
This is a quintessential story of good versus evil. . . . Skylar is a complex character, whose gender confusion makes for quite a fascinating case study of a sociopath who loves his wife Jennifer so much he will do anything not to lose her – and yet wants a sex change operation so badly he’s willing to kill to pay for one. The murder-theft conspiracy scheme he devises with her is so heinous and callously carried out that it is mind-boggling. ~~ Author Caitlin Rother
Rother explores one nagging question. Why didn’t Tom Hawks, a retired firefighter and probation officer, sense that the Deleons’ offer to purchase the yacht was too good to be true? He was a savvy former law enforcement professional. Why he didn’t he investigate Deleon’s background, perhaps calling upon his brother for assistance, remains unknown. By all accounts, Hawks was a highly compassionate man who tried to help the probationers with whom he worked. Perhaps his generous nature, coupled with his desire to begin the next chapter of his life in Arizona with his infant grandson, caused him to be too trusting. And cost him his life, along with his wife’s.
Rother seamlessly synthesizes voluminous documentation into a coherent and compelling narrative that reads like a work of intricately-plotted fiction. She describes Deleon’s upbringing by a small-time drug dealer and crook who abused his son emotionally and physically. Abandoned by both his mother and stepmother, Deleon enjoyed a modicum of success as a child actor, appearing in a few commercials and a small supporting role on the popular children’s program Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Deleon was dishonorably discharged from the military and became a prodigious liar, telling wildly exaggerated tales about serving in various special operations units and claiming to have been one of the stars of the children’s series. He also claimed to be a hermaphrodite in need of sexual reassignment surgery in order to remove his diseased female internal organs and survive.
Friends and family alike were stunned by Jennifer Deleon’s participation in the crime because, by all accounts, she was raised in a loving, Christian home where she was a good student, well-liked, and seemed to be an honest, compassionate young woman. Rother recounts how Deleon fooled her parents. They initially liked him and welcomed him into the family, even paying for an elaborate Newport Beach wedding ceremony. Whether Jennifer was actually the mastermind behind the plot to kill the Hawkses and steal Well Deserved, along with their other assets, or another victim of Deleon is an unresolved mystery. One thing is clear: she remained loyal to Deleon long after the two were incarcerated separately and awaiting trial, and continued corresponding with him for quite some time before she finally filed for divorce and cut off all communication with him. Still, she refused a plea bargain that would have netted her a lesser sentence.
As for Deleon, Rother’s tautly-constructed telling of his story is fascinating and leaves open the question of whether sociopaths are born or made. Did the abuse that Deleon suffered at the hands of his father cause him to grow into a man lacking even the slightest bit of empathy for others, capable of plotting and carrying out the cold-blooded murder of the Hawkses in order to obtain their yacht and access to their bank accounts? Or was he simply born lacking a conscious? Is the death penalty an appropriate punishment? Rother recounts the details of his trial, noting that his defense counsel wisely opted not to contest his guilt but unsuccessfully argued that, in light of his background, he should have been sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, rather than death. Rother’s description of the horrifying abuse to which he was subjected evokes sympathy but, as the expert who testified on behalf of the prosecution noted, many people survive childhood abuse and do not grow up to be cold-blooded murderers. Subsequent to his conviction, Deleon granted a number of interviews in which he confessed to the murders, but portrayed himself as a victim of his wife, claiming that he acted out of love in a desperate attempt to please her.
The Hawkses’ bodies were never recovered and returned to their families. Many of the details about the crime forever remain buried with them at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean off the beautiful Newport coast.
Upon his arrival at San Quentin to begin serving his sentence, Deleon — like so many other condemned inmates — completed several stints at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville following multiple suicide attempts before being housed in the PIP unit at San Quentin. The bravado and arrogance displayed by Deleon throughout the investigation and trial quickly evaporated when confronted with the reality of his fate. That may be as close to a sense of justice having been served as the families of Tom and Jackie Hawks will ever experience, especially in light of recent events.
Courts in several states have ruled that transgender inmates have a right to be housed according to the gender with which they identify, rather than based on anatomy. The U.S. Department of Justice opined that a failure to provide “individualized and appropriate medical care” to transgender inmates suffering from gender dysphoria violated the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which “cruel and unusual punishment” or “deliberate indifference” to inmates’ medical needs. Prisons must provide “adequate” medical care. Rother recounts her visit with Deleon at San Quentin, recounting that “being locked in a cage with a transgender inmate who had murdered three people was one of the most bizarre and surreal situations in which I’ve found myself since I started writing about the mentally ill in jails and prisons twenty years ago.” The inmate she encountered bore little resemblance to the one she interviewed in 2009 — a direct result of the hormone treatment Deleon has received while incarcerated.
Should taxpayers foot the bill for gender confirmation surgery for inmates? Some courts have said yes. But it remains a highly controversial topic. For victims’ families, Rother explains, the “notion of relieving a killer’s emotional pain and suffering, especially someone like Skylar, infuriated those who had fought to give her the maximum punishment possible.” A retired member of the Newport Beach Police Department told Rother, “Why, so he can have peace of mind? . . . It makes no sense whatever. I hope he’s suffering every day, that’s the whole point of it. We’re not going to kill him and now we’re going to facilitate the surgery that he wanted in the first place? . . . In his twisted mind, he’s winning, and that just irks the [hell] out of me.” That same retired law enforcement officer questioned whether tax dollars would be better spent providing psychological help to the victims’ families — who have no voice in corrections’ officials determinations about inmate housing or the provision of medical treatment to inmates, including the delivery of hormone treatments for transitioning inmates and, ultimately, gender confirmation surgery.
For true crime fans, Dead Reckoning is mandatory reading, especially considering the ongoing dialogue about criminal justice and prison reform in the United States and the current emphasis on rehabilitation. Book clubs will be inspired by myriad details and timely issues that are sure to spark vigorous discussion and debate.
For now, at least, Deleon remains at San Quentin — the only California prison housing male condemned inmates — despite her feminine appearance and name. Whether she will stay there or, eventually, be housed in a female institution remains to be decided by corrections officials and, perhaps, the courts.
