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

[iron_angel]

Killarney Rose,

Using Dale County's GIS for property information, it appears that house/barn at the suspected murder site is part of a larger 130 acre parcel that has been owned by the same people since 1993.

So, in this image, all of the structures belong to the same people.

I know we cant discuss ppl that havent been mention by LE but I was wondering if we can find out the name of the property owners including their adult sons and daughters?

The reason I am wondering is because I know that some states and Canadian provinces have this kind of court websites but I am not sure regarding AL. I am refering to a judicial site where you can look out for ppl criminal records. It would be interesting to know if the owner(s) of the lot (or any of their adult kids) have any violent criminal records.

The reasons I am thinking about it, is because if the murders took place there, IMO it has to be someone familiar with the location because 1) if the house was vacant then the murderer(s) had to know it was a safe place for a double murder 2) If it wasnt vacant, the house occupants would have heard noises and the gunshots etc and would have probably called the police right away for tresspass and I doubt the killer(s) would have taken such a high risk using guns in the same yard/location as an occupied house.

So in both case scenarios it has to be someone knowing a lot more about this location than a perfect stranger hence the reason if I was LE I would do a background check on the owner(s) of that property! But who knows maybe they already did it?

PS : Btw, It was a pain writing this text down since my mind was overthinking and I really dont excel at transcripting my ideas lol but I hope you understand what I was trying to say

 

[Gimpalong]

I'm new here and I'd prefer to wait to get a better handle on the etiquette of these forums, but I will say that the name of the current property owners is public information and is available via the GIS to which I've linked above.

I also think it's safe to say that LE probably took a look at the property owners and their backgrounds so any further inquiry is probably unnecessary, although more knowledge is never a bad thing.

 

[killarney rose]

I know we cant discuss ppl that havent been mention by LE but I was wondering if we can find out the name of the property owners including their adult sons and daughters?

The reason I am wondering is because I know that some states and Canadian provinces have this kind of court websites but I am not sure regarding AL. I am refering to a judicial site where you can look out for ppl criminal records. It would be interesting to know if the owner(s) of the lot (or any of their adult kids) have any violent criminal records.

The reasons I am thinking about it, is because if the murders took place there, IMO it has to be someone familiar with the location because 1) if the house was vacant then the murderer(s) had to know it was a safe place for a double murder 2) If it wasnt vacant, the house occupants would have heard noises and the gunshots etc and would have probably called the police right away for tresspass and I doubt the killer(s) would have taken such a high risk using guns in the same yard/location as an occupied house.

So in both case scenarios it has to be someone knowing a lot more about this location than a perfect stranger hence the reason if I was LE I would do a background check on the owner(s) of that property! But who knows maybe they already did it?

PS : Btw, It was a pain writing this text down since my mind was overthinking and I really dont excel at transcripting my ideas lol but I hope you understand what I was trying to say

I am trying to put pretty the same thoughts you seem to be having into words also!

I'd also like to add that just supposing that this is the murder scene.....the case locations all bear the similarity that each location is an out of the way area that has to be a well known and familiar location to the killer. What is the common thread of each location that links them to the killer?

 

[LR1]

Gimpalong, I think you nailed it my friend, at least the location in the old photo. The 2 trees in front look identical, one of the 2 trees to the left of the barn in the old photo is no longer there it seems. The tractor, fence-posts they all match.

I did a little poking around with the names, they appear to be elderly at this point. no luck in finding any offspring associated with the names. I hate to poke too much further knowing that LE would have already been all over that if they indeed thought this was the place where they were killed. I have thought that wherever it did go down it was probably somewhere well known to the killer and that he took the chance of transporting the bodies away from the scene because it was a place he could be easily tied to if they were ever found.

 

[Sunshine95]

How long would it take to walk from the where the car was found to the possible murder scene? That tan truck keeps with me. If someone followed them in the truck, or had them follow him so he could "lead them" back to the highway, he would either have to walk that distance back to vehicle after dropping the car, or to have had someone to help with either driving the suspect vehicle or getting a ride (in my opinion.)

