Man's Attacks on Girls Result in Series of Life Sentences
By Joe Robertson
Originally published in The Kansas City Star, November 1, 2001
A Jackson County judge on Thursday imposed a series of life sentences on 45-year-old Floyd Hawkins, who admitted kidnapping and raping two 12-year-old Independence girls.
As the judge began sentencing the defendant on 20 felony counts, Hawkins' 22-month-old daughter smiled from her mother's arms, pointed at the man in handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit and said, "Da-da."
The mother, testimony showed, had been in the hospital giving birth to the little girl in December 1999, when Hawkins engaged in one of the attacks.
Hawkins, who lives just north of Independence, ended up with a total of two consecutive life sentences plus 70 years. He spent most of the hearing slumped in his chair, not speaking to his attorney or the judge, even when questioned directly.
"Mr. Hawkins, do you hear me, sir?" Circuit Judge Michael W. Manners asked at one point.
Then Manners said: "May the record reflect that Mr. Hawkins has chosen not to respond."
Hawkins' attorney, Kenny Hensley, had asked Manners to postpone sentencing and order a competency hearing or at least another mental health examination. The judge, citing previous examinations that had found Hawkins competent, refused.
A series of witnesses, including one of the victims, her grandmother and the mother of the other victim, recounted the damage they said Hawkins' attacks have caused to the two girls and their families.
The victims, who were friends of Hawkins' older daughters, had thought of him as a caring father and a trusted adult who betrayed their trust, the witnesses said.
"I don't think he should ever be allowed to get out of jail," one victim said.
"I still have nightmares," the girl said. "It's still in my mind where I can tell you what happened—exactly what happened."
According to prosecutors, twice in December 1999 Hawkins offered to take the first victim home after an outing with two of his daughters. Instead, prosecutors said, Hawkins drove to a hidden spot behind an abandoned home in northeastern Independence.
Prosecutors said he threatened the girl with a knife and sexually assaulted her, filming at least one of the attacks. In January 2000, prosecutors said, he drove the second victim to the same location and sexually attacked her.
"There was no way anyone could hear them if they screamed," said Ted Hunt, assistant prosecutor. "They had nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide."
Both girls said they had been filmed, but police have found a film involving only one girl. The victims told police that Hawkins threatened to post images of the attacks on the Internet if they went to police.
Hawkins pleaded guilty in April to five counts of statutory rape, four counts of statutory sodomy, one count of forcible rape, three counts of kidnapping, four counts of armed criminal action and one count each of abuse of a child, sexual abuse and promoting child pornography.
Hensley asked the court to consider that Hawkins had no prior convictions, had a history of mental illness, was a sexually abused child and had spared his victims the trauma of a trial by pleading guilty.