Thanks to author Caitlin Rother for a paperback copy of the original book to review, as well as the updated 2019 edition.
The early detective work by Tom’s brother started the investigation off. Because of his status as a recently retired, well-respected police chief, his concerns and refusal to accept the explanations provided by the Deleons were given immediate credence and attention by local authorities. Employing a “vertical advocacy” model which is also utilized by other law enforcement agencies, the Orange County investigators and District Attorneys worked as a team to ensure that every lead was pursued, every clue followed, and every question asked during well-timed interviews. The inquiry necessitated a tremendous dedication of resources: numerous detectives and the cooperation of several different agencies working together.
This is a quintessential story of good versus evil. . . . Skylar is a complex character, whose gender confusion makes for quite a fascinating case study of a sociopath who loves his wife Jennifer so much he will do anything not to lose her – and yet wants a sex change operation so badly he’s willing to kill to pay for one. The murder-theft conspiracy scheme he devises with her is so heinous and callously carried out that it is mind-boggling. ~~ Author Caitlin Rother
Rother explores one nagging question. Why didn’t Tom Hawks, a retired firefighter and probation officer, sense that the Deleons’ offer to purchase the yacht was too good to be true? He was a savvy former law enforcement professional. Why he didn’t he investigate Deleon’s background, perhaps calling upon his brother for assistance, remains unknown. By all accounts, Hawks was a highly compassionate man who tried to help the probationers with whom he worked. Perhaps his generous nature, coupled with his desire to begin the next chapter of his life in Arizona with his infant grandson, caused him to be too trusting. And cost him his life, along with his wife’s.
Rother seamlessly synthesizes voluminous documentation into a coherent and compelling narrative that reads like a work of intricately-plotted fiction. She describes Deleon’s upbringing by a small-time drug dealer and crook who abused his son emotionally and physically. Abandoned by both his mother and stepmother, Deleon enjoyed a modicum of success as a child actor, appearing in a few commercials and a small supporting role on the popular children’s program Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Deleon was dishonorably discharged from the military and became a prodigious liar, telling wildly exaggerated tales about serving in various special operations units and claiming to have been one of the stars of the children’s series. He also claimed to be a hermaphrodite in need of sexual reassignment surgery in order to remove his diseased female internal organs and survive.
Friends and family alike were stunned by Jennifer Deleon’s participation in the crime because, by all accounts, she was raised in a loving, Christian home where she was a good student, well-liked, and seemed to be an honest, compassionate young woman. Rother recounts how Deleon fooled her parents. They initially liked him and welcomed him into the family, even paying for an elaborate Newport Beach wedding ceremony. Whether Jennifer was actually the mastermind behind the plot to kill the Hawkses and steal Well Deserved, along with their other assets, or another victim of Deleon is an unresolved mystery. One thing is clear: she remained loyal to Deleon long after the two were incarcerated separately and awaiting trial, and continued corresponding with him for quite some time before she finally filed for divorce and cut off all communication with him. Still, she refused a plea bargain that would have netted her a lesser sentence.
As for Deleon, Rother’s tautly-constructed telling of his story is fascinating and leaves open the question of whether sociopaths are born or made. Did the abuse that Deleon suffered at the hands of his father cause him to grow into a man lacking even the slightest bit of empathy for others, capable of plotting and carrying out the cold-blooded murder of the Hawkses in order to obtain their yacht and access to their bank accounts? Or was he simply born lacking a conscious? Is the death penalty an appropriate punishment? Rother recounts the details of his trial, noting that his defense counsel wisely opted not to contest his guilt but unsuccessfully argued that, in light of his background, he should have been sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, rather than death. Rother’s description of the horrifying abuse to which he was subjected evokes sympathy but, as the expert who testified on behalf of the prosecution noted, many people survive childhood abuse and do not grow up to be cold-blooded murderers. Subsequent to his conviction, Deleon granted a number of interviews in which he confessed to the murders, but portrayed himself as a victim of his wife, claiming that he acted out of love in a desperate attempt to please her.
The Hawkses’ bodies were never recovered and returned to their families. Many of the details about the crime forever remain buried with them at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean off the beautiful Newport coast.
Upon his arrival at San Quentin to begin serving his sentence, Deleon — like so many other condemned inmates — completed several stints at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville following multiple suicide attempts before being housed in the PIP unit at San Quentin. The bravado and arrogance displayed by Deleon throughout the investigation and trial quickly evaporated when confronted with the reality of his fate. That may be as close to a sense of justice having been served as the families of Tom and Jackie Hawks will ever experience, especially in light of recent events.
Courts in several states have ruled that transgender inmates have a right to be housed according to the gender with which they identify, rather than based on anatomy. The U.S. Department of Justice opined that a failure to provide “individualized and appropriate medical care” to transgender inmates suffering from gender dysphoria violated the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which “cruel and unusual punishment” or “deliberate indifference” to inmates’ medical needs. Prisons must provide “adequate” medical care. Rother recounts her visit with Deleon at San Quentin, recounting that “being locked in a cage with a transgender inmate who had murdered three people was one of the most bizarre and surreal situations in which I’ve found myself since I started writing about the mentally ill in jails and prisons twenty years ago.” The inmate she encountered bore little resemblance to the one she interviewed in 2009 — a direct result of the hormone treatment Deleon has received while incarcerated.
Should taxpayers foot the bill for gender confirmation surgery for inmates? Some courts have said yes. But it remains a highly controversial topic. For victims’ families, Rother explains, the “notion of relieving a killer’s emotional pain and suffering, especially someone like Skylar, infuriated those who had fought to give her the maximum punishment possible.” A retired member of the Newport Beach Police Department told Rother, “Why, so he can have peace of mind? . . . It makes no sense whatever. I hope he’s suffering every day, that’s the whole point of it. We’re not going to kill him and now we’re going to facilitate the surgery that he wanted in the first place? . . . In his twisted mind, he’s winning, and that just irks the [hell] out of me.” That same retired law enforcement officer questioned whether tax dollars would be better spent providing psychological help to the victims’ families — who have no voice in corrections’ officials determinations about inmate housing or the provision of medical treatment to inmates, including the delivery of hormone treatments for transitioning inmates and, ultimately, gender confirmation surgery.
