Jury selection begins in boat murder case

Jury selection began Monday in the triple-murder trial for Skylar Deleon, the man accused of killing a Newport Beach couple in 2004 and an Anaheim man in 2003.

Deleon, 29, could be sentenced to death if convicted on all the charges.

According to prosecutors, Deleon was the mastermind behind a plot to kill Thomas and Jackie Hawks and steal their boat, the “Well Deserved” in November 2004.

Police say the couple were tied to the boat’s anchor alive and thrown overboard after being forced to sign documents giving ownership of it to their killers.

Deleon is also accused of killing John Jarvi of Anaheim in 2003.

Deleon persuaded Jarvi to take out a $50,000 loan, then drove him to Mexico where he slit Jarvi’s throat on the side of the highway and stole the money, prosecutors contend.

Jury selection is expected to last into next week.

Because attorneys have projected an unusually long trial, nearly three months, jurors must be selected on the basis of convenience.

Potential jurors have to fill out questionnaires explaining why they would be inconvenienced by sitting on a jury for so long, be it school, work, or personal reasons.

Opening statements are expected to begin late next week, prosecutors said.

— Joseph Serna