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

[killarney rose]

Me too. I hate to see it fading away again. I still check it regularly.

 

[DimeDetective]

I still think about this. Bump in the night <3

Me too. I hate to see it fading away again. I still check it regularly.

There has been a lull in the conversation recently, but don't be discouraged. I've been working away on a list of several items pertaining to our sleuthing of this case, including our lists of tips and questions for LE.

After posting about and subsequently hitting dead ends with America's Most Wanted, The Maury Show, and Ebony Horton at The Dothan Eagle, I've been focusing more on working toward producing results to then post about. I've run into more dead ends in the process.

It's been more difficult than I'd imagined to get in contact with a local reporter who knows the case. Several I've tried, such as Kay Kirkland with The Southeast Sun out of Enterprise and Michelle J. Wilson from The Troy Messenger, are no longer with the daily papers where they wrote about the case over the years.

Also, as victimology (or the lack thereof) has been one of our major sources of frustration, I've been spending a lot of time trying to find, connect with, and hopefully include in our conversation a family member or friend of the girls; so far I've had no luck.

I do have one question right now for KR, LR1, and any other locals: Are you aware of any fairs, festivals, or carnivals that would have been going on in the area during or around the time the girls were murdered?

And one other thing:

Right now I'm reading what is known in LE as the benchmark/Bible of homicide investigation, Practical Homicide Investigation: Tactics, Procedures, and Forensic Techniques by Vernon J. Geberth, and I came across something I wanted to share here to encourage everyone to keep going:

Homicides are usually solved because the detective cares.

 

[killarney rose]

I don't know about the others, but unless there was a little parking lot carnival passing through the area at the time, I can't think of any shows in the area. If there was indeed one of those that sets up in parking lots I would think it obviously would have been set up in Ozark for the killer to have been in Ozark, unless he was a local and went to Ozark to visit friends/family while in the area.

I was concerned you wouldn't have any luck with local media. They just don't seem to be interested in local stories. If they can't sit in the office and pull something from a wire service, they don't write it up, it seems.

As far as Kay Kirkland, I remember a few years back there was a write up when she left the Sun...I can't remember specifically what she said her plans were...maybe retire? I think she lived in Daleville at the time....

 

[LR1]

I'm almost positive I read a comment somewhere not long ago saying there was a fair/carnival in town and that someone involved with that outfit had been questioned. But I cant for the life of me find where I read it. I checked wiregrass with no luck so far. By the way there's a few rather long threads from back in 07 about the case in the "Dale co. chat" portion over there that provides for an interesting read If you haven't already. also for the record I'm not what would be considered a local and didn't mean to give that impression.

after further review it was the circus that was supposedly in town at the time according to one poster on page 4 in the "Questions about JB" thread over on wiregrass.

FBI - Was called in by Ozark due to the circus being in town at the time of the murder. Their was a theory that one of the circus workers might of done it and since they were across state lines by the time of the theory the feds were called in. Guy with circus was cleared. They also provided some profile help

 

[DimeDetective]

Thanks for your input, KR and LR1.

A couple things:

1. Another recent idea I had that hit a wall was contacting Websleuths member Peter Brendt and asking if he'd take the time to review the facts of this case and offer his opinion on whether he believes the girls' murders are the work of a serial killer. I've always admired PB for his exceptionally intelligent posts and profiles of serial killers, including his contributions to the Long Island Serial Killer forum. However, it appears his WS account status recently changed to "Inactive." Anyone else have a WS member in mind who might join us and shed some light on a particular aspect of this case?

Update: I have found Peter Brendt's website which includes a link to submit e-mails. I'll contact him today.

2. I believe I've found Pat of Wiregrass.com on Facebook. It is my understanding that he was behind the very useful Chronology of Events document. As I've had difficulty thus far verifying through a media source that the white truck was indeed cleared, perhaps we could ask for his help. He may remember or have access to his original 2004 media source for this information. Would a member who is an active Facebook user mind sending him a quick private message in an attempt to verify that the white truck was ruled out?

 

[DimeDetective]

9 mil hand gun is also the standard issued handgun for the Military.( perp could be familiar with the weapon as to why he used a 9mil)

From http://usmilitary.about.com/od/armyweapons/a/M9.htm:

The M9 pistol is a semiautomatic handgun that fires 9 millimeter bullets from a 15 round magazine. The weapon is manufactured by gun maker Beretta. It has been in use by the U.S. military since 1990.

A 9mm handgun is used in a double murder ten minutes from a military base where thousands of soldiers, each issued a 9mm handgun, work and live. (Fort Rucker has a daytime population of about 5,800 people in uniform.) Add to this the fact that no other similar murders were committed in the area over a long period of time contrasted with the relatively short periods of time soldiers are stationed in the area at Fort Rucker. What are the chances a soldier committed the murders?

But then we also have to consider the possibility of a staged crime scene. In fact, the primary crime scene in this case (J.B.'s car on Herring Avenue) could possibly have been manipulated by a non-LE, non-military killer to redirect the investigation &#8212; in two entirely different directions:

1. J.B.'s license was found on the dashboard and her window was down "a few inches." The killer may have arranged these two pieces of evidence to point to a law enforcement officer as the perpetrator.

2. The girls were both shot with a 9mm handgun. The killer, aware that thousands of soldiers &#8212; all armed with 9mm handguns &#8212; are a 10-minute drive away, may have chosen this weapon to direct the investigation away from himself and toward military members stationed at Fort Rucker.

Of course we also have to consider that a) a military killer who used his 9mm handgun in the murders staged the scene (license, window) to point to a LE officer, or b) a LE officer who pulled the girls over and subsequently murdered them chose to do so with a 9mm handgun to point to a military killer.

And what about a military police officer (MP)?

 

[DimeDetective]

Why was a palm print recovered from the trunk lid but no other prints were found?

 

[killarney rose]

I was thinking MP before I even got to the end of your post DD!

My thoughts are
An MP
A soldier
A former soldier
or just a local.

I still believe, due the the girls inadvertantly ending up lost in Ozark that this was a crime of opportunity.
Any of the people listed above could have been out, and had a 9mm gun with them.


There are quite a few gun shops and pawn shops selling guns in the towns around Ft Rucker. So I would think it would be easy for a local if not in the military to buy one. I'm assuming his background check is clean and also that would explain why there was no DNA or fingerprints in the system.


I believe an MP would fit as a suspect. In fact, in a crime of opportunity, if he had a badge or credentials, he might have even used them to get the girls cooperation in order to overpower them.

Why only a palm print on the car?

How about if our man was very careful until something happened to fluster/frustrate/ panic him and that is when it all went south and he got the girls in the trunk, stopped being careful, and shot them.Then ditched the car and walked either to his house or vehicle. Meaning the girls were taken by him very soon after pulling out of the B/L store.


We have thrown lots of ideas around about the killer possibly being a serial killer. And it's possible. But from the beginning of my reading this case, I have always believed it was either a soldier from FT Rucker that lived in Ozark that might have killed in other places he was stationed, or a resident of Ozark who was a one time killer.


There are 3 main towns in the area that Ft Rucker personel tend to live in. Enterpise gets most of them. It s middle to upper middle class.

Then there are Ozark and Daleville. They are not quite as well to do as Enterprise. Each of the 3 towns has a gate to Ft Rucker.

We get quite a few military personel that come back to the area to retire. What if the killer was the son of a retired miltary person with access to daddy's gun?

 

[DimeDetective]

I've often wondered if a guard at a Fort Rucker gate might have remembered a soldier who seemed agitated entering the base the night of the murders. Then I read this (from Wikipedia with no source cited, so of course we must take it with a grain of salt):

In the years before the September 11, 2001 attacks, the main post (except airfields and other restricted areas) was an open post with unmanned gates allowing civilians to drive through.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Rucker

 

[DimeDetective]

This image is from the Haunting Evidence episode. If this was how J.B.'s ID was discovered on the dashboard, does it strike anyone else that it looks precarious, especially considering that the car was driven around between the time the girls were stopped and when the car was left on Herring Avenue?

Even if the above image is not an actual crime scene photo (it doesn't appear to be) or an accurate representation of how the ID was discovered by LE, doesn't it still seem strange the the ID was found on the dashboard after the car was driven around before being abandoned? Have you ever tried to drive with something on your dashboard? One turn and it slides around and usually falls off.

Was J.B.'s ID placed on the dashboard near the end of the crime's timeline by the killer? Even if J.B. was the one who originally took it out for a false traffic stop by the killer and placed it on the dashboard and it subsequently fell off at some point while the car was being driven around (likely), why would the killer bother to put it on the dashboard before exiting the vehicle and the scene on Herring?

 

[killarney rose]

I can tell you for sure that none of the gates were manned until 9/11. I used to drive through the base all the time. There were also gates that were simply country roads leading to Ft Rucker with no type of gate, fence, etc at them.

 

[Dixie811]

I had some thoughts about the palm print. If this was a crime of opportunity, the killer may not have had gloves with him.

Prior to killing the girls, he could have forced (by pointing the gun at them) them to do whatever was required with the car-- (open the trunk, open the car door and get out, climb in the trunk, etc.) After he killed them in the trunk, perhaps the first time he himself touched the car was when he closed the trunk (could have been panicked/rushing to close it quickly before someone drove up or came looking to explain the sound of gunfire)... he may simply not have been thinking about a palm print at that moment.

If the palm print isn't the result of being absent minded, then I had another thought... how many average citizens in '99 were aware that palm prints can be used like fingerprints? It is a palm print rather than a hand print, maybe he was purposely avoiding leaving finger prints by taking care to shut the trunk using only his palm-- but did realize how identifiable a palm print is?

However the palm print on the trunk happened-- the killer could have driven the car to Herring Ave by pulling sleeves down over his hands, or using a hankerchief to keep from touching his fingers/hands directly on the steering wheel/ignition/door handle.

I doubt that if this was a crime of opportunity, the killer had gloves with him. BUT it is definitely possible.

 

[DimeDetective]

Since I last posted, I've had some random thoughts running through my mind about the girls' killer being a trucker, a trucker tied to the Daytona Beach killings and Kem's case related to the girls. Again, I'm not really leaning that way, however, there were(are?) 2 trucking companies based in Opp, Al- HD Edgar trucking, and Faulk Wholesale Grocery which employs truck drivers. And it certainly is not a stretch for someone employed by either company to live in Ozark. I'd like to hear everyones thoughts on this.

Based on the strange timeline in that case, the Daytona Beach Killer could definitely be from somewhere other than DB. A trucker is a strong possibility, especially when you consider the many murders attributed to unknown long-haul truckers in Florida.

Another thought I have is the timeline could indicate that the DBK could be an older man from somewhere up north who spends his winters in Florida, as all four of the DB murders took place during winter months: December, January, and February of '05-'06, and then not again until December 2007. The one-murder-a-month timeline of the first three murders may indicate an extended stay in the area, which fits this theory. Perhaps for some reason the DBK did not return the following winter, but did the winter after that, which is when he killed again.

The two trucking companies you named should definitely be looked into, especially given that they are based in Opp, where Kemberly Ramer was from.

KR, are you aware of any truck stops in Ozark?

I was thinking MP before I even got to the end of your post DD!

My thoughts are
An MP
A soldier
A former soldier
or just a local.

I still believe, due the the girls inadvertantly ending up lost in Ozark that this was a crime of opportunity.
Any of the people listed above could have been out, and had a 9mm gun with them.


There are quite a few gun shops and pawn shops selling guns in the towns around Ft Rucker. So I would think it would be easy for a local if not in the military to buy one. I'm assuming his background check is clean and also that would explain why there was no DNA or fingerprints in the system.


I believe an MP would fit as a suspect. In fact, in a crime of opportunity, if he had a badge or credentials, he might have even used them to get the girls cooperation in order to overpower them.

Mainly due to Fort Rucker, there is without a doubt a very high concentration of 9mm handguns in the Ozark area. Certainly higher than the average town its size. Which could either point to or mask the killer's identity.

I'm still with you in leaning toward this being a crime of opportunity. The fact that the girls' plans were ruined earlier in the evening and as a result they were without a plan when they crossed paths with the killer makes it extremely difficult to imagine a scenario where the killer knew the girls, followed them along their meandering path that night without being noticed, or knew where they were going to be at a given point in time.

ITA agree with your thoughts on the perpetrator possibly being an MP. This would explain why the evidence can be so easily interpreted as pointing to both LE and military.

Why only a palm print on the car?

How about if our man was very careful until something happened to fluster/frustrate/ panic him and that is when it all went south and he got the girls in the trunk, stopped being careful, and shot them.Then ditched the car and walked either to his house or vehicle. Meaning the girls were taken by him very soon after pulling out of the B/L store.

I had some thoughts about the palm print. If this was a crime of opportunity, the killer may not have had gloves with him.

Prior to killing the girls, he could have forced (by pointing the gun at them) them to do whatever was required with the car-- (open the trunk, open the car door and get out, climb in the trunk, etc.) After he killed them in the trunk, perhaps the first time he himself touched the car was when he closed the trunk (could have been panicked/rushing to close it quickly before someone drove up or came looking to explain the sound of gunfire)... he may simply not have been thinking about a palm print at that moment.

If the palm print isn't the result of being absent minded, then I had another thought... how many average citizens in '99 were aware that palm prints can be used like fingerprints? It is a palm print rather than a hand print, maybe he was purposely avoiding leaving finger prints by taking care to shut the trunk using only his palm-- but did realize how identifiable a palm print is?

However the palm print on the trunk happened-- the killer could have driven the car to Herring Ave by pulling sleeves down over his hands, or using a hankerchief to keep from touching his fingers/hands directly on the steering wheel/ignition/door handle.

I doubt that if this was a crime of opportunity, the killer had gloves with him. BUT it is definitely possible.

Great thoughts, KR and Dixie811. Really good points. I'm going to think on this for a while.

We have thrown lots of ideas around about the killer possibly being a serial killer. And it's possible. But from the beginning of my reading this case, I have always believed it was either a soldier from FT Rucker that lived in Ozark that might have killed in other places he was stationed, or a resident of Ozark who was a one time killer.

There are 3 main towns in the area that Ft Rucker personel tend to live in. Enterpise gets most of them. It s middle to upper middle class.

Then there are Ozark and Daleville. They are not quite as well to do as Enterprise. Each of the 3 towns has a gate to Ft Rucker.

We get quite a few military personel that come back to the area to retire. What if the killer was the son of a retired miltary person with access to daddy's gun?

When you factor in not only all the military in the area, but former military, family members of military, etc., it starts to become difficult to imagine how this crime was not committed by someone with military ties, doesn't it?

But again, the killer could have been thinking along these lines and made certain choices in order to leave evidence of a military (or LE) connection to deflect suspicion.

Some of the evidence points to an organized killer which makes me think military (only one print left, lack of DNA and trace evidence in the car, execution-style murders), and then some of the evidence points to a disorganized killer (that one print on the trunk lid, DNA on J.B., driving the car after the murders). Perhaps the more disorganized evidence points to a first-time/one-time killer as you've theorized, KR.

 

[DimeDetective]

1. Why did the killer drive the car to Herring Avenue following the murders? (I believe this is a key question in this case.)