For true crime fans, Dead Reckoning is mandatory reading, especially considering the ongoing dialogue about criminal justice and prison reform in the United States and the current emphasis on rehabilitation. Book clubs will be inspired by myriad details and timely issues that are sure to spark vigorous discussion and debate.
For now, at least, Deleon remains at San Quentin — the only California prison housing male condemned inmates — despite her feminine appearance and name. Whether she will stay there or, eventually, be housed in a female institution remains to be decided by corrections officials and, perhaps, the courts.
Thanks to author Caitlin Rother for a paperback copy of the original book to review, as well as the updated 2019 edition.
July 29, 2018
Gruesome, horrifying and hard to read, this book tells of the brutal murder of a seemingly nice, ordinary couple by 2 of the most pathetic people ever to be written about. Skylar, the man, was so horribly abused and mistreated as a child, it was very difficult for me to read. The woman who was his was just dumb as dirt. Neither seemed to have an ounce of humanity. The murdered couple were killed for their yacht...and everything on it. This is a difficult book to read and it will likely haunt you. I like true crime, but this was horribly gritty and many parts I simply had to skim over...it was just too unbelievably horrid.
Additionally - it is absolutely pathetic and unbelievable that tax dollars can pay for gender reassignment surgery while incarcerated! How does crap like that happen?? What right does a criminal have to receive medical care that is not necessary to preserving his life? And how could such a brutal, heartless, useless person not get the death penalty? Crazy!
Additionally - it is absolutely pathetic and unbelievable that tax dollars can pay for gender reassignment surgery while incarcerated! How does crap like that happen?? What right does a criminal have to receive medical care that is not necessary to preserving his life? And how could such a brutal, heartless, useless person not get the death penalty? Crazy!
March 2, 2011
Dead Reckoning is a book about the murders of Tom and Jackie Hawks, a couple who spent their retirement cruising in their trawler , the Well Deserved. An appropriate title for how they felt about their life. Along comes Skylar and Jennifer to ruin the Hawk's nearly perfect life.
This real story is very well researched and told so professionally that I had a hard time putting this book down. A true story of love, hate, greed and dysfunctional, evil people. This book will appeal to all true crime fans and anyone interested in how the legal system works in murder cases. I highly recommend it.
March 16, 2011
As much as I abhor acts of violence, I can’t help but be sucked in to true crime books and movies. I have to say that I find the thinking behind the act and how it’s solved to be fascinating. Rother does an excellent job in retelling the murder of Tom & Jackie Hawks from Skylar & Jennifer Deleon’s side. Talk about an “F’d” up couple!
If you like true crime, be sure to read Dead Reckoning. I believe I’ll be picking up some of her other ones as well.
If you like true crime, be sure to read Dead Reckoning. I believe I’ll be picking up some of her other ones as well.
September 10, 2018
The murder of Jackie and Tom Hawks will stay with the reader for a very, very long time. Rother did an excellent job telling this horrifying story. She told about the Hawks and their happy life together, she told about the sad childhood of Skylar Deleon and how he eventually meets up with his equally as evil wife, Jennifer. This is a book you will not be able to put down. Highly recommended for every TC reader.
January 28, 2011
WOW, what a story. What kind of people are there in this world? Full review can be found on my blog: Reading,Reading&Life It will be posted March 1, 2011 during Pump Up Your Book virtual book tour.
March 18, 2018
A page turner
I couldn't put the book down. I remember this horrific crime as I grew up in Orange Co. and know the location . What people will do out of greed amazes me. If you like true crime this is a book you will want to read.
I couldn't put the book down. I remember this horrific crime as I grew up in Orange Co. and know the location . What people will do out of greed amazes me. If you like true crime this is a book you will want to read.
August 7, 2012
This is rather bottom-of-the-barrel true crime. There's nothing egregiously wrong with it, but it makes, for example, Ann Rule look like a real master.
April 3, 2017
Interesting true crime novel with a lot of details and personal touches but, in my opinion the author spent too much time on the whining complaints of the male half of the murderers.
April 12, 2022
The crime may have been solved and the guilty parties convicted, but a seemingly infinite number of questions remain unanswered. In Dead Reckoning, Rother, a Pulitzer Prize-nominated investigative reporter, details in a straight-forward manner the unspeakable crime that garnered widespread media attention and outlines the painstaking investigation that culminated in the arrest and conviction of the Deleons and their several accomplices. It is one of the most frightening tales of premeditated murder imaginable, its impact even more chilling because of Rother’s unembellished account of how greed, envy, a sense of entitlement, and immorality led to the Hawkses’ senseless deaths.
The early detective work by Tom’s brother started the investigation off. Because of his status as a recently retired, well-respected police chief, his concerns and refusal to accept the explanations provided by the Deleons were given immediate credence and attention by local authorities. Employing a “vertical advocacy” model which is also utilized by other law enforcement agencies, the Orange County investigators and District Attorneys worked as a team to ensure that every lead was pursued, every clue followed, and every question asked during well-timed interviews. The inquiry necessitated a tremendous dedication of resources: numerous detectives and the cooperation of several different agencies working together.
This is a quintessential story of good versus evil. . . . Skylar is a complex character, whose gender confusion makes for quite a fascinating case study of a sociopath who loves his wife Jennifer so much he will do anything not to lose her – and yet wants a sex change operation so badly he’s willing to kill to pay for one. The murder-theft conspiracy scheme he devises with her is so heinous and callously carried out that it is mind-boggling. ~~ Author Caitlin Rother
Rother explores one nagging question. Why didn’t Tom Hawks, a retired firefighter and probation officer, sense that the Deleons’ offer to purchase the yacht was too good to be true? He was a savvy former law enforcement professional. Why he didn’t he investigate Deleon’s background, perhaps calling upon his brother for assistance, remains unknown. By all accounts, Hawks was a highly compassionate man who tried to help the probationers with whom he worked. Perhaps his generous nature, coupled with his desire to begin the next chapter of his life in Arizona with his infant grandson, caused him to be too trusting. And cost him his life, along with his wife’s.
