AL AL - J.B. Beasley, 17, & Tracie Hawlett, 17, Ozark, 31 July 1999 #1

[killarney rose]

That's what I think too. Our "dirt roads" are a really light almost yellow dirt color. And if we went "mudding" the mud would be a really deep brown to almost grey color, even when it dried. Same as our front yards or "burms" on the side of the road.

Sounds pretty much like our dirt. Some places have orange clay though.Especially dirt roads.

 

[Bonnie Blue]

I just finished watching all 4 parts of the CourtTV video. Did anyone recognize the area where the male psychic said the murders took place? Just curious if a picture of that area has been posted.

 

[CoolJ]

Snipped by me to avoid making this a huge post.

Your questions about Barrantine and how close the girls were are very good. I'm curious about the grease stain too. To reply to your other questions:

8. I believe it's been mentioned before that Merritt and her daughter said that they left before the girls. They gave the girls directions and hung around until Tracie made the phone call to her mother. Then they believed it was safe enough to leave. It's also been reported (I don't know if it was by the witnesses or what) that the girls left right after them, presumably because the call had been quick. This means that the witnesses probably knew which way the girls went because they had just given them directions and maybe saw the girl or the head lights a few feet behind them before losing them.

9. Not odd. IIRC the girls thought it would be open too. I asked if the store had closed right after Merritt and her daughter bought the soda or if they too had gotten the opening hours wrong. Dime Detective replied to one of my recent posts (page 11) and clarified that there was a soda machine outside the store and this what they were there for.

10. I read in this thread (I think it's around the second or third page) that the witnesses came forward soon after they heard about the case. Dime Detective has a case file type post at the beginning of this thread that may be helpful to you, it's on the second or third page.

11. This is a question people have been asking for the past few pages. I don't believe that anything to that effect has been reported. The big question here is why, maybe they said something about it (such as being the source for the tire information) and the media didn't report it, or they just didn't see or notice the truck.

12. The timeline as to when the truck arrived has been debated because LE gave a time frame and it's been read in different ways - that the truck was there that whole time or that it could have been arrived there at any time during that period. I think that the Merritts arrived before the girls. I also think they would have noticed a truck driving into the parking lot so I assume it's probably white truck, then the Merritts, then girls if the witnesses were there before the girls were. If they arrived later, it could be white truck, Merritts, girls or Merritt getting there first and then the white truck and the girls arriving more or less simultaneously. As to leaving, I believe it's been reported that Merritt left the store and J.B. and Tracie left after them, with the security tape showing the white truck leaving between them. DD has a timeline on page 3.

15&16. Not that odd, to me at least. It's possible that they wanted to be at the party for as long as they could, you know? It was J.B.'s birthday party. I think it's also possible that J.B. waited for Tracie to leave work because nobody else would give her a ride, but that Tracie (because of her curfew) was going to leave earlier with friends with a similar curfew. The party was a field party at the house of one of their friends who lived in a rural area. I was confused by this too until I read DD's case file post. They were calling their friend's house.

17. Ozark was north of Dothan as was their friend's house, except the house was closer. It sounds very likely to me that they were indeed lost, or maybe decided to at least drive around and chat. I don't know where you got that at 10:30 they decided not to go for the party? The theory is that it's likely that they decided that they wouldn't go because they had to turn back and were lost anyway, but I don't think it's known with absolute certainty. From what Tracie's mother said I agree they were probably already set on not going to the party but we don't know exactly when they made up their mind. I do believe that either way, whether they were still trying to find the party or go back to Dothan they were still lost and ended up in Ozark.

19. I would like to know if there were fingerprints too... it's possible that there were no fingerprints but that it's a print of the palm area minus fingers IMO.

24. I'm not sure but I think it might be simply that Hawlett's family chose to handle their grief privately. It doesn't mean that the relevant details were not shared with LE or that anything shady was going on, just that giving secondary details to the press may have been more than they could handle.

