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

[TedMac]

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!

When I posed that question, it was because JB was the victim that had semen on her.

 

[HeatherD81]

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

Not that I can recall. But, they kept a lot of that very hush hush. It wasn't until they had all but arrested Barrentine that anyone really knew about him. You have to understand, this was one of the biggest crimes to ever happen around here. Sure we would have murders, but, mostly it was gang activity, wrong part of town, stuff like that. It was front page news for months. But, mostly it was all speculation. The information we knew was what was being fed to the press.

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[DimeDetective]

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.

From "A Killer Still Walks Free," The Birmingham News, January 20, 2000:

Fellow dancer Janna Hare was hosting the birthday party at her home in rural Henry County that night.

Welcome to the thread, HeatherD81 and TedMac! These are some outstanding posts from you two. We're really glad you're here, and we hope you'll continue to post often. Heather, your presence and info as a local is invaluable!

 

[HeatherD81]

Dime Detective, thank you for the warm welcome. All I want is to get justice for these two sweet girls.

Words cannot express the appreciation we as a community have for people taking an interest in this horrible tragedy. I just hope what I know of the area will be of some help, even if it is minute.

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[TedMac]

Dime Detective, thank you for the warm welcome. All I want is to get justice for these two sweet girls.

Words cannot express the appreciation we as a community have for people taking an interest in this horrible tragedy. I just hope what I know of the area will be of some help, even if it is minute.

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Heather or Dime Detective: Have there been any recent press releases from LE or even the presses in this case? I thought something may have come out about the case since 2014 is the 15-year anniversary of their deaths. Also, do you know if the original investigator is still involved in the investigation? I thought he may have retired since the incident was 15 years ago. Also, who is actually the lead investigator at present? Sorry for all the questions!

 

[HeatherD81]

Heather or Dime Detective: Have there been any recent press releases from LE or even the presses in this case? I thought something may have come out about the case since 2014 is the 15-year anniversary of their deaths. Also, do you know if the original investigator is still involved in the investigation? I thought he may have retired since the incident was 15 years ago. Also, who is actually the lead investigator at present? Sorry for all the questions!

They usually do something closer to the anniversary. I haven't seen anything yet though. And, the Chief of Police in Ozark I'd still the same. As far as the other officers/detectives, I'm not sure.

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[DimeDetective]

Heather or Dime Detective: Have there been any recent press releases from LE or even the presses in this case? I thought something may have come out about the case since 2014 is the 15-year anniversary of their deaths. Also, do you know if the original investigator is still involved in the investigation? I thought he may have retired since the incident was 15 years ago. Also, who is actually the lead investigator at present? Sorry for all the questions!

Good questions, TedMac. Unfortunately the case is mentioned in the local media only once a year, at the end of every July when the anniversary arrives. The vast majority of those annual articles in recent years have been perfunctory. Hopefully because this is the 15th anniversary of the crimes, we'll see more of an effort from the local press next month. There certainly hasn't been any new information reported by the media in a very long time.

Ozark Police Chief Tony Spivey was the chief of police the year the murders happened, and he is still in that position. As far as your other questions about the current state of the investigation, this was in last year's annual Dothan Eagle write-up:

Ozark Police Chief Tony Spivey said investigators continue to work with the Alabama Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to track down leads both in and out of state in relation to the case.

http://www.dothaneagle.com/news/article_c995183e-fa48-11e2-baa7-0019bb30f31a.html?mode=jqm

 

[killarney rose]

I remember reading that someone said neither girl was very much wanting to go to the party. They pretty much went to keep from hurting the hosts feeling. So perhaps they were planning to use their late curfew as a way to make an appearance and leave right away. That would explain them going out to the party knowing how late it was and near curfew time.

 

[HeatherD81]

I remember reading that someone said neither girl was very much wanting to go to the party. They pretty much went to keep from hurting the hosts feeling. So perhaps they were planning to use their late curfew as a way to make an appearance and leave right away. That would explain them going out to the party knowing how late it was and near curfew time.

True.

I so wish I could get my hands on the evidence. I do better visually with things like this.

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[LR1]

I took a look at the FB page after seeing Heathers post above and wow, the page has really opened up the discussion, from some family members even. Good job Dime. I do like the fact that some of the family seem very supportive of the efforts. That makes me feel a` little better about poking around trying to figure this case out. I can understand how this case even after the many years might still be to some like a private matter and having a bunch of strangers trying to make sense of it all might not sit well with some but in the end this person needs to be off the streets so there will be no more victims from this offender. That and the fact that the media attention has for the most part come to a stop, if we're not keeping the case in the public (so to speak) then we might as well all go home sit back go about our lives and wait for a dna match or a confession out of the blue, yeah good luck with that.

So according to the sister JB went to her fathers that day before she went out with Tracie. He lived in Troy I do believe. There also might have been a ball cap missing from the car. and JB had something to tell the party host but never got the chance. The last part is curious, depending on what she had to tell, there could be a motive connected with it. I would hope this detail is known to LE and think it probably is.

 

[LR1]

Also Dime while people are being asked to give tips I was thinking how good it would be to show that there's some reward money to be had for the right tip. as you know it was 45 thousand at one time, I'm wondering if there's still a reward.

 

[DimeDetective]

I remember reading that someone said neither girl was very much wanting to go to the party. They pretty much went to keep from hurting the hosts feeling. So perhaps they were planning to use their late curfew as a way to make an appearance and leave right away. That would explain them going out to the party knowing how late it was and near curfew time.

This is a good point, and certainly a possibility. Here's that information you referenced, from "Determination Will Bring Killer to Justice," The Mobile Register, July 23, 2000:

Tracie was tired that night and told co-workers she didn't really want to go to the party, her parents said. J.B. didn't seem excited either. Still, they said, J.B. felt that she should make an appearance, since the party was in her honor.

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/alt.true-crime/BEG0n2XHfyA/QJmYq1kRcDcJ

 

[DimeDetective]

Also Dime while people are being asked to give tips I was thinking how good it would be to show that there's some reward money to be had for the right tip. as you know it was 45 thousand at one time, I'm wondering if there's still a reward.

Good question, LR1. The most recent mention I can find of the reward still being offered is in this 2007 WTVY article:

Crime Stoppers is offering a $45,000 dollar reward.

http://www.wtvy.com/news/headlines/9205917.html

 

[HeatherD81]

Good question, LR1. The most recent mention I can find of the reward still being offered is in this 2007 WTVY article:



http://www.wtvy.com/news/headlines/9205917.html

You could probably send them a message and see if they know. Explain to them what we are trying to do.

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[HeatherD81]

Here's the links to the Dothan CrimeStoppers:

Website Page : Website Although all I see on it is the Tip lines

FB Page: Facebook Page There is the capability to send them a message about it.

WTVY Contact Us Page: WTVY I am not sure who to contact with them

 

[TedMac]

I've been reading some of the threads in pages in this case and I will have to say it is a bizarre case! The fact that JB's drivers license was on the dash leads me to believe it may have been a LE impersonator. Also, the white truck shown in the surveillance video seems suspicios as well biven the fact that the store was closed at the time. Does anyone have any info on the suspect from Michigan that the Chief of Police mentioned? It was stated that he could not account for 3-4 hours of his time while in Alabama.

A fresh set of eyes from an experienced investigator would really be good here. Have any private investigators ever looked at the case?

 

[HeatherD81]

A fresh set of eyes from an experienced investigator would really be good here. Have any private investigators ever looked at the case?

Respectfully snipped

I know that the families at one time hired a PI, I don't know if he is still on the case.

According to news reports, the white truck was found and eliminated as a suspect.

The license on the dash is why the rumor of cop cover up has run rampant down here.


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[TedMac]

Respectfully snipped

I know that the families at one time hired a PI, I don't know if he is still on the case.

According to news reports, the white truck was found and eliminated as a suspect.

The license on the dash is why the rumor of cop cover up has run rampant down here.


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BBM It would be good if a top-notch PI firm could look at this case. The Klein Agency did a good job in the Molly Miller case and seems to have the ball rolling.

I read on Facebook that one of JB's friends wrote that she did not normally keep her his drivers license on the dash. This may very well be the work of a Police impersonator.

 

[Jimb]

I'm from Dothan and have heard of this case. My heart breaks for the parents. Ive read every page of this thread over the pat several days and have a few questions and a few opinions:
1) Was JB pregnant? rumors, rumors etc.
2) Was the judges son a boyfriend (current or former)?

Opinions:
1) I think the target of the crime was JB
2) Must have been a LEO impersonator or .....
3) Someone must have acted alone
4) May have been random but unlikely
5) The semen has nothing to do with the crime


Just what I've gathered from reading on this site. I certainly have no professional opinion. My gut feeling is that they went to Ozark for a reason, I really dont think they were lost. It would be hard for anyone to get "lost" going from Haleburg to Dothan, they would have crossed a major highway (431).

 

[LR1]

I'm from Dothan and have heard of this case. My heart breaks for the parents. Ive read every page of this thread over the pat several days and have a few questions and a few opinions:
1) Was JB pregnant? rumors, rumors etc.
2) Was the judges son a boyfriend (current or former)?

Opinions:
1) I think the target of the crime was JB
2) Must have been a LEO impersonator or .....
3) Someone must have acted alone
4) May have been random but unlikely
5) The semen has nothing to do with the crime


Just what I've gathered from reading on this site. I certainly have no professional opinion. My gut feeling is that they went to Ozark for a reason, I really dont think they were lost. It would be hard for anyone to get "lost" going from Haleburg to Dothan, they would have crossed a major highway (431).

welcome jimb,

1 The pregnancy rumor I think was part of the rumor of her dating a cop. I think this would have been discovered at autopsy if it were the case, and that it would have been disclosed because it would be a third charge of murder. It's an interesting question though, mostly because I don't know the answer for certain.

2 Not sure if the person was bf or friend, according to some his DNA was thought to be tested, so I can't answer this one definitively either.

They never made it to Haleburg as far as we know, I doubt the 25-30 minutes between the time they left Dothan and when they were seen in Headland would give them enough time to even try. So a plan b must have been decided at that point, unless they were so unfamiliar with the way to Haleburg that they went in the complete opposite direction, that seems unlikely.