Rother seamlessly synthesizes voluminous documentation into a coherent and compelling narrative that reads like a work of intricately-plotted fiction. She describes Deleon’s upbringing by a small-time drug dealer and crook who abused his son emotionally and physically. Abandoned by both his mother and stepmother, Deleon enjoyed a modicum of success as a child actor, appearing in a few commercials and a small supporting role on the popular children’s program Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Deleon was dishonorably discharged from the military and became a prodigious liar, telling wildly exaggerated tales about serving in various special operations units and claiming to have been one of the stars of the children’s series. He also claimed to be a hermaphrodite in need of sexual reassignment surgery in order to remove his diseased female internal organs and survive.
Friends and family alike were stunned by Jennifer Deleon’s participation in the crime because, by all accounts, she was raised in a loving, Christian home where she was a good student, well-liked, and seemed to be an honest, compassionate young woman. Rother recounts how Deleon fooled her parents. They initially liked him and welcomed him into the family, even paying for an elaborate Newport Beach wedding ceremony. Whether Jennifer was actually the mastermind behind the plot to kill the Hawkses and steal Well Deserved, along with their other assets, or another victim of Deleon is an unresolved mystery. One thing is clear: she remained loyal to Deleon long after the two were incarcerated separately and awaiting trial, and continued corresponding with him for quite some time before she finally filed for divorce and cut off all communication with him. Still, she refused a plea bargain that would have netted her a lesser sentence.
As for Deleon, Rother’s tautly-constructed telling of his story is fascinating and leaves open the question of whether sociopaths are born or made. Did the abuse that Deleon suffered at the hands of his father cause him to grow into a man lacking even the slightest bit of empathy for others, capable of plotting and carrying out the cold-blooded murder of the Hawkses in order to obtain their yacht and access to their bank accounts? Or was he simply born lacking a conscious? Is the death penalty an appropriate punishment? Rother recounts the details of his trial, noting that his defense counsel wisely opted not to contest his guilt but unsuccessfully argued that, in light of his background, he should have been sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, rather than death. Rother’s description of the horrifying abuse to which he was subjected evokes sympathy but, as the expert who testified on behalf of the prosecution noted, many people survive childhood abuse and do not grow up to be cold-blooded murderers. Subsequent to his conviction, Deleon granted a number of interviews in which he confessed to the murders, but portrayed himself as a victim of his wife, claiming that he acted out of love in a desperate attempt to please her.
The Hawkses’ bodies were never recovered and returned to their families. Many of the details about the crime forever remain buried with them at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean off the beautiful Newport coast.
Upon his arrival at San Quentin to begin serving his sentence, Deleon — like so many other condemned inmates — completed several stints at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville following multiple suicide attempts before being housed in the PIP unit at San Quentin. The bravado and arrogance displayed by Deleon throughout the investigation and trial quickly evaporated when confronted with the reality of his fate. That may be as close to a sense of justice having been served as the families of Tom and Jackie Hawks will ever experience, especially in light of recent events.
Courts in several states have ruled that transgender inmates have a right to be housed according to the gender with which they identify, rather than based on anatomy. The U.S. Department of Justice opined that a failure to provide “individualized and appropriate medical care” to transgender inmates suffering from gender dysphoria violated the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which “cruel and unusual punishment” or “deliberate indifference” to inmates’ medical needs. Prisons must provide “adequate” medical care. Rother recounts her visit with Deleon at San Quentin, recounting that “being locked in a cage with a transgender inmate who had murdered three people was one of the most bizarre and surreal situations in which I’ve found myself since I started writing about the mentally ill in jails and prisons twenty years ago.” The inmate she encountered bore little resemblance to the one she interviewed in 2009 — a direct result of the hormone treatment Deleon has received while incarcerated.
Should taxpayers foot the bill for gender confirmation surgery for inmates? Some courts have said yes. But it remains a highly controversial topic. For victims’ families, Rother explains, the “notion of relieving a killer’s emotional pain and suffering, especially someone like Skylar, infuriated those who had fought to give her the maximum punishment possible.” A retired member of the Newport Beach Police Department told Rother, “Why, so he can have peace of mind? . . . It makes no sense whatever. I hope he’s suffering every day, that’s the whole point of it. We’re not going to kill him and now we’re going to facilitate the surgery that he wanted in the first place? . . . In his twisted mind, he’s winning, and that just irks the [hell] out of me.” That same retired law enforcement officer questioned whether tax dollars would be better spent providing psychological help to the victims’ families — who have no voice in corrections’ officials determinations about inmate housing or the provision of medical treatment to inmates, including the delivery of hormone treatments for transitioning inmates and, ultimately, gender confirmation surgery.
For true crime fans, Dead Reckoning is mandatory reading, especially considering the ongoing dialogue about criminal justice and prison reform in the United States and the current emphasis on rehabilitation. Book clubs will be inspired by myriad details and timely issues that are sure to spark vigorous discussion and debate.
For now, at least, Deleon remains at San Quentin — the only California prison housing male condemned inmates — despite her feminine appearance and name. Whether she will stay there or, eventually, be housed in a female institution remains to be decided by corrections officials and, perhaps, the courts.
Thanks to author Caitlin Rother for a paperback copy of the original book to review, as well as the updated 2019 edition.
The early detective work by Tom’s brother started the investigation off. Because of his status as a recently retired, well-respected police chief, his concerns and refusal to accept the explanations provided by the Deleons were given immediate credence and attention by local authorities. Employing a “vertical advocacy” model which is also utilized by other law enforcement agencies, the Orange County investigators and District Attorneys worked as a team to ensure that every lead was pursued, every clue followed, and every question asked during well-timed interviews. The inquiry necessitated a tremendous dedication of resources: numerous detectives and the cooperation of several different agencies working together.