I seriously recommend reading DD's posts in this thread (everyone's too but DD has made at least a couple of timeline/information posts and seems to have devoted a lot of time to this case... you can find one on page 1 and another on page 3).

Veidt - thank you for taking the time to give your thoughts to my post. Yes I have read DD's extremely well thought out and researched posts, a couple of times actually. But I guess the major point I have been trying to make in my posts is that we just don't have any facts, LE is keeping this one very tight lipped. To me it just feels as though if we had the info/evidence that they surely have(See list below) we would have a much much clearer picture.

1. analysis of girls clothing
2. analysis of interior/exterior of car
3. 2 shell casings (one with bodies and one at possible crime scene)
4. general knowledge LE would have of their small town - should have abled them to zero in on an area that would have made pants and shoes muddy and wet
5. pool of registered white trucks in Ozark and surrounding communities, including what should have been hundreds of white truck owners questioned
6. EXACT witness statements from Merritt and daughter including date and time reported
7. Specifics of witness statement re: the screams heard that night but reported 8 months later
8. The questioning of what should be dozens of people who were close to or had interactions with the two girls
9. The specifics of how Johnny Barrentine became involved (i.e. he came forward himself, his wife came forward, his original story and the changes to his story (oh how i would love to watch that initial 4 hour interview)
10. Specifics of Barrentines wife statements

I think i could go on and on here with the overwhelming amount of evidence/forensics and general police work info that LE would have in this case file, but the point is I feel as though if we had all of these specifics, we would have a pretty damn good idea of how this whole thing went down but the general feeling I get from local LE is that they are stumped. It may seem as though I might be being a bit of a contrarian here looking for the dramatics but I really smell either some sort of a cover up or some sort of diversion/interference by people involved with this case(could be LE as a whole, a small fraction of LE, witnesses or suspects). This case should be solved by now, should have been solved well over a decade ago with all of the information local LE SHOULD have. That is what my instincts are telling me now, but I am an extremely open minded and intuitive person and am very open to learning more and maybe my thoughts will change, but this is where I am at right now.

Also, just wanted to say thanks and shout outs to everyone here, this thread has really had some great insights. Although this case centres around a very horrific crime it is also quite intriguing and I am glad I came upon this thread. you are all awesome! a lot of great thinkers in here!

 

[jenstar]

old as the hills, I would imagine they looked at that one up, down and sideways.

cant say for sure though.

I can't say for sure either. I'm sure if I'd have come by this in the thread, that I would have been inclined to discuss it. Does it look familiar to you?

 

[CoolJ]

Respectfully snipped.

I've always thought Marilyn Merritt and her daughter stopped and bought soda at an outdoor Coke machine in front of the store.

DD could you elaborate on what led you to this conclusion. Thanks.. keep up the great work!

Also, do we have any indication as to what time the store closed that night? Was there a worker still inside?

 

[bearx]

Is there actually a soda machine outside that convenience store? I don't know how old the "old" picture posted was, but in both that one and the ones taken by you guys, I didn't see a soda machine.

 

[shadowangel]

In some cases, I can understand LE's holding back of key information. However, I'm not really sure I understand how it will help them in the long run in this case--They have both print and DNA evidence to help identify and prosecute suspects.

I'd think justice might be more readily served, after all these years, by releasing some of the pertinent info to the public that's been held back.

Just my opinion, of course.

 

[jenstar]

In some cases, I can understand LE's holding back of key information. However, I'm not really sure I understand how it will help them in the long run in this case--They have both print and DNA evidence to help identify and prosecute suspects.

I'd think justice might be more readily served, after all these years, by releasing some of the pertinent info to the public that's been held back.

Just my opinion, of course.

I back you up on that. I feel that most of our research would be better off backed up by what LE actually knows as fact. Who usually speaks to LE if we have questions about the case? A moderator?

 

[killarney rose]

Is there actually a soda machine outside that convenience store? I don't know how old the "old" picture posted was, but in both that one and the ones taken by you guys, I didn't see a soda machine.

