Dead Reckoning

by Caitlin Rother Narrated by Julie McKay

Overview

Happy and retired, Tom and Jackie Hawks lived a charmed life in sunny Southern California. They were delighted when former child star Skylar Deleon and his pregnant wife, Jennifer, offered cash to purchase their fifty-five-foot yacht, the Well Deserved . . .



But a trial voyage turned into a nightmare. Out at sea, the Hawkses begged for their lives as they were forced to sign everything over to Skylar. In return, they were tied to the ship's anchor and thrown overboard-alive.



Skylar and Jennifer's twisted story became even more shocking when Skylar's unusual sexual motivations were revealed in court. After killing a man while out of jail on work furlough, he reportedly tried to hire hits from prison on four witnesses, including his father. For this former child actor, the answer to "Where are they now?" is Death Row.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

Rother (Body Parts) returns with a new twisted true crime account about the brutal 2004 murders of Tom and Jackie Hawks, killed and hurled off their yacht near Newport Beach, CA. Skylar and Jennifer DeLeon were eventually convicted of the crime, and their tale reveals the unfortunate missteps and brutal upbringings that can lead a person to commit murder. Skylar, raised by two drug addicts in "an absolutely screwed up family," was brutally sexually assaulted by his father. Jennifer was a "good girl" on the other hand, a fine student who had never known trouble. Together, Skylar and Jennifer ran a con to purchase the Hawkses' yacht, telling friends that they were "coming into money." But the twists and turns of this case seem to implicate almost everyone. Skyler has troubling sexual appetites and blames his estranged father; once incarcerated, he even attempts sexual mutilation. Gruesome episodes abound in the book and demand a strong stomach. Even a police officer involved with the case became "physically ill" by certain salacious details. While Rother creates a vivid story, the book could easily be half as long and still retain its edge-of-the-seat quality.
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From the Publisher

"Well researched and a quick, engrossing read, this should be popular with true crime readers, especially the Ann Rule crowd." ---Library Journal

From the Publisher - AUDIO COMMENTARY

"Well researched and a quick, engrossing read, this should be popular with true crime readers, especially the Ann Rule crowd." —Library Journal

Library Journal

Former reporter Rother has produced a gripping account of Skylar Deleon's criminal life. A compulsive liar, he inflated his military record (he was dishonorably discharged after going AWOL) and bragged of being a child television star (he had a few minor parts). After marrying and starting a family, he and his wife fell into a spiral of mounting debt, greed, and deception. His schemes to make money escalated after a stint in prison for armed burglary, and he killed his next victim after robbing him. Deleon's final scheme involved pirating a boat and attempting to hijack the bank accounts of Tom and Jackie Hawks. After being kept alive long enough to be forced to sign relevant documents, the couple were tethered to the anchor and tossed off the back of their boat—still alive. Rother takes the reader through the police investigation into the Hawks' disappearance and the sensational trials of Skylar, his wife, and their accomplice. VERDICT Well researched and a quick, engrossing read, this should be popular with true crime readers, especially the Ann Rule crowd.—Karen Sandlin Silverman, Ctr. for Applied Research, Philadelphia

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169789836
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	09/27/2016
Edition description:	Unabridged

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