Page 14 - Dave Hawk News Today

Out of the window, and got someone to give him a ride to debbies house and entered her bedroom. >> i think he tried the stun gun on her and she screamed very loudly and he struck her with something more than once. at that point, i assume he suffocated her. >> then, said the prosecutor, he must have dragged debbies body to the garage, put her in her own van, disposed of her somewhere and drove to fresno. and left it in the high-crime zone. how did he get back home? that accomplice, said the prose...

>> his response was to ask for half custody. the percentages were 65 with debbie and 35 with dave. he wanted to make it an even 50/50. and that is when the battle moved to these, trust funds set up for the childrens futures the money came from daves father, but dave controlled the funds, and debbie was sure dave was stealing from them to support his own lifestyle. why would she think that? well, this was actually the second set of trusts established for the children. several years before a judge...

Anywhere, and after police had convinced themselves that dave was responsible. prosecutor crouch would not budge. not yet, anyway. >> were going to wait until we find the body or give the body more time to come up. >> instead, a year after debbie vanished, dave was charged with embezzling, stealing more than $300,000 from his own childrens trust funds. he pleaded not guilty, was released on bail. >> dave, how does it feel to be out of jail? >> and waited for the other shoe to drop. now, imagine ...

Television cameras which were now buzzing around endlessly asking, did you do it? >> for the last time, no. im getting tired of answering that question. no means no. but the fools at the hanford police department dont seem to understand that. they are on a witch hunt is what is going on. they are on a witch hunt. >> whatever they were on, they couldnt find the evidence to arrest him. dave remained a free man, something that made his own son, conrad, very nervous. >> my suspicion was growing stro...

Disappearance, child protective services took 16-year-old conrad to a foster home. >> there were a few altercations we had, kind of like what my mom had gone through. >> investigators talked to daves girlfriend, mary. eventually, this exchange occurred. >> has he ever verbalized at all how much he hated her? >> absolutely. >> what did he say? >> not going to stop until shes dead. >> when did he say this? >> numerous times. >> an aha moment? well, maybe not quite. >> think he was serious? >> earl...

Once after they separated during the squabbles over divorce, she claimed he tried to choke her. >> she said he just looked like a crazed animal and i thought he was going to kill me. and not too long after that she had said to me, you know, if anything ever happens to me you know where to look. >> dave said that choking thing just never happened. that he was never violent with her. >> ive never choked anybody. >> things settled down eventually, though there was always some dispute and the things...

Now it was may, 2008, nearly two years after debbies disappearance. her body still hadnt been found and there was no new evidence tying dave to her murder. but prosecutor larry crouch heard disquieting reports from his investigators. >> they started surveilling our office, the police offices, eventually starts driving by an investigators home. it was getting pretty concerning out there. >> time to move. on may 29, 2008, dave hawk was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and a special ci...

Now, imagine this, the police, not to mention most of the town, believed their father killed their mother leaving three children caught in the middle. conrad had no doubt his dad killed his mom, a dad he began referring to as dave. >> i tried to cut all ties that i had with him as much as i could. he was nothing to me now. >> but chelsa has been and is her fathers staunchest defender. >> why do you think your siblings have chosen the other path? >> i think theyre just very upset by what happen a...

In a way. >> yeah. >> kind of a tough role for a kid to play? >> it was easier to be the mediator than have them yelling at each other on the phone. >> living apart, said conrad. >> my mom was happier than ever. i think all of our lives improved. >> debbie did well enough she was able to buy her own home. >> she could finally start living her life the way she wanted to. >> except there were issues. once after they separated during the squabbles of divorce, she claimed he tried to choke her. >> s...

Eventually, though there was always some dispute and the things conrad said he heard his dad say about his mom. awful. >> things like she needs a taste of her own medicine. shes going to get hers. shes going to get what she has coming to her. >> in fact, the very night he discovered debbie had vanished conrad told police his dad might have done this. >> i didnt see anything that would disqualify him from being able to carry that out. >> which is why just hours after the kids discovered debbie wa...