Murder victim.
In September 2015, Lea's oldest daughter Judy called authorities concerned that her mother went missing. After two days of searching, detectives found her mother's body buried in her mother's own backyard. Money from her mother's bank account had vanished also. Soon, Judy's younger sister, Amy Day Hawkins, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
Born in 1936, Lea grew up in Turtletown, Tenn., a small community near where Tennessee meets North Carolina and Georgia. She was the third of Alvin and Myrtle Taylor's seven children. Lea graduated high school, attended college, and met her husband through his cousin at The Varsity, an iconic drive-in restaurant in Atlanta. After they married, they had Judy, then Amy. Lea's husband worked as a manager for a railroad company, so they moved about every 18 months before settling in St. Cloud in 1973. They got a divorce about 10 years later. Lea got a job with the manufacturer Mercury Marine and took electrical engineering classes offered through the company. Lea's life centered on her two daughters and her friends. When Judy had a son, Lea constantly doted on him, in fact, her world revolved around her grandson.
The month Lea went missing, her younger daughter Amy had $1.87 in her bank account along with mounting credit card debt. Investigators believe Amy raided her mother's bank account, cutting herself a $2,500 check, drawing on a $6,000 line of credit, and withdrawing $400 in cash from her mother's debit card.
Deputies zeroed in on Amy as a person of interest, and after a few days of searching, found Oda Lea Hawkins' body buried in the backyard of the home she and her daughter Amy shared for 5 years. Details of Lea's last hours remain a mystery. At trial, prosecutors said Amy killed her mother over "a few thousand dollars."
Police found Lea buried in a flowerbed with fake flowers placed on top. Her body was found wrapped in garbage bags, a pink blanket, a rope, and a coaxial cable. The Osceola County Sheriff's Office arrested Amy — the same agency where her father, Capt. Ed Hawkins, worked for nearly 20 years and where she, too, worked until getting fired for 3 DUI-Drug arrests.
Amy's sister, Judy Schult, who lived nearby, told detectives she last saw her mother on Friday afternoon, Sept. 19 when her mother stopped by to talk about problems she was having with Amy. Those included having to pay all the household expenses, buy the groceries and cook for her daughter. Lea was reported missing the next morning on Saturday, Sept. 20.
A day later, her body was found under a mound of dirt decorated with plastic flowers in the backyard of her Lake Shore Drive home. By then, Amy had told investigators that her mother had moved to Colorado with a woman named "Rose," whom she had met at Eastern Avenue Baptist Church in St. Cloud. She also said her mother's clothing, vitamins, and three suitcases were gone. Detectives did not find anyone by the name of 'Rose,' nor anyone who met 'Rose' at the Baptist church in St. Cloud.
On Tuesday, Sept. 22, an autopsy showed Lea died from head trauma. It was the same day a childhood friend of Amy's called the sheriff's office. Now living out of state, Melissa Smidt wanted to know if Amy's divorced father, retired sheriff's Capt. Ed Hawkins, was OK. A detective told her he was alive and well and asked why she was interested. Melissa informed the detective she spoke with Amy on 9/18/2015 and Amy said her father had passed away from a massive heart attack, and during the phone conversation, Amy told Melissa that her mother, Ora, passed away 3 months ago from a brain aneurysm and was buried in North Carolina next to her cousin. Melissa said Amy told her she was buying a round-trip ticket to fly to visit her on Sept. 21 for several days to renew their friendship.
Detectives found Amy had used her mother's credit card on Sept. 19— the day before her reported disappearance— to buy a $369 round-trip ticket on Spirit Airlines leaving Orlando on Sept. 21 and returning Sept. 25. They also discovered she used the same credit card to order $1,030 of merchandise from Walmart including an RCA 50-inch flat-screen TV. A FedEx driver delivered the TV days later while a deputy sheriff stood guard and yellow crime scene tape still surrounded Lea Hawkins' house.
On January 16, 2016, after less than two hours of deliberations, a jury found Amy Day Hawkins guilty in Ora Lea Hawkins' slaying. Amy, who maintains her innocence, was sentenced to life in prison.
