• Subscribe
  • Interested Authors
  • Blog
    • All Posts
    • Media Apperance Archives
    • WildBlue Press Author Bios
    • Crime Fiction Books
    • Fantasy Books
    • History Books
    • Horror Books
    • Mystery Books
    • Romance Books
    • Science Fiction Books
    • Thriller Books
    • True Crime Books
  • About Us
    • Catalog
    • Privacy Policy
  • Partners
    • BookBub (author resources)
    • ImaginePublicity
    • MacGregor Literary
    • The House Of Mystery with Al Warren
  • Contact Us

WildBlue Press

Great Reads from Exceptional Authors

Great Reads from
Exceptional Authors

  • Home
  • Business
  • Fantasy
  • History
  • Horror
  • Mystery
  • Thrillers
  • True Crime
  • Science Fiction
  • Reader Favorites
    • Award Winners
    • Bestsellers
    • Box Sets
    • Coming Soon
    • New Releases

New York Times Bestselling Author Caitlin Rother Releases Updated Edition of DEAD RECKONING, Packed With New Details

I’m thrilled to announce that I’m working with WildBlue Press once again, this time to release a newly revised and updated version of my book, DEAD RECKONING, one of my most popular books.

So much has changed since the book was originally released in 2011 that I barely know where to start. But suffice it to say that this meaty update provides lots of up-to-the-minute new material, including recent photos, many of which can be found on the WildBlue photo gallery page for the book (wbp.bz/deadreckoninggallery) as well as a Cast of Primary Characters to make it easier to keep track of who is who.

One of the biggest, most recent breaking-news developments in this book, which tells the story of the murder of Tom and Jackie Hawks by transgender killer Skylar Deleon and her then-wife, Jennifer Henderson, is this: Skylar, one of two transgender women on death row at a men’s prison in California, has just legally become a woman.

That said, we are keeping the original portion of the book as it was first published, using the “he” pronoun for Skylar, because she was still presenting as a man until her arrival at San Quentin, where she transitioned, using hormones. We switch to the “she” pronoun in the updated section at the end of the book, which reflects her transformation and explains all the background in the proper context. We made this distinction, with no disrespect to the LGBTQ community intended, so as not to confuse readers with corrections throughout the book.

Author Caitlin Rother

Representing herself without an attorney, Skylar petitioned the Marin County Superior Court in February 2019 to change her name to Skylar Preciosa Deleon and her gender to female. A judge granted her petition in May.

This move may put Skylar one step closer to achieving her goals of being transferred to a women’s prison and of obtaining taxpayer-subsidized gender confirmation surgery, which would surely anger the victims’ families as well as many of those who have followed this case since the Hawks were murdered in 2004.

A former child actor, Skylar has already gone by a number of other names. Born John Julius Jacobson, Skylar was named after her father, John Jacobson. John Sr. abused Skylar and both of his wives, and also served time in federal prison for drug trafficking.

Wanting to distance herself from this abusive man, Skylar changed her name to Skylar Julius Deleon around the time she met her future wife Jennifer, apparently because the name Skylar was ambiguous in terms of gender.

Although Skylar was still presenting and identifying as a man when she married Jennifer Henderson, Skylar had been trying on dresses since childhood and knew she wanted what was then known as a sex change operation. Today it’s referred to as gender confirmation surgery.

She wanted that operation so badly, in fact, that she was willing to kill Tom and Jackie Hawks for it.

Exterior view of the Well Deserved. Photo by NBPD

Deeply in debt, Skylar and Jennifer concocted a scheme to steal the Hawkses’ yacht, the Well Deserved, and pillage their bank accounts. Sure, they wanted to pay off their $100,000 in credit card and other bills, but Skylar had already put down a $500 deposit for the surgery, and needed $15,000 to pay the balance.

Using their daughter and unborn son as pawns in their scheme, Skylar and her pregnant wife Jennifer brought their toddler, Haylie, in a stroller to the yacht to win the Hawkses’ trust. The ploy worked.

When Skylar returned with a young former jail guard named Alonso Machain, the Hawkses viewed Skylar as a promising potential buyer for the yacht. They also didn’t blink when Skylar came back for a final sea trial with Alonso and “Crazy John” Kennedy, an OG (original gangster) with the Long Beach Insane Crips, who posed as Skylar’s accountant. (Kennedy was nicknamed JFK during his trial, even though he in no way resembles our former president.)

Once they were out to sea, Skylar and his crew of criminals tied Tom and Jackie to an anchor and threw them overboard—alive—off the coast of Newport Beach.