I looked earlier today. The only part of the storefront not visible is where the payphone is at the store presently. There are many B/L stores in this area. I don't remember any of them having outside drink machines. But that doesn't mean this particular one didn't have one.

 

[LR1]

I can't say for sure either. I'm sure if I'd have come by this in the thread, that I would have been inclined to discuss it. Does it look familiar to you?

sorry jenstar, I didn't mean for it to sound like its not worth discussing and certainly wasn't implying it but yes I've seen it before. I actually thought it'd been around longer than 2006. I have googled the girls names over the years checking on possible movement that never happened and that would always be one of the things that came up. My thinking was those tasked with investigating had more than likely heard of this if not from the person that wrote it coming forward then certainly from tipsters that would have sent it in. but having said all that I cant say for sure that they've seen this particular blog post.

 

[LR1]

Barrentine called/went to the video warehouse to see if he could rent the security video from the big/little store of the night the girls were there. he supposedly was in an some kind of altercation possibly involving a black truck and thought for some reason the video warehouse would have that video. This was the day after I believe. needless to say the clerk thought it suspicious and dropped a dime on him and they went and had a talk. First with the wife and then himself at work I believe.

 

[LucyOso]

When the bodies bled out, the blood would have just dropped out of the bottom of the car in a manner consistent with gravity and a stationary object. Instead, the police observed that the blood sprayed along the bottom of the car in a manner consistent with wind impacting the blood as left the car. This would not happen if the girls had been killed at the final resting place of the car.

This makes sense about the blood spatter, what I find interesting is that the bullet casing was precariously resting on Tracie's leg. This would tell me that the crime scene was not down some really bumpy dirt road...That confuses me. Unless one girl was killed at a different location (nearer to Herring) then the other?

 

[Veidt]

You're sure asking a lot from me lol. jk lets get some feed back and let it play out. Like I say it might be my inferior set up or even my eyes playing tricks. Hopefully someone with more skills can blow it up but not too much that it distorts and post it.

Ok, I tried to clear the image a bit on Photoshop (I did a pretty shabby work in like 5 minutes, otherwise I would share it :blushing and you're right. I can see a trident-like thing on the door of the car. The left arm of the trident (so the one facing right on us, closest to the back of the truck) is sort of lower than the rest. The middle is higher and also straighter, while the right arm is taller than the other arm but shorter than the head, and also seems to bend in a little about halfway through, and then up again. It also looks like there's something small attached almost at the top of the middle arm. Like eyes on a cartoon character. To me it looks like it could be a cartoonish character, maybe, some kind of decorative image with a banner underneath or even a cartoon person holding a gun.

To me it also looks like there's someone on the side of the truck where that door is (passenger?). Even in the original image I used if you squint you can sort of see what looks like the seatbelt, and the visible part is diagonal (like this \) rather than straight down or coiled back, so it looks like it's being used. To me it also looks like there's an arm, maybe also a hoodie.

I hope this helps. Do you have a larger image than the one posted on page 3?

 

[jenstar]

This makes sense about the blood spatter, what I find interesting is that the bullet casing was precariously resting on Tracie's leg. This would tell me that the crime scene was not down some really bumpy dirt road...That confuses me. Unless one girl was killed at a different location (nearer to Herring) then the other?

This is just my observation of the shell casing. What if he'd planned on towing the car elsewhere; where the bodies and the car and the evidence wouldn't be found. That would explain why he just tossed the casing in the trunk.
He wasn't planning on the girls being reported missing so soon. Or his plan to ditch it all went wrong, he didn't have enough time, and he never went back to the car.

 

[Veidt]

old as the hills, I would imagine they looked at that one up, down and sideways.

cant say for sure though.

That post says she hasn't called in a tip because she believes nothing will be done due to police corruption in Ozark. Someone in '12 commented telling her to tell someone, anyone, if not the PD then the FBI or anyone else. I wonder if she did this, it doesn't sound like it so I hope that any US readers who saw it ended up calling.