In September 2015, Lea's oldest daughter Judy called authorities concerned that her mother went missing. After two days of searching, detectives found her mother's body buried in her mother's own backyard. Money from her mother's bank account had vanished also. Soon, Judy's younger sister, Amy Day Hawkins, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
Born in 1936, Lea grew up in Turtletown, Tenn., a small community near where Tennessee meets North Carolina and Georgia. She was the third of Alvin and Myrtle Taylor's seven children. Lea graduated high school, attended college, and met her husband through his cousin at The Varsity, an iconic drive-in restaurant in Atlanta. After they married, they had Judy, then Amy. Lea's husband worked as a manager for a railroad company, so they moved about every 18 months before settling in St. Cloud in 1973. They got a divorce about 10 years later. Lea got a job with the manufacturer Mercury Marine and took electrical engineering classes offered through the company. Lea's life centered on her two daughters and her friends. When Judy had a son, Lea constantly doted on him, in fact, her world revolved around her grandson.
The month Lea went missing, her younger daughter Amy had $1.87 in her bank account along with mounting credit card debt. Investigators believe Amy raided her mother's bank account, cutting herself a $2,500 check, drawing on a $6,000 line of credit, and withdrawing $400 in cash from her mother's debit card.
Deputies zeroed in on Amy as a person of interest, and after a few days of searching, found Oda Lea Hawkins' body buried in the backyard of the home she and her daughter Amy shared for 5 years. Details of Lea's last hours remain a mystery. At trial, prosecutors said Amy killed her mother over "a few thousand dollars."
Police found Lea buried in a flowerbed with fake flowers placed on top. Her body was found wrapped in garbage bags, a pink blanket, a rope, and a coaxial cable. The Osceola County Sheriff's Office arrested Amy — the same agency where her father, Capt. Ed Hawkins, worked for nearly 20 years and where she, too, worked until getting fired for 3 DUI-Drug arrests.
Amy's sister, Judy Schult, who lived nearby, told detectives she last saw her mother on Friday afternoon, Sept. 19 when her mother stopped by to talk about problems she was having with Amy. Those included having to pay all the household expenses, buy the groceries and cook for her daughter. Lea was reported missing the next morning on Saturday, Sept. 20.
A day later, her body was found under a mound of dirt decorated with plastic flowers in the backyard of her Lake Shore Drive home. By then, Amy had told investigators that her mother had moved to Colorado with a woman named "Rose," whom she had met at Eastern Avenue Baptist Church in St. Cloud. She also said her mother's clothing, vitamins, and three suitcases were gone. Detectives did not find anyone by the name of 'Rose,' nor anyone who met 'Rose' at the Baptist church in St. Cloud.
On Tuesday, Sept. 22, an autopsy showed Lea died from head trauma. It was the same day a childhood friend of Amy's called the sheriff's office. Now living out of state, Melissa Smidt wanted to know if Amy's divorced father, retired sheriff's Capt. Ed Hawkins, was OK. A detective told her he was alive and well and asked why she was interested. Melissa informed the detective she spoke with Amy on 9/18/2015 and Amy said her father had passed away from a massive heart attack, and during the phone conversation, Amy told Melissa that her mother, Ora, passed away 3 months ago from a brain aneurysm and was buried in North Carolina next to her cousin. Melissa said Amy told her she was buying a round-trip ticket to fly to visit her on Sept. 21 for several days to renew their friendship.
Detectives found Amy had used her mother's credit card on Sept. 19— the day before her reported disappearance— to buy a $369 round-trip ticket on Spirit Airlines leaving Orlando on Sept. 21 and returning Sept. 25. They also discovered she used the same credit card to order $1,030 of merchandise from Walmart including an RCA 50-inch flat-screen TV. A FedEx driver delivered the TV days later while a deputy sheriff stood guard and yellow crime scene tape still surrounded Lea Hawkins' house.
On January 16, 2016, after less than two hours of deliberations, a jury found Amy Day Hawkins guilty in Ora Lea Hawkins' slaying. Amy, who maintains her innocence, was sentenced to life in prison.
Murder victim.