Over the past fifteen years, a number of news developments have affected the players in this case, even after Jennifer, Skylar, Alonso and JFK were sent to prison a decade or more ago. I have been following these developments so I could keep my readers informed.

In this new updated edition, I describe what life on death row has been like for Skylar, who has gone back and forth between psychiatric facilities in Vacaville and an in-patient unit that opened at San Quentin in 2014. I also discuss several key changes within the California prison system that have affected all transgender and death row inmates, including Skylar. I was sure to ask the victims’ families for their reactions, and how they are doing these days.

Here are some other highlights:

–While on death row, Skylar has been engaged to two women and forged a close relationship with a male murderabilia dealer, who said they were “more than friends.”

Skylar Preciosa Deleon after she changed her gender to female. Housed on death row, she has been in and out of psychiatric facilities in Vacaville, then one that opened on site in 2014. Photo by CDCR

–After I visited Skylar at San Quentin for a 2.5-hour interview in 2015, her attorney told me she was too “mentally incompetent” to consent to an interview (after the fact), even though she seemed happier and more rational than ever before. Nonetheless, I describe my observations and the surreal experience of being locked in a cage with this uncuffed three-time killer, fearing that my pen or the “spork” she used to eat her avocado, would end up in my neck.

–California’s prison system became the nation’s first to establish an application process and criteria for transgender inmates who want to obtain taxpayer-subsidized gender confirmation surgery. This is one of a host of changes the system has made to adapt to a changing culture and to comply with court decisions concerning gender and medical and mental health care of prisoners.

–Earlier this year, Governor Newsom established a moratorium on executions, as the end of the public approval process for a new protocol for lethal injections was approaching. This extends the moratorium that has already been in place since 2006 in California, where a majority of voters has supported the death penalty as recently as 2016. 

–The Orange County District Attorney’s Office has been embroiled in a years-long scandal involving the secret recording of informants’ conversations with defendants awaiting trials, which triggered probes by state and federal officials. The scandal prompted the new DA, Todd Spitzer, to adopt a “revised jailhouse informant policy modeled after the most comprehensive protocols” across the state.

–Despite conceding guilt at trial, Skylar still has a right to file an “instant appeal,” just like any other defendant who receives a death sentence. Her appeal, in which she argues that she deserves a new trial, is still pending.

This newly updated version of DEAD RECKONING not only includes these and other developments I’ve researched in the last few months, it also includes details that I tried to publish in my last update in 2016, which sadly ended up on the cutting room floor. Because my previous publisher let that edition go out of print, I got my rights back and am excited to work with WildBlue re-issue this new, expanded updated version as a trade paperback and ebook.

If you’ve only read the original version, or the brief 2016 update, or never read the book at all, this new version has plenty of fresh, recent material that will make it worth your while to purchase.

You can pre-order the book here: Amazon: wbp.bz/deadreckoninga

You can buy the book here: wbp.bz/deadreckoning

And you can learn more about me by visiting my website, https://caitlinrother.com. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Filed Under: Blog, Caitlin Rother, DEAD RECKONING, True Crime Tagged With: Bestseller, bestselling authors, Caitlin Rother, DEAD RECKONING, New York Times Bestseller, updated edition
August 7, 2019 By Caitlin Rother 2 Comments

Comments

  1. Moe gibbons says

    September 11, 2022 at 8:29 pm

    Do people really think he wants to b a woman …eventho he only.lokes women. The con man is still trying to con everyone. He doesn’t want to be in a man’s jail bc he’ll def get assaulted. . Anyone who did what he did to that couple( remember he threw them off a boat alive) he deserves NOTHING that he wants. Let him dress like a woman & put him back in the general public , men’s jail. What he gets will be better than what he deserves

    Reply
  2. D.Carlene Place says

    September 28, 2022 at 11:00 pm

    I’d be interested in knowing what the criteria the State of California has to determine changing your gender.
    I too believe he’s the ultimate con artist.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

DEAD RECKONING by Caitlin Rother

Buy DEAD RECKONING now:

Star Rating

Amazon Kindle eBook Barnes & Noble Nook eBook Kobo eBook Apple eBook Books A Million eBook Google Play eBook  eBook
Amazon Trade Paperback  Paperback

INTERNATIONAL KINDLE EBOOKS
USA   UK   Canada   Australia   Germany   France   Spain   Japan   Italy   Brazil   India   Mexico

More From Author Caitlin Rother

Stranger Than Fiction: 10 Unbelievable True Crime Stories

Big Bird finding a dead woman in his house; a cannibal police officer; a horse suspected of murder; a mysterious crate with horrifying contents; a teenager who murdered his baby sister; one criminal's shocking motive for killing three people; a lady … [Read More...]

