Paper Trail, Tasers in Yacht Murder Case

Oct. 9, 2008 — -- A former child actor accused of murdering an Arizona couple by handcuffing them, tying them to a boat anchor and throwing them overboard bought Tasers and handcuffs in the days leading up to the killings, according to witnesses who testified Wednesday.

Two store clerks testified that Skylar Deleon, 29, purchased the items at their respective stores, one a police uniform and supply store, the other a weapon shop, days before prosecutors say he helped kill Arizona couple Tom and Jackie Hawks on their yacht.

Deleon, who once appeared in the 1990s series "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers," is on trial in Orange County, Calif., for allegedly murdering the Hawkses in 2004 and John Jarvi in 2003. If convicted, Deleon could face the death penalty.

Outside the trial of his father and stepmother's alleged killer, Ryan Hawks told ABC News he's holding up well, and that he's "been preparing myself for the last four years for this moment."

Deleon's attorney Gary Pohlson said in court Tuesday that his client had committed the murders, though prosecutors confirmed he has not changed his plea. Pohlson said Deleon shouldn't face the death penalty.

The Hawkses' murders involved a paper trail of falsified documents and questionable bank transactions, according to other witnesses who testified Wednesday.

Kathleen Harris, a notary who said she worked with Deleon and his ex-wife Jennifer Deleon, met the couple through a mutual friend named Adam Rohrig. Harris claims she met the couple at an extended-stay hotel, where they asked her to backdate and notarize documents they had laid out on the bed that were related to the Hawkses' boat.

In November 2004, the Hawkses had put their half-million-dollar, 55-foot yacht named Well Deserved up for sale so they could spend time with a new grandchild in Arizona. Prosecutors say Deleon plotted to steal the boat, enlisting the help of others to overpower the couple and force them to sign documents transferring the vessel to Deleon.

The group then allegedly handcuffed the Hawkses, tethered them to the ship's anchor and tossed them into the Pacific Ocean. Investigators have not recovered their bodies.

A jury convicted Jennifer Deleon for her role in the killings in 2006. She is serving life in prison without the possibility of parole. Three other alleged co-conspirators will likely go to trial next year.