AL AL - J.B. Beasley, 17, & Tracie Hawlett, 17, Ozark, 31 July 1999 #2

[LR1]

Ok who knows something more about the person of interest who went to Michigan or lives in Michigan? What facts do we know Do we know his name? Are we allowed to use his name on forum? I know very little about this potential suspect. I know more about the original suspect who was arrested and confessed but then recanted and was not indicted by Grand Jury. Just trying to get something going...

I haven't seen his name in all I've read in either articles or message boards, which is somewhat surprising. They apparently went to MI more than once to see him however it was never mentioned that his DNA was acquired. I've thought it possible that he refused and they didn't have enough PC to compel him to submit but that's all speculation on my part. I say this because through the years several people are said to be ruled out through testing but with him DNA is not mentioned. If we had his name we could not post it here without it first being released through LE or the media.

 

[TedMac]

Ok who knows something more about the person of interest who went to Michigan or lives in Michigan? What facts do we know Do we know his name? Are we allowed to use his name on forum? I know very little about this potential suspect. I know more about the original suspect who was arrested and confessed but then recanted and was not indicted by Grand Jury. Just trying to get something going...

"9. OTHER SUSPECTS

The Man from Michigan: A man from Michigan who was at a party the night of the murders near where the car was found is also a "very viable" suspect, Chief Spivey said, even after tests failed to match the man's DNA to that found on J.B. Beasley’s clothing. The man, whom Spivey would not name, left town within days of the murders, the chief said, adding that investigators have traveled to Michigan three times to interview him. The man cannot account for three or four hours of his time on the night of the murders, and later made "suspicious" statements to people, Spivey said. He would not elaborate on what he meant by suspicious."

From what I have read, he is their best suspect. The above is taken from DimeDetective's Post #9 dated 5 March 2013 in the original thread. I find it to be more than a coincidence that the investigators went to Michigan 3 times to interview him. It leads me to believe that he really tweaked their interest. It mentions that he was in town and attending a party near where the J.B.s car was found and could not account for 3-4 hours of his time. All he would have to do was walk back to the party after killing the girls and and parking J.B.'s car.

I am not aware of his name.

 

[LR1]

I stand corrected, they did test his DNA. That info came from the July 23, 2000 Mobile register article. Maybe they think he had an accomplice. I've been entertaining the notion lately that multiple people were possibly involved.

 

[TedMac]

I stand corrected, they did test his DNA. That info came from the July 23, 2000 Mobile register article. Maybe they think he had an accomplice. I've been entertaining the notion lately that multiple people were possibly involved.

Notice the wording concerning the DNA..."even after tests failed to match the man's DNA to that found on J.B. Beasley's clothing." I've wondered if the test was inconclusive? It doesn't say that the test cleared him. Also, notice Chief Spivey's comment that he was still a "very viable suspect" even after the DNA test...

 

[LR1]

Notice the wording concerning the DNA..."even after tests failed to match the man's DNA to that found on J.B. Beasley's clothing." I've wondered if the test was inconclusive? It doesn't say that the test cleared him. Also, notice Chief Spivey's comment that he was still a "very viable suspect" even after the DNA test...

At one point they said that they have plenty of dna from what was found on JB. I take that as meaning enough for a full profile, so if they have his from one of these meetings I'm not sure how it could be inconclusive, but yeah reading between the lines they at least back then thought he could somehow be connected.

 

[December]

The man who moved to Michigan was originally mentioned in a post on Topix. It was said he and another man dealt meth (this is not implying that the girls were interested in meth). The person who talked about them believes J.B. may have driven onto someone's property to turn around or something and was accosted by these guys. The police have been to Michigan to interview him and I would think they'd need a good reason to do that. It is my impression that he is from Alabama and just moved to Michigan after the murders. This was discussed a lot on the earlier thread.

 

[ddav]

I've only just joined the forum, and have only been able to skim the posts, so I don't if this has been covered but I've often wondered about it. Ozark, where the murders took place is adjacent to Fort Rucker, a very large military post where most of the countries helicopter pilot training takes place. Has anyone discussed the possibility the killer could be a GI from the post. It would explain why the murders were an isolated incident, as the killer could have been posted anywhere in the world. Also, a young man in army fatigues, (possibly even an MP) would have allayed suspicions, asking for directions, perhaps. Having come from a military family myself, I dont say this to disparage the military. My guess is that the local authorities looked into this but I just throw it out as a possibility.