This is a quintessential story of good versus evil. . . . Skylar is a complex character, whose gender confusion makes for quite a fascinating case study of a sociopath who loves his wife Jennifer so much he will do anything not to lose her – and yet wants a sex change operation so badly he’s willing to kill to pay for one. The murder-theft conspiracy scheme he devises with her is so heinous and callously carried out that it is mind-boggling. ~~ Author Caitlin Rother
Rother explores one nagging question. Why didn’t Tom Hawks, a retired firefighter and probation officer, sense that the Deleons’ offer to purchase the yacht was too good to be true? He was a savvy former law enforcement professional. Why he didn’t he investigate Deleon’s background, perhaps calling upon his brother for assistance, remains unknown. By all accounts, Hawks was a highly compassionate man who tried to help the probationers with whom he worked. Perhaps his generous nature, coupled with his desire to begin the next chapter of his life in Arizona with his infant grandson, caused him to be too trusting. And cost him his life, along with his wife’s.
Rother seamlessly synthesizes voluminous documentation into a coherent and compelling narrative that reads like a work of intricately-plotted fiction. She describes Deleon’s upbringing by a small-time drug dealer and crook who abused his son emotionally and physically. Abandoned by both his mother and stepmother, Deleon enjoyed a modicum of success as a child actor, appearing in a few commercials and a small supporting role on the popular children’s program Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Deleon was dishonorably discharged from the military and became a prodigious liar, telling wildly exaggerated tales about serving in various special operations units and claiming to have been one of the stars of the children’s series. He also claimed to be a hermaphrodite in need of sexual reassignment surgery in order to remove his diseased female internal organs and survive.
Friends and family alike were stunned by Jennifer Deleon’s participation in the crime because, by all accounts, she was raised in a loving, Christian home where she was a good student, well-liked, and seemed to be an honest, compassionate young woman. Rother recounts how Deleon fooled her parents. They initially liked him and welcomed him into the family, even paying for an elaborate Newport Beach wedding ceremony. Whether Jennifer was actually the mastermind behind the plot to kill the Hawkses and steal Well Deserved, along with their other assets, or another victim of Deleon is an unresolved mystery. One thing is clear: she remained loyal to Deleon long after the two were incarcerated separately and awaiting trial, and continued corresponding with him for quite some time before she finally filed for divorce and cut off all communication with him. Still, she refused a plea bargain that would have netted her a lesser sentence.
As for Deleon, Rother’s tautly-constructed telling of his story is fascinating and leaves open the question of whether sociopaths are born or made. Did the abuse that Deleon suffered at the hands of his father cause him to grow into a man lacking even the slightest bit of empathy for others, capable of plotting and carrying out the cold-blooded murder of the Hawkses in order to obtain their yacht and access to their bank accounts? Or was he simply born lacking a conscious? Is the death penalty an appropriate punishment? Rother recounts the details of his trial, noting that his defense counsel wisely opted not to contest his guilt but unsuccessfully argued that, in light of his background, he should have been sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, rather than death. Rother’s description of the horrifying abuse to which he was subjected evokes sympathy but, as the expert who testified on behalf of the prosecution noted, many people survive childhood abuse and do not grow up to be cold-blooded murderers. Subsequent to his conviction, Deleon granted a number of interviews in which he confessed to the murders, but portrayed himself as a victim of his wife, claiming that he acted out of love in a desperate attempt to please her.
The Hawkses’ bodies were never recovered and returned to their families. Many of the details about the crime forever remain buried with them at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean off the beautiful Newport coast.
Upon his arrival at San Quentin to begin serving his sentence, Deleon — like so many other condemned inmates — completed several stints at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville following multiple suicide attempts before being housed in the PIP unit at San Quentin. The bravado and arrogance displayed by Deleon throughout the investigation and trial quickly evaporated when confronted with the reality of his fate. That may be as close to a sense of justice having been served as the families of Tom and Jackie Hawks will ever experience, especially in light of recent events.
Courts in several states have ruled that transgender inmates have a right to be housed according to the gender with which they identify, rather than based on anatomy. The U.S. Department of Justice opined that a failure to provide “individualized and appropriate medical care” to transgender inmates suffering from gender dysphoria violated the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which “cruel and unusual punishment” or “deliberate indifference” to inmates’ medical needs. Prisons must provide “adequate” medical care. Rother recounts her visit with Deleon at San Quentin, recounting that “being locked in a cage with a transgender inmate who had murdered three people was one of the most bizarre and surreal situations in which I’ve found myself since I started writing about the mentally ill in jails and prisons twenty years ago.” The inmate she encountered bore little resemblance to the one she interviewed in 2009 — a direct result of the hormone treatment Deleon has received while incarcerated.
Should taxpayers foot the bill for gender confirmation surgery for inmates? Some courts have said yes. But it remains a highly controversial topic. For victims’ families, Rother explains, the “notion of relieving a killer’s emotional pain and suffering, especially someone like Skylar, infuriated those who had fought to give her the maximum punishment possible.” A retired member of the Newport Beach Police Department told Rother, “Why, so he can have peace of mind? . . . It makes no sense whatever. I hope he’s suffering every day, that’s the whole point of it. We’re not going to kill him and now we’re going to facilitate the surgery that he wanted in the first place? . . . In his twisted mind, he’s winning, and that just irks the [hell] out of me.” That same retired law enforcement officer questioned whether tax dollars would be better spent providing psychological help to the victims’ families — who have no voice in corrections’ officials determinations about inmate housing or the provision of medical treatment to inmates, including the delivery of hormone treatments for transitioning inmates and, ultimately, gender confirmation surgery.
For true crime fans, Dead Reckoning is mandatory reading, especially considering the ongoing dialogue about criminal justice and prison reform in the United States and the current emphasis on rehabilitation. Book clubs will be inspired by myriad details and timely issues that are sure to spark vigorous discussion and debate.
For now, at least, Deleon remains at San Quentin — the only California prison housing male condemned inmates — despite her feminine appearance and name. Whether she will stay there or, eventually, be housed in a female institution remains to be decided by corrections officials and, perhaps, the courts.