 

[jenstar]

Ok, I tried to clear the image a bit on Photoshop (I did a pretty shabby work in like 5 minutes, otherwise I would share it :blushing and you're right. I can see a trident-like thing on the door of the car. The left arm of the trident (so the one facing right on us, closest to the back of the truck) is sort of lower than the rest. The middle is higher and also straighter, while the right arm is taller than the other arm but shorter than the head, and also seems to bend in a little about halfway through, and then up again. It also looks like there's something small attached almost at the top of the middle arm. Like eyes on a cartoon character. To me it looks like it could be a cartoonish character, maybe, some kind of decorative image with a banner underneath or even a cartoon person holding a gun.

To me it also looks like there's someone on the side of the truck where that door is (passenger?). Even in the original image I used if you squint you can sort of see what looks like the seatbelt, and the visible part is diagonal (like this \) rather than straight down or coiled back, so it looks like it's being used. To me it also looks like there's an arm, maybe also a hoodie.

I hope this helps. Do you have a larger image than the one posted on page 3?

oh my goodness...
I FB'd towing services
Does this resemble your logo you've clarified?
https://www.facebook.com/search/174...iOiJwYWdlIiwidGV4dCI6Ik96YXJrLCBBbGFiYW1hIn1d


also, I couldn't blow it up any larger or it would get further distorted.

 

[Bonnie Blue]

oh my goodness...
I FB'd towing services
Does this resemble your logo you've clarified?
https://www.facebook.com/search/174...iOiJwYWdlIiwidGV4dCI6Ik96YXJrLCBBbGFiYW1hIn1d


also, I couldn't blow it up any larger or it would get further distorted.

I don't think that's the right link.

 

[jenstar]

I don't think that's the right link.

Ok, well it was a link to Pinky's South Union Garage, Ozark Alabama. But, on further research it was founded in 2012.
Previously owned by Joe called Joe's South Union Garage opened may of 2007 usually when a business changes hands the trucks go with it.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Joes-South-Union-Garage/171106811849?sk=photos_stream

also from this forum Marshall Collins owns a competitor
it seems like the same group of people we're dealing with and it all changes hands within the group. There's one owner (of the buildings) to a few of the shops in the area. However, the people leasing are competitors.

http://forums.dragcoverage.com/showthread.php?t=110308&page=2

 

[Wondergirl]

Edited by me to focus on this one question.
From looking at all the photos that members went and took at the scene which were priceless and fantastic on a cold case. Everything is very close in distant. From the payphone, the highway to where they were found, the members stressed just how close the areas of interest and discussion were so close to each other.

Perhaps this is the area the girls stopped to allow the one to use the bathroom and they were abducted from this site. As you look at the crime scene photo of the detectives looking in the trunk. The girl could have parked just like that and maybe left the headlights on so the passenger could get out and walk up to and pass the trees you see there to use the bathroom. While setting there waiting the killer came up on the drivers side and more or less forced his way in to the back seat. I believe that is the side the grease was found, behind the driver...That distance from the payphone to where they were found is short. just a quick turnoff it looks like. If the killer was in the truck watching them leave the payphone he was not far from them in distance when they made that fatal stop. He returned the vehicle to the area it was originally in and parked it the same way as the girl did. And then walked back to his truck and left the area.

Good post.

Was the vehicle found without its lights on?

How did their vehicle use that full tank of gas, that was reported?

Has there been any sort of mileage reconstruction done?

Is the time known for the screams that the witness heard, and where was she located? Did she confirm it was 2 distinct sets of screams, and if so, why didn't she investigate or call LE?

 

[jenstar]

Good post.

Was the vehicle found without its lights on?

How did their vehicle use that full tank of gas, that was reported?

Has there been any sort of mileage reconstruction done?

Is the time known for the screams that the witness heard, and where was she located? Did she confirm it was 2 distinct sets of screams, and if so, why didn't she investigate or call LE?

I believe dime detective did a rough guestimate of the mileage from the time of the fill up but its a few pages back.
LE investigated the area where they believed there could have been a murder scene and they found an additional shell. Also in Dime's notes a few pages back.