Two murder cases joined

A Long Beach man accused of killing a Newport Beach couple in 2004 and slicing a man’s throat along the side of a Mexican highway in 2003 will be tried for both cases simultaneously, a judge ruled Monday.

Skylar Deleon, 28, is accused of masterminding the murder of Newport Beach residents Thomas and Jackie Hawks in 2004, a retired couple looking to sell their boat, the “Well Deserved,” so they could spend more time with their newborn grandchild in Arizona. Deleon’s ex-wife, Jennifer Henderson, was convicted for her role in the plot last year and was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.

According to prosecutors, Deleon, along with two other men — Alonso Machain and John Fitzgerald Kennedy — overpowered the Hawkses and forced them to sign over the deed to their boat before tying them to the anchor and throwing them overboard alive.

Kennedy was slated to be tried at the same time as Deleon, but Kennedy’s defense attorney said they would not be ready until January.

Outside the courtroom, Kennedy’s attorney, Charles Lindler, said the farther away his client is from Deleon the better. The “stink” of being next to Deleon in the courtroom during their trial would only hurt his case, he said. Kennedy is scheduled to go on trial Jan. 5.

Machain’s next court date, a pretrial hearing, is scheduled for Oct. 31.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Deleon because of the cold-blooded nature of the crime.

While police were investigating Deleon’s possible role in the Hawkses’ disappearance — their bodies were never found — authorities charged him for the 2003 murder of John Jarvi, whom Deleon had met through a work furlough program in Seal Beach. According to prosecutors, Deleon persuaded Jarvi to take out a $50,000 loan against his condo, drove him to Mexico, slit his throat by the side of the highway and took the money. Prosecutors said Deleon and his then-wife, Henderson, were in substantial debt at the time of Jarvi’s murder.

While the cases are unrelated, prosecutor Matt Murphy persuaded the judge to try Deleon for both murders simultaneously.

Jury selection will begin Monday and last up to a week, with the trial projected to last until mid-November, Murphy said.

JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at joseph.serna@latimes.com.