We Asked Our Female Authors “Why Do Women Love True Crime?”

In response to an article recently published by The New York Times titled "Why Do Women Love True Crime?", we asked some of our many talented female authors the same question. Caitlin Rother, New York Times Bestselling Author Of DEAD RECKONING … [Read More...]

Author Caitlin Rother; Taking a Look at the Death Penalty, Nationally and in California

When Governor Gavin Newsom issued an order to extend the moratorium on executions in California in March, the lead detective and the victims’ families in the Hawks case were all very upset. After sitting through three trials in this case, two of … [Read More...]

Rother Looks Back on the Career-long Coverage of a Murder Case

As a professional journalist for the past 32 years, I’ve published thousands of news and feature articles for newspapers and magazines. I’ve also written and coauthored 13 books since 2005, penned countless blog posts, and I’m working on two new … [Read More...]

DEAD RECKONING by New York Times Bestselling Author Caitlin Rother

Tom and Jackie Hawks loved their life in retirement, sailing on their yacht, the Well Deserved. But when the birth of a new grandson called them back to Arizona, they put the boat up for sale. Skylar Deleon and his pregnant wife Jennifer showed … [Read More...]

New York Times Bestselling Author Caitlin Rother Releases Updated Edition of DEAD RECKONING, Packed With New Details

I’m thrilled to announce that I’m working with WildBlue Press once again, this time to release a newly revised and updated version of my book, DEAD RECKONING, one of my most popular books. So much has changed since the book was originally … [Read More...]

DEAD RECKONING Photo Gallery

… [Read More...]

Beach House Writing Salon III Offers Stimulating Day to Aspiring Authors

  It was a stimulating and inspirational day at our most recent salon in Cardiff-by- the-sea (or so I’m told). I was thrilled that a couple of repeat attendees said they got even more out of this one than the earlier ones. Apparently, we are … [Read More...]

More True Crime From WildBlue Press

book cover

HIDDEN DEMONS: Evil Visits A Small New England Town

… [Read More...]

audiobook cover

Audiobook Narrator Claire Duncan brings Marla Bernard’s BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD to Listeners

… [Read More...]

book cover

In LOU AND JONBENÉT, Author John Wesley Anderson Reveals the Inside Story of the Failed Police Investigation Into the Kidnapping and Murder of JonBenét Ramsey

… [Read More...]

Book cover

Steve Jackson’s Classic True Crime—About A Monstrous American Serial Killer—LOVE ME TO DEATH Has Been Revised and Updated

… [Read More...]

book cover

Adoriana Marik’s ESCAPE FROM MARIUPOL, Told to Anne K. Howard, Exposes the Realities of War And Gives Readers Hope

… [Read More...]

book cover

Coming soon by Tiddy Smith DEATH BY TALONS: Did An Owl ‘Murder’ Kathleen Peterson?

… [Read More...]

book cover

BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD

… [Read More...]

book cover

GOING UNDER

… [Read More...]

Genres, Types

New Releases
Featured Books
Coming Soon
Award Winners

Business
History
Horror
Mysteries
Romance
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Thrillers
True Crime