Thanks to author Caitlin Rother for a paperback copy of the original book to review, as well as the updated 2019 edition.
March 6, 2021
Those that know me on a personal level know that I LOVE true crime docu-series (my favorite channel is the ID Network). Usually there are a few episodes where the crime is so horrific or demented that I am compelled to follow up on a Google search for more info, a few really pique my interest to find out as much as possible.
This was the case for a missing Arizona couple who disappeared in Newport Beach, California after showing their yacht to a potential buyer. All of my information I got from docu-series on the crime, the books and articles about it, and Google — Dead Reckoning (the book) was the most informative.
A psychopath, Skylar Deleon, and a cohort of acquaintances (and his own wife!) lured this loving couple to a horrendous death out at sea.
Skylar Deleon had a bad break in life (so did I, but I overcame it for the most part, so he gets no sympathy from me for his sad-ass Charles Dickens upbringing); yet because of that, he grew into a pathological liar with an ability to scope out dimwits who were naive enough to buy whatever bullshit he was selling.
He had an abusive father and an equally unfit cracker mother; he had more stories than Mother Goose; and his biological family might as well have been related to the likes of Charles Manson. Dysfunctional is putting it mildly.
Some things are understandable, like making himself out to be someone he’s not professionally. (I mean, c’mon, how many people lie or embellish themselves to be better than they really are, it’s definitely not unusual); I can ignore that — and believe me, there are certain crimes where I am compassionate to the murderer because of the circumstances or other mitigating factors… but this is not the case with the Deleons.
To break it down, Tom and Jackie Hawks come from stable, loving families; with lots of friends who care for them, and a vibrant life together. The complete opposite of their perpetrators.
The retired couple decided to sell their boat personally instead of through a broker to save from fees, so that they can settle back in Arizona to be a part of their new grandson’s life. (FYI, Tom Hawks looks like a very buff and tanned Tom Selleck; I never thought I would find a man in his 50’s attractive, but he was very handsome!)
An unemployed, broke criminal with a toddler and another baby on the way, living in the garage of his in-laws — answered the for-sale ad, and thus was the beginning of the end for the Hawkses.
Skylar told Tom he could afford the boat because he was a child actor who starred in The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (an embellishment, no big deal) and had made some good investments. The truth was that he had a non-speaking role as an extra on set in one episode, where the camera showed his face for a few seconds.
The tragic end to the lovely Hawkses was that they were beat, tied up, forced to sign documents and give their personal information to Skylar… and thrown overboard alive, sunk to the bottom by the boat’s anchor, lost out at sea — their bodies never recovered, and assumed to have been taken as part of the marine ecosystem.
What really bother me was all the people involved in this crime, including a notary! I felt she should have gotten some sort of punishment, especially since she aided in the crime.
Unlike other crimes which could take years or even become a dreaded cold-case, this was solved relatively fast. First, because Tom Hawks was a retired probation officer and his older brother was a retired police chief, they knew enough to know enough (if you know what I mean); and mostly because the culprits are fumbling idiots.
A Missing Person’s report was filed with the Newport Beach Police Department, and the Hawkses told their family and friends who they were selling the boat to. Although the family was highly suspicious, the police were at first reserved in their suspicions of Skylar and Jennifer (his wife)… that is until they were caught trying to empty out the Hawkses’ bank account in Arizona, and showed the police a Power of Attorney that basically gave two complete strangers control of all their assets.
They crack the case when the weakest link broke (a dumbass that Skylar conned while he was serving time on a burglary conviction); that’s basically when all the dominoes started falling around the gang of heartless morons.
In the book, I found out Skylar Deleon is not his birth name, but a name that he had legally changed; and that he wanted a sex-change… oh, and that he wears diapers because of a motorcycle accident that left him incontinent (as well as purchasing an anal sex toy that cost like $900); he/she has since grew her hair out and takes hormones and actually looks like a woman now.
Although, I am skeptical of him/her being genuinely transgender. I think that he felt effeminate because he had to wear a diaper; that he was always a psycho and mentally disturbed some way, and that perhaps because of his emasculation and deep humiliation in wearing a diaper, he thought sexual reassignment would fix his incontinence.
Definitely, he was not driven to do this because of gender dysphoria; I mean, Caitlyn Jenner never killed anyone because she felt trapped in a man’s body… and if he is claiming that he was driven because of gender-identity issues, then he definitely wouldn’t be a candidate for sex re-assignment surgery anyway, because you have to be mentally stable to even be qualified for it.
In short, he’s a psycho trying to con anyone he can. That’s his MO, plain and simple… around the same time, he was also convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of a man in Mexico, that crime was committed almost a year before the Hawkses’ murders (for $50,000) and involved Jennifer too, as well as a cousin.
In the end, the monsters on the boat who physically committed the crime were all convicted and sentenced: Alonso was given 20 years, a big black guy named JFK (no kidding!) was sentenced to death along with Skylar; Jennifer Deleon was sentenced to life, she divorced Skylar in prison and now goes by her maiden name, Jennifer Henderson. The others were given immunity or not even charged.
Tom Hawks’ two boys suffered the death of their biological mother from cancer not long after their other parents’ murder.
CBS has a very in depth episode about this crime on their true crime show, 48 Hours; as well as Oxygen, ID Network, and other channels that have true crime shows.
This was the case for a missing Arizona couple who disappeared in Newport Beach, California after showing their yacht to a potential buyer. All of my information I got from docu-series on the crime, the books and articles about it, and Google — Dead Reckoning (the book) was the most informative.
A psychopath, Skylar Deleon, and a cohort of acquaintances (and his own wife!) lured this loving couple to a horrendous death out at sea.
Skylar Deleon had a bad break in life (so did I, but I overcame it for the most part, so he gets no sympathy from me for his sad-ass Charles Dickens upbringing); yet because of that, he grew into a pathological liar with an ability to scope out dimwits who were naive enough to buy whatever bullshit he was selling.
He had an abusive father and an equally unfit cracker mother; he had more stories than Mother Goose; and his biological family might as well have been related to the likes of Charles Manson. Dysfunctional is putting it mildly.
