Debbie Hawk's neighbors react after remains of her are believed to have been found

HANFORD, Calif. (KFSN) -- A 10-year-old mystery may have been solved in the South Valley. The skeletal remains of Debbie Hawk are believed to have been found in a field south of Lemoore.

Hawk vanished from her Hanford home in 2006 and her husband, Dave Hawk, is serving a life sentence for her murder even though no physical evidence ever linked him to the crime.

Hawk's home was sold after she disappeared in 2006 but her name was never forgotten.

"The whole neighborhood, the whole town was shocked," said a neighbor who didn't want to be identified.

She was Hawk's neighbor and she remembers the search. "Oh my goodness, they searched everywhere around here. Every place, there were huge amounts of people out searching."

Investigators found Hawk's van in Fresno and blood in her home, but there was no sign of a body. Still, her husband Dave was convicted of the murder and sent to prison for life.

Years later, there was very little hope of finding Debbie. But on Friday, two farmworkers stumbled on bones in a field south of Lemoore and they called the Kings County Sheriff's Office.

"My partner found the bones when he irrigated the field," said Jesus Tafoya, one of the men who found the bones.

Tafoya said he thought it was animal bones at first-- until he dug deeper and uncovered a jawbone with teeth intact and signs of dental work. The bones were clearly human, he says.

"When I saw that I felt real sad, scared, and all that. I never saw that before."

Detectives took over to look for more clues. The Sheriff's Office wouldn't confirm it but Debbie Hawk's sister told Action News the family was notified about the find and the skeletal remains are believed to be those of her sister.

"Now it comes back, now they have to bury her," said the neighbor.

Neighbors hope it's enough to bring closure to the family and her kids who lost a mother with no explanation.

Hawk's neighbor said, "I really just feel sorry for the kids that have to have to go through this again. It's not over for them."

Wednesday we will get more answers when the sheriff's office holds a press conference. It's scheduled to be at 11:00 a.m. at the Sheriff's Office.