 

[ddav]

I believe Charles Starkweather was "an average yokel with a gun" no "small- townism" please!

A lot of people are into target shooting, so there are average people with higher than average skills. Also, there are people with military training who are no longer in the military.

 

[TedMac]

I've only just joined the forum, and have only been able to skim the posts, so I don't if this has been covered but I've often wondered about it. Ozark, where the murders took place is adjacent to Fort Rucker, a very large military post where most of the countries helicopter pilot training takes place. Has anyone discussed the possibility the killer could be a GI from the post. It would explain why the murders were an isolated incident, as the killer could have been posted anywhere in the world. Also, a young man in army fatigues, (possibly even an MP) would have allayed suspicions, asking for directions, perhaps. Having come from a military family myself, I dont say this to disparage the military. My guess is that the local authorities looked into this but I just throw it out as a possibility.

Welcome to Websleuths! It is my understanding that Fort Rucker also has a good number of civilian workers in addition to military personnel. There are so many possibilities surrounding this case. Local police age agencies in addition to State and Federal investigators have all worked on this case, but the killer or killers have eluded them thus far. The good news is the Alabama Attorney General's Office has an investigator assigned to this case and is actively working it. We are all very hopeful that he can bring the killer to justice.

 

[easongt]

I've only just joined the forum, and have only been able to skim the posts, so I don't if this has been covered but I've often wondered about it. Ozark, where the murders took place is adjacent to Fort Rucker, a very large military post where most of the countries helicopter pilot training takes place. Has anyone discussed the possibility the killer could be a GI from the post. It would explain why the murders were an isolated incident, as the killer could have been posted anywhere in the world. Also, a young man in army fatigues, (possibly even an MP) would have allayed suspicions, asking for directions, perhaps. Having come from a military family myself, I dont say this to disparage the military. My guess is that the local authorities looked into this but I just throw it out as a possibility.

There was a mysterious post on another site which I copied and pasted somewhere on this forum. This post is several years old and does implicate someone who worked at the base. I will look for it.

 

[ddav]

THanks for the response. if the post your referring is this one, http://lucescroo.blogspot.com/2006/10/tracie-hawlett-and-jb-beasley.htmlto

, I found it and it sure does sound weird. A couple of observations:
1. this crime did not give me the impression that it was the 1st by the killer. the pickup and moving of the victims suggested that he was confident in what he was doing and had done it before. While the wiregrass area has had many murders, some of them unsolved I cant think of one that fits the signature of this one.
2. I cant imagine someone like this would stop after one killing, yet there have been no similar ones in the area.
3. I grew up, for the most part in Dothan, and must have gone through Ozark hundreds of times yet almost never got off of the main drag on US 231. (although while auditing cable for a company hired by comcast I walked all through it one summer.) I cant imagine anyone just passing through knowing about its more remote locations.
4. The above would imply that the killer was there long enough to know the town, but not there long enough to carry out more crimes. Thats what made me think of the Ft. Rucker connection.
5. The 9 mm is a standard army round , although it is also a very popular one. the choice is interesting. Its not the sort of cheap Saturday night special like a .25 or a .22 one would get for just plinking around, its the kind of gun you use if you want to kill people.
6. The drivers license on the dash is very significant. I think that much like Zodiac or BTK, if he took something from the victim he would keep it as a souvenir not leave it on the dash. although its possible he forgot and left it there. It seems more likely to me that he may have presented himself as LE, (not I suspect an actual officer,) or possibly an MP.

sincerely ddavis



There was a mysterious post on another site which I copied and pasted somewhere on this forum. This post is several years old and does implicate someone who worked at the base. I will look for it.

 

[ddav]

It seems to me that the killer if he were leading the girls around in the dark would have to have had some kind of flashlight. I dont know how to put this delicately but it doesnt seem possible that he could hold a flashlight and a gun on them while performing an auto-erotic act. My guess is that the sexual behaviour was most likely post-mortem. This is apparently common, (eg Dennis Rader, aka BTK). For an individual like this, its the murder that is the source of the arousal.