Some things are understandable, like making himself out to be someone he’s not professionally. (I mean, c’mon, how many people lie or embellish themselves to be better than they really are, it’s definitely not unusual); I can ignore that — and believe me, there are certain crimes where I am compassionate to the murderer because of the circumstances or other mitigating factors… but this is not the case with the Deleons.
To break it down, Tom and Jackie Hawks come from stable, loving families; with lots of friends who care for them, and a vibrant life together. The complete opposite of their perpetrators.
The retired couple decided to sell their boat personally instead of through a broker to save from fees, so that they can settle back in Arizona to be a part of their new grandson’s life. (FYI, Tom Hawks looks like a very buff and tanned Tom Selleck; I never thought I would find a man in his 50’s attractive, but he was very handsome!)
An unemployed, broke criminal with a toddler and another baby on the way, living in the garage of his in-laws — answered the for-sale ad, and thus was the beginning of the end for the Hawkses.
Skylar told Tom he could afford the boat because he was a child actor who starred in The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (an embellishment, no big deal) and had made some good investments. The truth was that he had a non-speaking role as an extra on set in one episode, where the camera showed his face for a few seconds.
The tragic end to the lovely Hawkses was that they were beat, tied up, forced to sign documents and give their personal information to Skylar… and thrown overboard alive, sunk to the bottom by the boat’s anchor, lost out at sea — their bodies never recovered, and assumed to have been taken as part of the marine ecosystem.
What really bother me was all the people involved in this crime, including a notary! I felt she should have gotten some sort of punishment, especially since she aided in the crime.
Unlike other crimes which could take years or even become a dreaded cold-case, this was solved relatively fast. First, because Tom Hawks was a retired probation officer and his older brother was a retired police chief, they knew enough to know enough (if you know what I mean); and mostly because the culprits are fumbling idiots.
A Missing Person’s report was filed with the Newport Beach Police Department, and the Hawkses told their family and friends who they were selling the boat to. Although the family was highly suspicious, the police were at first reserved in their suspicions of Skylar and Jennifer (his wife)… that is until they were caught trying to empty out the Hawkses’ bank account in Arizona, and showed the police a Power of Attorney that basically gave two complete strangers control of all their assets.
They crack the case when the weakest link broke (a dumbass that Skylar conned while he was serving time on a burglary conviction); that’s basically when all the dominoes started falling around the gang of heartless morons.
In the book, I found out Skylar Deleon is not his birth name, but a name that he had legally changed; and that he wanted a sex-change… oh, and that he wears diapers because of a motorcycle accident that left him incontinent (as well as purchasing an anal sex toy that cost like $900); he/she has since grew her hair out and takes hormones and actually looks like a woman now.
Although, I am skeptical of him/her being genuinely transgender. I think that he felt effeminate because he had to wear a diaper; that he was always a psycho and mentally disturbed some way, and that perhaps because of his emasculation and deep humiliation in wearing a diaper, he thought sexual reassignment would fix his incontinence.
Definitely, he was not driven to do this because of gender dysphoria; I mean, Caitlyn Jenner never killed anyone because she felt trapped in a man’s body… and if he is claiming that he was driven because of gender-identity issues, then he definitely wouldn’t be a candidate for sex re-assignment surgery anyway, because you have to be mentally stable to even be qualified for it.
In short, he’s a psycho trying to con anyone he can. That’s his MO, plain and simple… around the same time, he was also convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of a man in Mexico, that crime was committed almost a year before the Hawkses’ murders (for $50,000) and involved Jennifer too, as well as a cousin.
In the end, the monsters on the boat who physically committed the crime were all convicted and sentenced: Alonso was given 20 years, a big black guy named JFK (no kidding!) was sentenced to death along with Skylar; Jennifer Deleon was sentenced to life, she divorced Skylar in prison and now goes by her maiden name, Jennifer Henderson. The others were given immunity or not even charged.
Tom Hawks’ two boys suffered the death of their biological mother from cancer not long after their other parents’ murder.
CBS has a very in depth episode about this crime on their true crime show, 48 Hours; as well as Oxygen, ID Network, and other channels that have true crime shows.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 16, 2019
Dead Reckoning
by Caitlin Rother
2019
WildBlue Press
4.0 / 5.0
Thanks to WildBlue Press for sending this for review.
Tom and Jackie Hawks were successful, healthy, fit and enjoying their life together on their 55 foot yacht, Well Deserved, in Newport Beach, California; around 2004. They lived a comfortable and happy life, loved sailing down the coast to Mexico and were well-liked, fun and very much in love couple.
Deciding to sell the yacht to Skylar Deleon and his wife, Jennifer was a fatal mistake. Skylar claimed to be a Marine Elite Force, killing 25 in Afghanistan; and had logged over 600 hours scuba diving. He also claimed to be a hermaphrodite. None of it was true. Skyler did want reassignment surgery, but could not afford it.
Skylar and his wife, Jennifer, were cold, calculating and callous in their murder of the Hawks. How they did it, and disposed of the bodies is beyond disgusting. The stories and lies they came up with to cover their crime are as harrowing as the murder itself.
This book was originally released in 2011, but this edition has many updates since Jennifer and Skylar were incarcerated. It also includes a lot of new information about gender reassignment within the prison system. Its wonderful this has been updated and reissued at a time when gender assignment is finally getting support and acceptance.
by Caitlin Rother
2019
WildBlue Press
4.0 / 5.0
Thanks to WildBlue Press for sending this for review.
Tom and Jackie Hawks were successful, healthy, fit and enjoying their life together on their 55 foot yacht, Well Deserved, in Newport Beach, California; around 2004. They lived a comfortable and happy life, loved sailing down the coast to Mexico and were well-liked, fun and very much in love couple.
Deciding to sell the yacht to Skylar Deleon and his wife, Jennifer was a fatal mistake. Skylar claimed to be a Marine Elite Force, killing 25 in Afghanistan; and had logged over 600 hours scuba diving. He also claimed to be a hermaphrodite. None of it was true. Skyler did want reassignment surgery, but could not afford it.
