Preliminary hearing in murder case is continued

A preliminary hearing scheduled Friday in Orange County Superior

Court for five people suspected in the alleged murder of a Newport

Beach couple was continued to August after several of the defense

attorneys asked for more time.

The five suspects appeared in court on charges of murdering Tom

and Jackie Hawks, who went missing in November after selling their

yacht.

Long Beach resident Skylar DeLeon, 25, was arrested in December.

Later arrested were Myron Gardner, 42, and John Fitzgerald Kennedy,

39, both of Long Beach, and 21-year-old Alonso Machain of Pico

Rivera.

DeLeon’s wife, Jennifer Henderson-DeLeon, 23, was arrested in

April.

Tom Hawks, 57, and Jackie Hawks, 47, have been missing since they

told friends they were going on a test cruise with prospective buyers

of their 55-foot cabin cruiser, Well Deserved. Police believe the

couple were overpowered, handcuffed to an anchor and thrown overboard

while alive by one or more of the people during that test cruise.

Each suspect is facing a double murder charge with special

circumstances that make them eligible for the death penalty.

An attorney for Henderson-DeLeon maintains that his client

continues to request a preliminary hearing and does not waive her

rights to a speedy trial.

The preliminary hearing is set for Aug. 12.