Caught By Cops After Fleeing To Conn.
A 32-year-old Astoria man has returned to New York to face second-degree murder charges for allegedly bludgeoning to death his wife in their apartment weeks ago.
The suspect was identified by Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown Jordan L. Hawes, 32, of 30th Street in Astoria. He was arrested by Connecticut State Police on Feb. 4 after his wife’s vehicle was discovered at a southbound rest stop on Interstate 95 near Bridgeport.
Hawes waived extradition and was charged in Queens Criminal Court with second-degree murder, third-degree grand larceny, third- and fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, fourth-degree grand larceny, third-degree unauthorized use of a vehicle and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years to life in prison.
“[Hawes] is accused of savagely beating to death the woman whom he purportedly loved,” Brown said. “If convicted, her brutal and senseless death merits serious punishment.”
According to the criminal charges, the body of Tara Hawes, 33, was discovered in her bed on Feb. 2 at approximately 10:30 p.m, with extreme blunt force trauma to her head and body. In the apartment were allegedly discovered two knives with what appeared to be blood on them, a baseball bat covered with what appeared to be blood, skin and hair, and the victim’s cell phone.
The victim’s vehicle, a gray 2008 Jeep Liberty, was also missing.
The criminal complaint further charges that the victim, a special education teacher in Williamsburg, was last heard from at approximately 9 p.m. on Jan. 30.
It is alleged that Jordan Hawes sent a text message at approximately 7:38 a.m., the following day, Jan. 31, to an unidentified individual which stated that the deceased would not be going to work that day due to an emergency in his family and that her cell phone was dead.
It is also alleged that another unidentified individual received a text message from the victim’s cell phone on Feb. 1 at approximately 7:45 a.m. that similarly stated that she would not be coming to work that day.
When another individual tried to contact the victim on her home telephone sometime between the hours of 7 and 9 p.m. on Feb. 1, the criminal complaint noted,, the person only spoke to Jordan Hawes, who indicated that the victim had not yet returned home from work.
It is further alleged that Jordan Hawes was observed by individuals, and on video surveillance, pawning various items of jewelry, including a wedding band and a number of wedding rings, between Jan. 31 and Feb. 2 at an Astoria pawn shop and attempting to withdraw money from variousATM machines using the victim’s credit/debit card.
The complaint further alleges that Jordan Hawes was observed entering and exiting his residence between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Feb. 2 before finally leaving the location; according to one eyewitness, he kept his hands concealed in his pockets, his head down and failed to acknowledge the person by saying anything.
At approximately 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 2, Jordan Hawes’ cell phone was allegedly tracked to Connecticut. The following day, it is alleged that a court-authorized search warrant was executed at the defendant and victim’s residence and a note with what appeared to be blood stains on it was discovered which stated in the first paragraph, “Where to begin. My life has been great most of the time. I was raised perfectly by my mom and dad, and I have learned so much from child …”
It is alleged that the note cut off and was missing a middle section before continuing and stating, in part, “I don’t know what … happened last night, but my life is destroyed. I killed my best friend.”
The victim’s Jeep Liberty, was observed by Connecticut State Police at approximately 9 p.m. on Feb. 4 unoccupied inside a McDonald’s parking lot located in Bridgeport, on the I-95 service area between Exits 20 and 21. Hawes surrendered himself to the police in the parking lot and allegedly stated, “I did something wrong. I surrender myself.”
Shortly thereafter, Jordan Hawes suffered an apparent seizure and was taken to a local hospital. Hawes, who has since recovered, waived extradition and was returned last Tuesday, Feb. 14, to Queens.
The investigation was conducted by detectives assigned to the 114th Precinct Detective Squad.
SeniorAssistant DistrictAttorney Robert S. Ciesla and Assistant District Attorney Marilyn A. Filingeri of the District Attorney’s Homicide Investigations Bureau are prosecuting the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Peter T. Reese, bureau chief, Peter J. McCormack III, deputy bureau chief, and Richard B. Schaeffer, Senior Trial Attorney, and the overall supervision of ExecutiveAssistant DistrictAttorney for Major Crimes Charles A. Testagrossa and Deputy Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Daniel A. Saunders.
It was noted that a criminal complaint is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