eBooks
Paperbacks
Audio Books
Box Sets

Available

Biography
• Secrets Of A Hollywood Private Eye
• Stealing Manhattan
• Escape From Mariupol
True Crime
• Death By Talons
• Lou And Jonben?t
• Hidden Demons
• Love Me To Death
• By The Side Of The Road
• Going Under
• I Don't Like Mondays
• The Last Jewish Gangster, The Middle Years
• The Tuskegee Strangler
• The Decision To Kill
• All Along The Watchtower
• Ted Bundy
• The Last Jewish Gangster, The Early Years
• Carmine And The 13Th Avenue Boys
• Vampires, Gators, And Wackos
• The Curse Of The Turtle
• Deadly Associates
• Jane Doe 9
• Watch Me Die
• Mystery At The Blue Sea Cottage
• The Wheels Of Justice
• 16 Minutes
• Terror Town, Usa
• Raging On
• Grilling Dahmer
• The 'Peyton Place' Murder
• Cold Blooded
• Faith Based Fraud
• The Real Mr. Big
• The Son Of Seven Mothers
• 'The Son Of Sam' And Me
• Serial Killers
• Satin Pumps
• Out Of The Mouths Of Serial Killers
• True Crime Chronicles Volume Two
• The World Encyclopedia Of Serial Killers Volume Three
• The Enigma Of Ted Bundy
• True Crime Chronicles Volume One
• Killing Women
• From The Mob To The Movies
• The World Encyclopedia Of Serial Killers Volume Two
• To Kill Or Be Killed
• No Angels
• Monster
• Under A Full Moon
• 'Til Death Do Us ...'
• The World Encyclopedia Of Serial Killers
• First Degree Rage
• The 'Supreme Gentleman' Killer
• Beast Of New Castle
• The Garden State Parkway Murders
• How Now, Butterfly?
• The Encyclopedia Of The Ted Bundy Murders
• Survival
• Missing ... And Presumed Dead
• Wrong Numbers
• Tantamount
• Playing Dead
• Mothers And Murderers
• Dead Reckoning
• Underworld
• Gabacho
• The Gangster's Cousin
• Race To Justice
• Ted Bundy's Murderous Mysteries
• Travesty Of Justice
• Railroaded
• You Have A Very Soft Voice, Susan
• A Family Business
• Pathological
• Wrecking Crew
• The Last Man Standing
• My Son, The Killer
• Inconvenience Gone
• Toxic Rage
• The Killing Game
• Shots In The Dark
• The Case Of The Golden State Killer
• His Garden
• The Crate
• Burned
• The Case Of The Zodiac Killer
• A Murder In My Hometown
• Bullied To Death
• The Beast I Loved
• Summary Execution
• The Shawcross Letters
• Better Off Dead
• Sidetracked
• My Brother's Keeper
• Targeted
• Held Hostage
• Room 1203
• A Special Kind Of Evil
• Brooklyn's Most Wanted
• Outlaw Los Angeles
• Unsolved No More
• She Is Evil
• The Rise And Fall Of A Casino Mobster
• Outlaw Southwest
• A Clockwork Murder
• Raw Deal
• The Bundy Secrets
• Betrayal In Blue
• The Politics Of Murder
• Murderers Row
• Rough Trade
• Daddy's Little Secret
• Murder In The Family
• Failure Of Justice
• Ice And Bone
• Smooth Talker
• The Trail Of Ted Bundy
• A Taste For Murder
• Sketchcop
• Body Of Proof
• Kentucky Bloodbath
• No Stone Unturned
• Repeat Offender
• Dixie's Last Stand
• Vampire
• Man Overboard
• Bogeyman
• Murderers Row Volume Two
Thriller
• Gasping For Air
• Big Dogs
• The Shadowmaker
• A Nest Of Snakes
• Blood Red Ivory
• No One Will Hear Your Screams
• The Screaming Room
• Bone Thief
• Crux
• Sword Of The Caliphate
• Last Son Of The War God
• The Strait
• Enemy Of The People
• Dark Visions
• Hunter
• The Reckoning
• 16 Souls
• Borderland
• Paper Wings
• Lockout
• Pitfall
Mystery
• Deaf Row
• The Humanzee Experiments
• The Killing Machine
• Murder At Mardi Gras
• The Right Thing
• Raven's Ridge
• Raptor's Ridge
• Napa Noir
• Melia Ridge
• Emerald Ridge
• Created
• Crevice
• Headlock
• Identity Crisis
• The Obituary
• Naked Addiction
• The Deadline
Horror
• Four
• Acadia Event
• The Red Son
• The Equinox
• Highwayman
• The Pure And The Hated
• Savage Highway
Science Fiction
• Tribulations
• Leviathan
• Happenstance
• Cain
Fantasy
• Destruction Of Justice
• Blunt Force Magic
History
• Fields Of Fortune
• Legion Rising
• The Korean Crisis
• Tempest Tost
• Saving Sandoval
• Killing Rasputin
Politics
• The (Redacted) Mueller Report
Romance
• When Fall Fades
Business
• Leaderology
• The Age Of Pluralism
• Bamboo Strong
• Corporate Superpower
• Wordpress Websites For Business
• Productivity Tools For Business
Cookbook
• Frank Cullotta's Greatest (Kitchen) Hits

New Releases

cover image

Lawrence Davis has updated and revisded DESTRUCTION OF JUSTICE: Book Two In The Monsters And Men Trilogy

Originally released in 2018, Lawrence Davis has revised and updated the second book in THE MONSTERS AND MEN TRILOGY set in Cleveland's magical underworld. Look for Book Three in 2023! Janzen Robinson is no longer a man torn between two worlds, having … [More...]

book cover

HIDDEN DEMONS: Evil Visits A Small New England Town

A father, his daughter, and a brave young girl thwarted criminals whose escalating hidden demons led them to bolder and more risky acts of violence in Margery Metzger's Debut True Crime. About The Book On January 7, 1994, residents of Berkshire … [More...]

Book cover

Steve Jackson’s Classic True Crime—About A Monstrous American Serial Killer—LOVE ME TO DEATH Has Been Revised and Updated

Originally released in 2011, New York Times bestselling author Steve Jackson has revised and updated this classic true crime about one of the most monstrous serial killers in American history. "Here's What Happens When You Mess With Me!" -William … [More...]

book cover

Adoriana Marik’s ESCAPE FROM MARIUPOL, Told to Anne K. Howard, Exposes the Realities of War And Gives Readers Hope

...[A] masterpiece... [that] captures the terror, trauma, and horror of this survivor's ordeal and that of others who did not survive. This book is a must read." -Margery B. Metzger, author of HIDDEN DEMONS: Evil Visits A Small New England Town. In … [More...]

Coming Soon

book cover

GASPING FOR AIR: Book Two In The ‘Big Dogs Series’ by S.L. Ditmars

SL Ditmars writes another fast-paced, page-turning police procedural... I love the characters and the dogs, Ares and Addy, who make the story even richer... I very much and highly recommend this book. -K.L. Peacock, author of THE CROSSINGS series and … [More...]

book cover

Robert Dodge Combines Biographies of a Norwegian Family and Immigrant Experience from the Mid-19th Century through WWII in FIELDS OF FORTUNE

Coming March 28, 2023 About the Book In the spring of 1853, a family of eight drove their wagon to the wharf in Bergen, Norway. They unloaded their belongings alongside the other stacks labeled, AMERICA, MINNESOTA, ILLINOIS, MICHIGAN, NEW YORK CITY, … [More...]

book cover

In LOU AND JONBENÉT, Author John Wesley Anderson Reveals the Inside Story of the Failed Police Investigation Into the Kidnapping and Murder of JonBenét Ramsey

Coming February 28, 2023 On Christmas Night 1996, six-year-old JonBenet Ramsey was murdered in her family's home in Boulder, Colorado. A ransom note was found in the home, but it was hours before her father, John, found her body in the basement. … [More...]

Recent Posts

  • SAVING SANDOVAL Author Craig Drummond Recieves Local Salute Our Troops Recognition
  • Crime Fiction Author S.L. Ditmars Answers: “Why are your bad guys so bad?”
  • Author Tiddy Smith Tells Why He Wrote About The Kathleen Peterson Case
  • Ron Franscell Answers “Which is harder to write: true crime or crime fiction?’
  • Author S.L. Ditmars On Writing Book Two In The ‘Big Dogs Series’
  • Narrator Tom Lennon Channels Michael Hardy in David Larson’s THE LAST JEWISH GANGSTER Trilogy
  • Lawrence Davis has updated and revisded DESTRUCTION OF JUSTICE: Book Two In The Monsters And Men Trilogy

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

eZine SignupJoin our email list and be the first to get hot deals, new releases and...
* Author updates
* Free eBooks
* Free audio books
* Enlightening and entertaining posts
* Advance notice of book deals, special offers

Follow Us

Blog Tag Cloud

best true crime books Bogeyman Bradley Nickell Brian Whitney Burl Barer Caitlin Rother Cold Case crime Crime Fiction Crime thriller Detective Detectives Facebook True Crime John Ferak Kevin Sullivan Las Vegas memoir Murder murder book murder mystery Mysteries Mystery mystery thriller Non-Fiction Serial Killer serial killer books Serial Killers Steve Jackson Suspense suspense thriller Ted Bundy Thriller Thriller Books True-crime truecrime True Crime True Crime Authors true crime book true crime books True Crime Original true crimes true crime stories True Murder WildBlue Press writing

Privacy Policy

As Seen On:

Our Authors Have Been Seen On...

Interested Authors Click Here
See Our Entire Catalog
SSL Secure Connection

Copyright © 2023 WildBlue Press. All rights reserved.
Website design by Denver Local SEO Marketing Company
New York Times Bestselling Author Caitlin Rother Releases Updated Edition of DEAD RECKONING, Packed With New Details