 

[Gimpalong]

How long would it take to walk from the where the car was found to the possible murder scene?

It's about 2.2 miles from the intersection of US-231 to the suspected murder site we've been discussing. It's probably another mile or so to Herring Rd where the vehicle was found.

That's a fairly significant distance to walk; an hour more or less on foot depending on fitness. A long way to walk after having committed a crime. And on a main road without sidewalks where a pedestrian might be noticed.

I thought the white truck from the Little/Big had been ruled out as a suspect vehicle?

 

[HeatherD81]

Hi guys. I am new to this forum. In fact this is my first post. I want to give a little background to me so that I can give you a little background to other things.

I am from the area. I grew up in Dothan, lived in Ozark for a few years, lived in Dothan again, Napier Field, Malvern, and finally Newton. All of this was before I graduated High School. I am very familar with the area and I graduated from Dale County High School in 1999. I was a Teenage Volunteer (TAV for short) with Tracie and I worked with her mom a few years later both at the same hospital, Southeast Alabama Medical Center(SAMC). Tracie was just as sweet as she could be. I didn't know her all that well, but, I did know her. With an organization with less that 100 kids, you pretty much know everyone in it. The church that I went to for many years is Hillcrest Baptist Church in Ozark, AL. It is the church that is right around the corner from where the car was found. I played softball on the ball fields behind it. My brother's ex wife grew up in a house just around the corner from both the church and the site where they were found. I would also like to say that I did not know JB, but, from everything I have heard about her, she was impulsive, but, she was a good girl. Okay now to some answers to some questions.

I saw early on in the thread about maybe it was a rivalry since Tracie was a cheerleader and JB was a dancer. Northview High School(where the girls went to school) and Carroll High School(the high school in Ozark) were no longer big rivals. In fact this was shortly after Carroll dropped to 5A(they were 6A before, which is what Northview and Dothan High were)(These are a way of determining who you play in sports activities). Anyone who lives down here knows that football is as close to God as you can get. Carroll was not very good until they dropped to 5A where their biggest rivals became Dale County High School(where I went to school) and Daleville High School. So, I don't think a rivalry would have something to do with it.

The area they were found in is very hard to just stumble across. In fact, after I got my license and was trying to go to church by myself the first time, I got completely turned around that I wound up closer to Carroll than the church. So, knowing the area would be a plus to this killer. So, in my opinion, the killer knew the area and was very familiar with his surroundings. I know when I was 16, 17, 18 y/o I was impulsive and naive and thought I knew everything, but, I would not stop for anything less than a blue light on a unfamiliar road late at night.

As far as it being military, that is entirely possible. When my ex-husband and I first started dating, he was stationed on Ft. Rucker. Back then, the gates were not manned and there were many "gates" that were back roads. If fact it wasn't until after 9/11 that they closed off these back road gates and started putting MPs and other soldiers on gate duty checking IDs. You didn't even need a decal to get on base back then. Ft. Rucker was more like and extension of Ozark, Daleville, and Enterprise, and Dothan to a lesser extent.
What I don't understand is how it took them over an hour to wind up in Ozark from Headland. Even if they went to Abbeville before turning back towards Ozark it would have only added an extra 20 minutes to a 20 minute trip.

Also, to those not from the area, I would like to point out that we may be further apart than most "metropolises" but, if you take the whole area of Dothan to Ozark to Enterprise and all the small towns in between you will be luck to reach 200,000+ people. When I say everyone knows everyone. That is not an overstatement. The rumors are rampant down here. Even 15 years later. People to this day still swear it was the Seagall boy and this was a complete cover up by the Police Dept. I don't necessarily believe that. I do believe that they know who did it, just can't prove it.