Skylar and his wife, Jennifer, were cold, calculating and callous in their murder of the Hawks. How they did it, and disposed of the bodies is beyond disgusting. The stories and lies they came up with to cover their crime are as harrowing as the murder itself.
This book was originally released in 2011, but this edition has many updates since Jennifer and Skylar were incarcerated. It also includes a lot of new information about gender reassignment within the prison system. Its wonderful this has been updated and reissued at a time when gender assignment is finally getting support and acceptance.
October 5, 2022
Social engineering is not a mitigating circumstance
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 5, 2022
The Hawks double homicide (Jarvi as well) was the most sickening and horrifying event since the Manson Family two nights of terror in August 1969.
The author's research is exhaustive and her recounting compelling. Minor editing issues can be attributed to continual manuscript updates (?) and are a minor distraction.
In the Prologue, however, author inserts some personal thoughts regarding transgenderism that are irritating against the backdrop of the heinous crimes committed and the callousness of the participants.
First, the "T" should stand apart from "LGB" as these are exclusive social movements with disparate objectives (i.e., no such thing as an LGBTQ "community").
Last, the social/psychological aspect of the primary defendant's sexual orientation is not a mitigating circumstance regarding the crimes committed.
As an aside, Governor Newsom has done great harm to the survivors/families of the victims by forstalling the execution of justice in capital cases in the state of California.
Great read.
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 5, 2022
The Hawks double homicide (Jarvi as well) was the most sickening and horrifying event since the Manson Family two nights of terror in August 1969.
The author's research is exhaustive and her recounting compelling. Minor editing issues can be attributed to continual manuscript updates (?) and are a minor distraction.
In the Prologue, however, author inserts some personal thoughts regarding transgenderism that are irritating against the backdrop of the heinous crimes committed and the callousness of the participants.
First, the "T" should stand apart from "LGB" as these are exclusive social movements with disparate objectives (i.e., no such thing as an LGBTQ "community").
Last, the social/psychological aspect of the primary defendant's sexual orientation is not a mitigating circumstance regarding the crimes committed.
As an aside, Governor Newsom has done great harm to the survivors/families of the victims by forstalling the execution of justice in capital cases in the state of California.
Great read.
October 17, 2019
This was a truly bone-chilling account of the true story of Skylar Deleon and his sociopathic life. The book, gruesome as it may be, hooks you up from the beginning with its meticulous research and brilliant narration. Rother takes us through the different murders that Deleon had been convicted of, starting from the horrendous yacht murder, where he threw Hawkses out onto the sea alive, after duct-taping them, and weighing them down with the yacht's anchor. The subsequent pages take us through the trial, the subsequent killings (one of which was Deleon's own father). The story has twists that get nastier with every page. And to think that this isn't a piece of fiction curdles the blood for sure.
This is definitely to be read by everyone, to know how a criminal mind could truly operate.
My sincere thanks to Pump Up Your Books promotions, the publishers Wild Blue Press, and the author Caitlin Rother, for gifting me a copy of this book for an honest review.
This is definitely to be read by everyone, to know how a criminal mind could truly operate.
My sincere thanks to Pump Up Your Books promotions, the publishers Wild Blue Press, and the author Caitlin Rother, for gifting me a copy of this book for an honest review.
July 14, 2024
This was a pretty awful and intricate case that was definitely book-worthy. I had not heard of it before. The author delved completely into the case and the energy and life of the victims felt tangible which made it feel all the more tragic and senseless. I have felt so sad that they met their demise in this way, in the hands of such people. They clearly were people with such appreciation of life.
Positives about the book were that the author brought this gripping story to life, all twisted components. The perpetrator was very complicated and slippery, there were many strange aspects to his character. Negatives were that it at times felt far too long. There were portions that could have been a paragraph but instead became pages. A lot could have been condensed. I have read true crime books which are hefty in size but in which I have remained completely riveted until the end. Here, my attention often began to falter under the weight of detail.
Positives about the book were that the author brought this gripping story to life, all twisted components. The perpetrator was very complicated and slippery, there were many strange aspects to his character. Negatives were that it at times felt far too long. There were portions that could have been a paragraph but instead became pages. A lot could have been condensed. I have read true crime books which are hefty in size but in which I have remained completely riveted until the end. Here, my attention often began to falter under the weight of detail.
January 18, 2018
It seems that all true crime books are disturbing by their very nature, but this one was just pure evil and so sad. The author did a professional job of capturing both the detail and emotions of this story. In fact, it was very difficult for me to read the actual details of the murders as the couple desperately fought for their lives onboard their boat and their subsequent death by being chained to an anchor and thrown overboard...alive. I could not get the disturbing images out of my head.
I recommend this book to true crime enthusiasts. The story is fascinating in a very sad way. And while it is quite lengthy, it held my interest throughout. There are so many individuals introduced in the book that I could have benefited from a list of names/characters so that I could have followed the events better on the CD.
(I listened to this chilling tale on audio.)
I recommend this book to true crime enthusiasts. The story is fascinating in a very sad way. And while it is quite lengthy, it held my interest throughout. There are so many individuals introduced in the book that I could have benefited from a list of names/characters so that I could have followed the events better on the CD.
(I listened to this chilling tale on audio.)
January 14, 2017
Heartwrenching!
Ms. Rother took such a horrible tragedy and succinctly detailed all of the information which is amazing since there are so many defendants. She brought the Hawkses to life and made me so sad that I never knew them even though we lived in the same town. God speed to their family.
This is a must read!
As a side note, I really hope CA overturns the taxpayer funded gender reassignment surgery for those incarcerated. Prison isn't a vacation.
Ms. Rother took such a horrible tragedy and succinctly detailed all of the information which is amazing since there are so many defendants. She brought the Hawkses to life and made me so sad that I never knew them even though we lived in the same town. God speed to their family.
This is a must read!
As a side note, I really hope CA overturns the taxpayer funded gender reassignment surgery for those incarcerated. Prison isn't a vacation.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews