Attorneys outline cases as Hawk murder trial opens

Published online on Monday, Aug. 10, 2009

HANFORD -- The prosecution in the David Hawk murder trial told a Kings County jury Monday that Hawk had a reason for wanting his ex-wife dead: Debbie Hawk was demanding financial records that might show he was stealing money from his children's trust account.

"The evidence will show that the only person benefiting from Debbie's death ... was that man right there, the defendant," prosecutor Shane Burns said, pointing to David Hawk.

But one of Hawk's attorneys countered that no physical evidence links the defendant to the crime.

Attorney Dennis Peterson said Hawk was at home with his children when his ex-wife disappeared. He said the prosecution is "going to build a bridge over a river of doubt."

The attorneys outlined their respective cases during opening arguments Monday in Kings County Superior Court.

Debbie Hawk, a Hanford resident, has been missing since June 2006. Her body never has been found. At the time of Debbie Hawk's disappearance, she and her ex-husband were engaged in a bitter court battle over allegations that he had been misusing the children's trust fund.

Hawk, 51, of Lemoore was charged in mid-2007 with embezzling the money and was awaiting trial in that case when he was arrested in May 2008 and charged with Debbie Hawk's murder. Burns told jurors that David Hawk took more than $300,000 over a five-year period from his children's trust funds. Burns said Hawk was upset when his ex-wife questioned him about the money and sought financial records.

Peterson said the prosecution's claim that the trust funds for the three Hawk children were intended solely for their college educations is wrong. Hawk, as the trustee of his children's account, could use the money as he saw fit to provide for his household and benefit the children, Peterson said. He said Hawk made no effort to hide his withdrawals from the accounts, which were set up by his parents, Stan and Lois Hawk.

Prosecutor Larry Crouch called Stan Hawk to the stand Monday and tried to establish that the trust funds were for the children's college educations. Stan Hawk said there were no restrictions on the funds.

He added that using the money only for college "certainly wasn't part of the requirement." He said the money could have been used for the upkeep of Dave Hawk's household.

The trial resumes at 9 a.m. today in visiting Judge Daniel E. Creed's courtroom.