 

[TedMac]

It seems to me that the killer if he were leading the girls around in the dark would have to have had some kind of flashlight. I dont know how to put this delicately but it doesnt seem possible that he could hold a flashlight and a gun on them while performing an auto-erotic act. My guess is that the sexual behaviour was most likely post-mortem. This is apparently common, (eg Dennis Rader, aka BTK). For an individual like this, its the murder that is the source of the arousal.

We don't know what geographical location the girls were killed. We just know that they were shot to death in the trunk of the car. We do know that they were killed in a different location from where the car was discovered. I don't think they were sexually molested post-mortem. B.J. had semen on her undergarments, but not on her outer-garments, so she was probably stripped down to her underwear when the sex act was performed. When her body was discovered, she was fully dressed. In order for the killer to have performed a sex act on her after she was deceased, he would have had to dressed her after killing her and while she was in the trunk of the car. The blood spatters indicate she was killed in the trunk and had blood on her outer garments indicating she was dressed at the time.

That is a very good point you raise about the flashlight and gun. Since we don't know the location they were killed, they could have been taken somewhere there was some sort of light. Also, I have never heard what type of moon was out that night. A full moon would have provided plenty of light. Both of the girls had mud and dirt on their clothes and their pants were wet from the knees down. Evidently, they were either marched through a creek or possibly ran through a creek or some type of water in an attempt to escape. It was noted that the weather had been very dry and not much rain at all during July. So probably some type of creek was near where they were taken.

Several of us have been following this case very closely and we are happy to see your interest here and hope you will continue to study it along with us!

 

[easongt]

Here is the mysterious post I was referring to. I have posted this before, but it has some interesting information that may not be accurate, but I don't believe it is intentionally fabricated. The link is http://wiregrass.com/WIregrass-Talk/afv/post/aff/1/aft/4873/afr/4874

Posted By Wrascal on 07/18/2007 10:59 AM
Now the actual article Entry #460790, added on 10-11-06 @ 7:46 am EDT. [Entry Access Restriction] None. Title: Tracie Hawlett and J.B. Beasley -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tracie Hawlett and J.B. Beasley, both 17 - were killed execution style in 1999 with a single gunshot each to the heads, then stuffed in the trunk of a car and left on Herring Ave, in Ozark, AL. Now- this is where this gets extremely wierd. In order to correctly tell their story, I need to go back 10 years prior, to 1989. June of 89, I went to AIT here at Ft. Rucker, AL. There, not only did I meet my now ex-husband, but I also met the mother of Gene- the young man who lives upstairs from me, the one to whom I've referred lately. She was my maid of honor at my wedding. His mom was married to Butch. Butch was a great guy. He loved his wife and kids, was a good man all around. He went to Desert Storm and when he came back, he and Nancy- the mother, and by then one of my best friends- went out to Cabaret, a local nightclub. They drank some, got in a fight and she left him there. Butch began walking home. During his walk, he got an asthma attack- supposedly. His inhaler was found in his hand. He was killed by a car on that dark road- a road seldom used. Nancy recieved a good deal of money from his death and always insisted it was for her boys' school. I'm not the only one who believes Nancy killed him. To date- 15 years later, at the ages of 19 and 21, neither boy has seen a penny. The other son just joined the Army and is slated for Iraq. Nancy has a bad history of cheating on her husbands and, with the sole exception of Butch, picks men who are angry, abusive, controlling and dangerous. All of them have abused Gene. Nancy always allowed it. Nancy would use the older kids to watch the younger ones. This is her fourth marriage, and we're awaiting another child. She always has at least one child per marriage. Nancy and I had a major falling out maybe 10 years ago because I didn't like how she was treating her kids, and to be honest, how she was living her life. She didn't want to hear any of it. With her, it's always about her and no one else. I hadn't seen Gene or the kids for several years until last week, when there he was. Somehow, he and I always pop back into each others lives after many years. This time, he shocked me by introducing a wife, stepson and his first baby. He has a wonderful family!! I'm so proud of him, even though his mother says otherwise to him. Gene had moved to Florida for a few years with Nancy and that family. To show up back here, living right above me told me something. We had a lot of catching up to do, and he told me Nancy had remarried in February of this year to husband #4. He didn't say the name right away. He did say this guy had pulled a gun on her before they were married, treated her like ****, her family like **** and was abusive and extremely controlling. Still- no name. Had he said a name I would have not been surprised because this guy- A.) has a very unique name, and B.) is exactly like that. How do I know? Let me go back to last night first, when I got the bomb dropped in my lap. They wanted me to come upstairs to read a letter Nancy had written to Gene, Nancy's father and several members of the family. There were 2 pictures- both of the wedding day, one with Nancy and her new husband and one with them and the kids. When I saw the man, my jaw dropped. I said- I know that guy!! When Gene told me the name- Clenton, I about **** my pants. He was out on $25,000 bond when they got married. Nancy married his *advertiser censored* anyway, even though he held a gun to her throat and threw it at one of the kids. Needless to say, I was in terrible shock because I worked with this guy on 3rd shift for 3 years, and he's insane. This is the same guy that followed Roger home one day and pulled a 9mm out of his car threatening Roger. I have that in a journal somewhere here at WDC, I'll have to find it. Clenton and I would talk sometimes about Bingo, and just ******** stuff, and sometimes, he'd get this look in his eyes that would scream dangerous. He's go out on the flightline and cut helicopter tires to the core. They caught him a time or two. He was abusive to many girlfriends. And he lived on Herring Ave in Ozark, AL. Roger and I talked about this a lot; we both feel he's the one who killed Tracie Hawlett and J.B. Beasley that night in 1999. He has a 9mm; a 9mm was used. The murders happened very late at night; Clenton worked 3rd shift and was always out late on nights he didn't work. The police feel the person who did this had done it before; Clenton has a history of abuse and violence. The police profile matches Clenton. Clenton was fired from Army Fleet Support because he refused several times to take a drug test. He claims he was laid off. This is not true. There are more facts, but I will not divulge them right now because they are too sensitive. Their case was featured on Americas Most Wanted, but the tips led nowhere. I've fought with myself for years about calling in a tip, however, due to police corruption in Ozark, I do not believe this case will ever be solved. One thing remains true: There is a killer on the loose; a killer of two 17- year old innocent girls, and I believe he is married to the mother of my young friend and is now living somewhere in Florida. The question is: What do I do now?