I have seen some questions about Headland. The 3 Pigs Bar and Grill back then was on the square in Downtown Headland. It was not on 431 until just a few years back. After the old building on the square burned down. Also, if the party was in Haleburg like has been stated, the maps from "Haunted Evidence" are wrong. The spot they have picked out for the party is closer to Midland City than to Headland on the map. Haleburg is going East from Headland, not West. And, it is WAY, WAY, WAY out in the country. I get lost just thinking about Haleburg.

My brother was a reserve office with Napier Field after he graduated high school. They trained with Ozark PD. He said that during one of the training exercises they were allowed to look at the crime scene photos. He did say that they were bound. He never saw anymore evidence. The crime scene photos were really just to show them to be prepared for any situation.
I hope I can answer any question about the area or the time period. Seeing as I am the same age.

 

[HeatherD81]

I would also like to thank everyone, especially Dime Detective for the easy to read forum and information. Y'all have put a lot of work into this case. I commend you all!

 

[TedMac]

I would also like to thank everyone, especially Dime Detective for the easy to read forum and information. Y'all have put a lot of work into this case. I commend you all!

Welcome to Websleuths!

 

[HeatherD81]

Welcome to Websleuths!

Thank you.

 

[Sulamith]

Welcome HeatherD81!

Were there any railroad workers in the area when you lived there? I had that question a year ago.

Here is my post from last year:

"I wonder if there were any railroad workers around Dotham or Ozark when JB and Traci were murdered. I am much older than they were but I was raised in a tiny West Texas town and my girlfriend and I would hang around the "railroaders". These guys would go from small town to small town fixing the rails. I can't remember which railroad they were employed by. I remember hanging out at their tiny camper trailer(in the middle of nowhere West Texas) and partying with them. (no drugs, if we had beers I don't remember) We would give them "tours" around our small town. (Grease in the back seat?). I remember they had a white company pick up truck. Looking back on that, we were really stupid LOL! Anyway, when I saw the old abandoned RR station it took me back."

 

[HeatherD81]

I am sure there were, but, I never really noticed them. The running joke at my school was if you got caught by the train or the tractor it was a viable excuse for being late. With the area where we live you have a lot of TDY type people. We have an aircraft maintenance company not far from Ozark that is basically contracted. You can have people here working there for about 3 months at a time with that. Then of course Ft. Rucker. There is always something being built or renovated in one of the towns or cities, so out of town construction workers. And, we are a straight shot to Panama City Beach. We are kinda like a drive through area.

Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk

 

[LR1]

Thanks for joining us Heather, its really good to have you here. I'm not sure how much we can count on the haunting evidence shows maps or the line they had going as to the direction they took, I don't see how they would know. The Haleburg location is where I believe the party was supposed to be, here's an article that mentions it...

http://www.southeastsun.com/home/article_03eb39b4-8697-55ad-a60c-bf5c443ed83d.html

There's a article floating around somewhere that tells the girls name who was having the party. It states that it was at her place in rural Henry county, which both Headland and Haleburg are in.

I could see them taking an hour to get to Ozark if they got turned around and were lost between the two but yeah there is a little bit of extra time there. I might have some questions later, I'm off to bed. Thanks again for joining.

 

[HeatherD81]

Thanks for joining us Heather, its really good to have you here.

Thank you! I am glad that I am here. I have read this whole thread. Took me almost 5 days to do it! This case has puzzled me for years.

I'm not sure how much we can count on the haunting evidence shows maps or the line they had going as to the direction they took, I don't see how they would know. The Haleburg location is where I believe the party was supposed to be, here's an article that mentions it...

I take very little stock in the Haunted Evidence episode. I was just stating that everything says that the party was in Haleburg, and the area on the map they kept showing was Midland City, maybe Newton(Which is known for parties as well since it is right on the river).

There's a article floating around somewhere that tells the girls name who was having the party. It states that it was at her place in rural Henry county, which both Headland and Haleburg are in.

Her name is Janna something. Headland is not as rural as you would think. Especially in a Southern rural area. Headland is actually very developed and established Southern town. One of the oldest towns in Alabama. Now Haleburg, yeah, it's rural. As is Tumbleton, which btw, is the only reason I have ever been to Haleburg, I took a wrong turn going to a friend's house in Tumbleton.