In September 2015, Lea's oldest daughter Judy called authorities concerned that her mother went missing. After two days of searching, detectives found her mother's body buried in her mother's own backyard. Money from her mother's bank account had vanished also. Soon, Judy's younger sister, Amy Day Hawkins, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
Born in 1936, Lea grew up in Turtletown, Tenn., a small community near where Tennessee meets North Carolina and Georgia. She was the third of Alvin and Myrtle Taylor's seven children. Lea graduated high school, attended college, and met her husband through his cousin at The Varsity, an iconic drive-in restaurant in Atlanta. After they married, they had Judy, then Amy. Lea's husband worked as a manager for a railroad company, so they moved about every 18 months before settling in St. Cloud in 1973. They got a divorce about 10 years later. Lea got a job with the manufacturer Mercury Marine and took electrical engineering classes offered through the company. Lea's life centered on her two daughters and her friends. When Judy had a son, Lea constantly doted on him, in fact, her world revolved around her grandson.
The month Lea went missing, her younger daughter Amy had $1.87 in her bank account along with mounting credit card debt. Investigators believe Amy raided her mother's bank account, cutting herself a $2,500 check, drawing on a $6,000 line of credit, and withdrawing $400 in cash from her mother's debit card.
Deputies zeroed in on Amy as a person of interest, and after a few days of searching, found Oda Lea Hawkins' body buried in the backyard of the home she and her daughter Amy shared for 5 years. Details of Lea's last hours remain a mystery. At trial, prosecutors said Amy killed her mother over "a few thousand dollars."
Police found Lea buried in a flowerbed with fake flowers placed on top. Her body was found wrapped in garbage bags, a pink blanket, a rope, and a coaxial cable. The Osceola County Sheriff's Office arrested Amy — the same agency where her father, Capt. Ed Hawkins, worked for nearly 20 years and where she, too, worked until getting fired for 3 DUI-Drug arrests.
Amy's sister, Judy Schult, who lived nearby, told detectives she last saw her mother on Friday afternoon, Sept. 19 when her mother stopped by to talk about problems she was having with Amy. Those included having to pay all the household expenses, buy the groceries and cook for her daughter. Lea was reported missing the next morning on Saturday, Sept. 20.
A day later, her body was found under a mound of dirt decorated with plastic flowers in the backyard of her Lake Shore Drive home. By then, Amy had told investigators that her mother had moved to Colorado with a woman named "Rose," whom she had met at Eastern Avenue Baptist Church in St. Cloud. She also said her mother's clothing, vitamins, and three suitcases were gone. Detectives did not find anyone by the name of 'Rose,' nor anyone who met 'Rose' at the Baptist church in St. Cloud.
On Tuesday, Sept. 22, an autopsy showed Lea died from head trauma. It was the same day a childhood friend of Amy's called the sheriff's office. Now living out of state, Melissa Smidt wanted to know if Amy's divorced father, retired sheriff's Capt. Ed Hawkins, was OK. A detective told her he was alive and well and asked why she was interested. Melissa informed the detective she spoke with Amy on 9/18/2015 and Amy said her father had passed away from a massive heart attack, and during the phone conversation, Amy told Melissa that her mother, Ora, passed away 3 months ago from a brain aneurysm and was buried in North Carolina next to her cousin. Melissa said Amy told her she was buying a round-trip ticket to fly to visit her on Sept. 21 for several days to renew their friendship.
Detectives found Amy had used her mother's credit card on Sept. 19— the day before her reported disappearance— to buy a $369 round-trip ticket on Spirit Airlines leaving Orlando on Sept. 21 and returning Sept. 25. They also discovered she used the same credit card to order $1,030 of merchandise from Walmart including an RCA 50-inch flat-screen TV. A FedEx driver delivered the TV days later while a deputy sheriff stood guard and yellow crime scene tape still surrounded Lea Hawkins' house.
On January 16, 2016, after less than two hours of deliberations, a jury found Amy Day Hawkins guilty in Ora Lea Hawkins' slaying. Amy, who maintains her innocence, was sentenced to life in prison.