2. We've touched on the gang activity in Ozark at the time of the murders. What types of crimes were the area gangs known to have committed?

3. J.B.'s car was low on gas when found. This has been discussed in relation to the conclusion that the girls were abducted, taken to and murdered in one location and then transported to Herring Avenue. But we know the girls got lost that night and drove far out of their way, taking a long wandering route up to Ozark. What if J.B., noticing the car was low on gas and unable to fill up at the Big/Little Store, stopped at an Ozark gas station after they left the Big/Little Store and this was where the killer intercepted them?

4. Carol Roberts stated in MSM reports that her reaction upon hearing where Tracie and J.B. ended up was: "Ozark?" Does anyone else feel like this reaction is very telling in terms of Tracie and her family's relationship to Ozark? Why would a 17-year-old high school girl from Dothan (the region's largest city) have any reason to be in Ozark (a small town with little to offer teens)? My reading of this reaction is that it lends credibility to what Tracie told her mother on the phone that night, that the girls really were lost.

 

[DimeDetective]

From The Tuscaloosa News, "Suspect Takes Stand to Deny Involvement in Teens' Deaths," October 10, 1999:

"[Barrentine's wife] said he went out July 31, was gone longer than she expected, and came home looking like he was in a state of shock," Emery told Dale County Circuit Judge P.B. McLauchlin. "He told her a black truck hit him...she said he was so scared he stayed up all night and watched TV."

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...88yAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TaYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7132,1799454

This is troubling.

 

[indicajane]

I don't have a ton to add, first Tim's I read about this case and still digesting the information BUT:

1. While 9 mm are standard issue for soldier's, they aren't given to the soldiers to take home. These are issued and utilized for practices,maneuvers, and if the soldiers are deployed. To the best of knowledge the only soldier who would be able to "check out" their weapon on a more regular basis would be MPs,and even they (at least on the base we just left) had to check back in their weapons on the end if their shift. Of course, many soldiers own their own personal weapons, and many may prefer 9 mm, as it is what they have trained on.
(
2. Was there any testing,or could there have been,on the phone booth to see if there were additional calls made? I know the girls called a mother, but it was mentioned they had made a call earlier for directions. If the party was sorta out in the middle of nowhere,it made me wonder as to their point of contact at the party? My family livesin South Alabama,my sister was the same age as these girls,having graduated in 00,and she had a cell phone,as did several of her classmates during their junior and senior year of high school. No where near as it is now, obviously,but as we resided within 45 minutes away, pretty sure it wasn't unheard of for this group of teenagers either. Makes me wonder if the girls hadn't called someone at the party who owned a cellphone just to let them know they weren't going to make it,and that someone, or someone's said, "hang on! Your just down the street. Sit tight and I'll(we'll) be right there"

Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk 2

 

[DimeDetective]

The Andalusia Star-News is currently running a series on Covington County's unsolved cases called "Somebody Knows Something." Today's story was about Kemberly Ramer:

The Star-News is bringing the spotlight back to Ramer’s disappearance, and other unsolved crimes, after the Covington County District Attorney’s Office revealed a 15-member cold case task force had been formed was in an active investigation.

http://www.andalusiastarnews.com/20...f-top-cold-cases-chief-believes-girl-is-dead/

 

[DimeDetective]

I don't have a ton to add, first Tim's I read about this case and still digesting the information BUT:

1. While 9 mm are standard issue for soldier's, they aren't given to the soldiers to take home. These are issued and utilized for practices,maneuvers, and if the soldiers are deployed. To the best of knowledge the only soldier who would be able to "check out" their weapon on a more regular basis would be MPs,and even they (at least on the base we just left) had to check back in their weapons on the end if their shift. Of course, many soldiers own their own personal weapons, and many may prefer 9 mm, as it is what they have trained on.
(
2. Was there any testing,or could there have been,on the phone booth to see if there were additional calls made? I know the girls called a mother, but it was mentioned they had made a call earlier for directions. If the party was sorta out in the middle of nowhere,it made me wonder as to their point of contact at the party? My family livesin South Alabama,my sister was the same age as these girls,having graduated in 00,and she had a cell phone,as did several of her classmates during their junior and senior year of high school. No where near as it is now, obviously,but as we resided within 45 minutes away, pretty sure it wasn't unheard of for this group of teenagers either. Makes me wonder if the girls hadn't called someone at the party who owned a cellphone just to let them know they weren't going to make it,and that someone, or someone's said, "hang on! Your just down the street. Sit tight and I'll(we'll) be right there"

Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk 2

Welcome, indicajane!

Thanks very much for clarifying the policy on 9mm standard issues for us. This information certainly needs to be taken into consideration. Very good point re: soldiers possibly preferring 9mm handguns based on familiarity.

I've never seen a single mention of cell phones in all my reading about this case. There wasn't much information released in media reports re: the girls' friends or those at the party that night. Very early in the investigation LE were unclear as to whether the girls ever made it to the party, but they did eventually find that no one reported seeing the girls there. Though it was never reported, we're left to assume that any and all leads among the girls' friends, classmates, the partygoers, etc., were checked out and cleared.

Really hope you'll continue to post on this case!

 

[indicajane]

Actually, it was one of the first posts, on the first page that made me think of the cell.

I believe it said something about the girls stopping at BP at 1030 to use a phone, it was thought to clarify directions to the party.

What made my adled brain skip to cell phone was, by 1030, you'd think most party goers would be AT the party, which was apparently in the middle of a field. That is why I figured they would have to have a contact with a cell phone.

Also, if at 1130 they called Traci (who was fixing to be late for curfews) mom, it would make sense, to me at least, they make have also contacted or attempted to contact the individual they had called an hour prior to let them.know they wouldn't be there,esp since party was being thrown FOR one of them.

I know, at any age, if friends were throwing me a party and I wasn't able to make it, it'd be if the utmost importance to me to let them know why, because I'd feel bad.

Also, we sideTrack had the 1130 curfew, but nothing I've seen suggested JB had a curfew that early. That was my curfew as well at the sane age, and most if my peers didn't have to be home until 1230-1. With JB as the "manipulative" teen, hers may have been later,or nonexistent. Perhaps she had plans fir dropping Traci off, and continuing to search for the party? Maybe between the phone call, and drive to Traci's the girls picked up a male friend with the intention he would then lead JB TO party after dropping off Traci, and he had other plans?

If I missed it, I apologize, do we know for sure the girls called a peer or peers at1030 from the BP, and do we know for sure JB was planning home after dropping off Traci?

Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk 2

 

[killarney rose]

It makes sense according to the timeline of the DB murders that the DBK could be a snowbird. But, to me, it also makes him less likely to be the girls killer for the same reason.

As for truck stops in Ozark- Yes! There was/is a truck stop at the intersection on Hwys 231 and 123S. If the girls saw that they were low on gas and pulled in there it fits with the 123S possible murder site, and that the girls possibly might have been taken there.

Regardless of the route the girls took from the B/L store to get to Hwy 231, they would have driven right by this truck stop on their way back to Dothan.And it was probably the only place open that late at night.

However, there is the chance, that the girls might have been following directions to 231 via Union Ave/123. If so, as mentioned there is a B/L store there also they might have pulled into. If not to get gas, perhaps to make a call to a friend expecting them at the party as suggested by Indicajane.


As far as gang activity at the time- IIRC, it was the usual gang on gang activity, conveinence store robberies, and we were all worried about car jackings.

DimeDetective- What are your thoughts on The Tuscaloosa News article?

Cell phone usage-

My two oldest boys were just out of high school in 1999 and going to local colleges. They had just gotten their own cell phones in 1999. so the phones were becoming popular- and affordable. They got theirs through a special promo between the carrier and Radio Shack.