I could see them taking an hour to get to Ozark if they got turned around and were lost between the two but yeah there is a little bit of extra time there. I might have some questions later, I'm off to bed. Thanks again for joining.

I have traveled those very roads many times over. They are dark, winding and, it would seem never ending. Unless they did turn the right way and then changed their mind and instead of turning back onto 431, they went straight.

Another thing that has always struck me is. Most people know, that if you are going to Haleburg, it is sometimes faster to take Hwy 52 to 95 because of less traffic. If the party is where I think it was. 52 to 95 would have been the better option instead of 431 to Headland and doubling back. I know this does nothing in helping the investigation, but, it was just a thought I had.

 

[TedMac]

Thank you! I am glad that I am here. I have read this whole thread. Took me almost 5 days to do it! This case has puzzled me for years.



I take very little stock in the Haunted Evidence episode. I was just stating that everything says that the party was in Haleburg, and the area on the map they kept showing was Midland City, maybe Newton(Which is known for parties as well since it is right on the river).



Her name is Janna something. Headland is not as rural as you would think. Especially in a Southern rural area. Headland is actually very developed and established Southern town. One of the oldest towns in Alabama. Now Haleburg, yeah, it's rural. As is Tumbleton, which btw, is the only reason I have ever been to Haleburg, I took a wrong turn going to a friend's house in Tumbleton.



I have traveled those very roads many times over. They are dark, winding and, it would seem never ending. Unless they did turn the right way and then changed their mind and instead of turning back onto 431, they went straight.

Another thing that has always struck me is. Most people know, that if you are going to Haleburg, it is sometimes faster to take Hwy 52 to 95 because of less traffic. If the party is where I think it was. 52 to 95 would have been the better option instead of 431 to Headland and doubling back. I know this does nothing in helping the investigation, but, it was just a thought I had.

I'm new to this one. I've devoted most of my time and energy to the Heather Elvis case. I started reading on this one and it has really peaked my interest.

The part that has really puzzled me is how the killer got control of their car. Does anyone know if LE has looked at any of the locals as the possible perp? I watched the You Tube video and while everything may have happened the way is what described there and a random killer may be responsible for the murders, I was thinking it may have been something entirely different. What if they met up with someone they were familiar with such as a schoolmate or acquaintance who they gave a ride to the party and somewhere along the way he pulled a gun on them? Or possibly an ex-boyfriend of one of the girls? The semen on the clothes of one of the girls may have been their way of humiliating them before their deaths.

It would be great if a fresh set of eyes would review the case and perhaps offer some suggestions.

 

[HeatherD81]

One thing that has always bugged me. They left Dothan at just after 10pm. According to Google Maps, if they went via 431, it would have taken them almost 45 minutes to get out there. Tracie's curfew was 11:30. Basically they would be driving out there and turn around and driving straight back. They would have a 15 minute window to do anything at the party. Even if they took the route that Google tells you to take via 52, it would only shave 5 minutes off their trip. If they only had 15 minutes to be at a party why go in the first place? I know I didn't always do everything I told my parents I was going to do, but, anyone from here knows you don't just "run up to" Haleburg. It's not a "quick trip".

Also, with the evidence we have available to us. To me it appears that Tracie was an unfortunate bystander. JB appears to be the ultimate target. There are many rumors I don't by into. But, from being from here, I know that crooked cops ran rampant back then. Not much better now, but, it's a giant leap forward from what it use to be. Midland City cops were notorious for pulling over pretty girls just because. Planting evidence, writing bogus tickets, etc. Now, murder is a long way off from that, but, you can't rule it out. Ozark, Newton, all these little towns. Old money runs them. Old money runs Dothan. This old money funds the Police Depts/Sheriff Depts. It might all sound like conspiracy theory, and I am far from a conspiracy theorist. But, you have to look at the facts. In fact, the State Dept just raided Midland City's town hall yesterday because of rumored "mishandling of funds", which generally translates to Larceny or Money Laundering, and that is just one instance. Like I said, this may have nothing to do with the case at hand, but, it can't be ruled out with the track record of the Police Depts around here.