In September 2015, Lea's oldest daughter Judy called authorities concerned that her mother went missing. After two days of searching, detectives found her mother's body buried in her mother's own backyard. Money from her mother's bank account had vanished also. Soon, Judy's younger sister, Amy Day Hawkins, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
Born in 1936, Lea grew up in Turtletown, Tenn., a small community near where Tennessee meets North Carolina and Georgia. She was the third of Alvin and Myrtle Taylor's seven children. Lea graduated high school, attended college, and met her husband through his cousin at The Varsity, an iconic drive-in restaurant in Atlanta. After they married, they had Judy, then Amy. Lea's husband worked as a manager for a railroad company, so they moved about every 18 months before settling in St. Cloud in 1973. They got a divorce about 10 years later. Lea got a job with the manufacturer Mercury Marine and took electrical engineering classes offered through the company. Lea's life centered on her two daughters and her friends. When Judy had a son, Lea constantly doted on him, in fact, her world revolved around her grandson.
The month Lea went missing, her younger daughter Amy had $1.87 in her bank account along with mounting credit card debt. Investigators believe Amy raided her mother's bank account, cutting herself a $2,500 check, drawing on a $6,000 line of credit, and withdrawing $400 in cash from her mother's debit card.
Deputies zeroed in on Amy as a person of interest, and after a few days of searching, found Oda Lea Hawkins' body buried in the backyard of the home she and her daughter Amy shared for 5 years. Details of Lea's last hours remain a mystery. At trial, prosecutors said Amy killed her mother over "a few thousand dollars."
Police found Lea buried in a flowerbed with fake flowers placed on top. Her body was found wrapped in garbage bags, a pink blanket, a rope, and a coaxial cable. The Osceola County Sheriff's Office arrested Amy — the same agency where her father, Capt. Ed Hawkins, worked for nearly 20 years and where she, too, worked until getting fired for 3 DUI-Drug arrests.
Amy's sister, Judy Schult, who lived nearby, told detectives she last saw her mother on Friday afternoon, Sept. 19 when her mother stopped by to talk about problems she was having with Amy. Those included having to pay all the household expenses, buy the groceries and cook for her daughter. Lea was reported missing the next morning on Saturday, Sept. 20.
A day later, her body was found under a mound of dirt decorated with plastic flowers in the backyard of her Lake Shore Drive home. By then, Amy had told investigators that her mother had moved to Colorado with a woman named "Rose," whom she had met at Eastern Avenue Baptist Church in St. Cloud. She also said her mother's clothing, vitamins, and three suitcases were gone. Detectives did not find anyone by the name of 'Rose,' nor anyone who met 'Rose' at the Baptist church in St. Cloud.
On Tuesday, Sept. 22, an autopsy showed Lea died from head trauma. It was the same day a childhood friend of Amy's called the sheriff's office. Now living out of state, Melissa Smidt wanted to know if Amy's divorced father, retired sheriff's Capt. Ed Hawkins, was OK. A detective told her he was alive and well and asked why she was interested. Melissa informed the detective she spoke with Amy on 9/18/2015 and Amy said her father had passed away from a massive heart attack, and during the phone conversation, Amy told Melissa that her mother, Ora, passed away 3 months ago from a brain aneurysm and was buried in North Carolina next to her cousin. Melissa said Amy told her she was buying a round-trip ticket to fly to visit her on Sept. 21 for several days to renew their friendship.
Detectives found Amy had used her mother's credit card on Sept. 19— the day before her reported disappearance— to buy a $369 round-trip ticket on Spirit Airlines leaving Orlando on Sept. 21 and returning Sept. 25. They also discovered she used the same credit card to order $1,030 of merchandise from Walmart including an RCA 50-inch flat-screen TV. A FedEx driver delivered the TV days later while a deputy sheriff stood guard and yellow crime scene tape still surrounded Lea Hawkins' house.
On January 16, 2016, after less than two hours of deliberations, a jury found Amy Day Hawkins guilty in Ora Lea Hawkins' slaying. Amy, who maintains her innocence, was sentenced to life in prison.
Gravesite Details
Findagrave won't let me add the cemetery for some reason. Entombment is in the Memory of Life Mausoleum at the Osceola Memory Gardens Cemetery, Funeral Home and Crematory, 2000 13th Street, Saint Cloud, FL 34769
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