 

[TedMac]

One thing that has always bugged me. They left Dothan at just after 10pm. According to Google Maps, if they went via 431, it would have taken them almost 45 minutes to get out there. Tracie's curfew was 11:30. Basically they would be driving out there and turn around and driving straight back. They would have a 15 minute window to do anything at the party. Even if they took the route that Google tells you to take via 52, it would only shave 5 minutes off their trip. If they only had 15 minutes to be at a party why go in the first place? I know I didn't always do everything I told my parents I was going to do, but, anyone from here knows you don't just "run up to" Haleburg. It's not a "quick trip".

Also, with the evidence we have available to us. To me it appears that Tracie was an unfortunate bystander. JB appears to be the ultimate target. There are many rumors I don't by into. But, from being from here, I know that crooked cops ran rampant back then. Not much better now, but, it's a giant leap forward from what it use to be. Midland City cops were notorious for pulling over pretty girls just because. Planting evidence, writing bogus tickets, etc. Now, murder is a long way off from that, but, you can't rule it out. Ozark, Newton, all these little towns. Old money runs them. Old money runs Dothan. This old money funds the Police Depts/Sheriff Depts. It might all sound like conspiracy theory, and I am far from a conspiracy theorist. But, you have to look at the facts. In fact, the State Dept just raided Midland City's town hall yesterday because of rumored "mishandling of funds", which generally translates to Larceny or Money Laundering, and that is just one instance. Like I said, this may have nothing to do with the case at hand, but, it can't be ruled out with the track record of the Police Depts around here.

BBM I thought about that as well. It would have been a long way to go for a short party! They may have been planning a late nighter (in spite of their curfew) or maybe calling from the party and requesting permission to spend the night.....

You may be on to something with JB being the target and Tracie being a victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

 

[HeatherD81]

BBM I thought about that as well. It would have been a long way to go for a short party! They may have been planning a late nighter (in spite of their curfew) or maybe calling from the party and requesting permission to spend the night.....

You may be on to something with JB being the target and Tracie being a victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

True, they could have went out with the purpose of trying to beg Tracie's parents to let them stay out longer. Or with hopes that Tracie's mom would be in bed and not notice that she missed curfew. That particular bit of the timeline might speak volumes as to their state of mind for lack of a better term. They left the house knowing that they only had a small time window, but hoped they could squeeze out more time. I don't know... I'm just rambling, thinking out loud.

But, from Headland going towards Ozark, you go through the outskirts of Midland City, Pinckard, Newton, all these little towns. Taking a wrong turn and ending up in Midland City is one thing. Taking a wrong turn, driving through 3 to 4 small towns before making it to Ozark is completely different. Especially if you are truly lost. You are looking at every road sign that you pass.

Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk

 

[Sunshine95]

Hi Heather and welcome! Glad you are here! Can you explain why it seems JB may have been the target? I am curious, and thanks!

 

[TedMac]

True, they could have went out with the purpose of trying to beg Tracie's parents to let them stay out longer. Or with hopes that Tracie's mom would be in bed and not notice that she missed curfew. That particular bit of the timeline might speak volumes as to their state of mind for lack of a better term. They left the house knowing that they only had a small time window, but hoped they could squeeze out more time. I don't know... I'm just rambling, thinking out loud.

But, from Headland going towards Ozark, you go through the outskirts of Midland City, Pinckard, Newton, all these little towns. Taking a wrong turn and ending up in Midland City is one thing. Taking a wrong turn, driving through 3 to 4 small towns before making it to Ozark is completely different. Especially if you are truly lost. You are looking at every road sign that you pass.


Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk

Do you know if any of the locals other than Barrantine were ever a POI or came under close scrutiny?