 

[easongt]

It seems to me that the killer if he were leading the girls around in the dark would have to have had some kind of flashlight. I dont know how to put this delicately but it doesnt seem possible that he could hold a flashlight and a gun on them while performing an auto-erotic act. My guess is that the sexual behaviour was most likely post-mortem. This is apparently common, (eg Dennis Rader, aka BTK). For an individual like this, its the murder that is the source of the arousal.

If he is or was military, it is highly possible he could have had a flashlight attachment to his handgun. They are relatively inexpensive and easy to install. Good point however.

 

[December]

Do we know what J.B. and Tracie were wearing? I know they had pants or jeans and some sort of top... but I've never heardspecifics. The reason I ask is the post mortem idea that has been presented. Depending on what J.B. was wearing, it might have been possible to pull her blouse up and her bra down (I am so sorry, J.B.) then later just put it back the way it goes. So, there wouldn't be the issue of having to actually dress her.

HOWEVER, the sticking point is they were alive when they were placed in the trunk, then they were shot. As far as we know, the evidence in the car didn't make it look like they'd been assaulted in it. However, it is possible that they were and that evidence is being withheld from the public.

 

[TedMac]

Here is the mysterious post I was referring to. I have posted this before, but it has some interesting information that may not be accurate, but I don't believe it is intentionally fabricated. The link is http://wiregrass.com/WIregrass-Talk/afv/post/aff/1/aft/4873/afr/4874

Posted By Wrascal on 07/18/2007 10:59 AM
Now the actual article Entry #460790, added on 10-11-06 @ 7:46 am EDT. [Entry Access Restriction] None. Title: Tracie Hawlett and J.B. Beasley -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tracie Hawlett and J.B. Beasley, both 17 - were killed execution style in 1999 with a single gunshot each to the heads, then stuffed in the trunk of a car and left on Herring Ave, in Ozark, AL. Now- this is where this gets extremely wierd. In order to correctly tell their story, I need to go back 10 years prior, to 1989. June of 89, I went to AIT here at Ft. Rucker, AL. There, not only did I meet my now ex-husband, but I also met the mother of Gene- the young man who lives upstairs from me, the one to whom I've referred lately. She was my maid of honor at my wedding. His mom was married to Butch. Butch was a great guy. He loved his wife and kids, was a good man all around. He went to Desert Storm and when he came back, he and Nancy- the mother, and by then one of my best friends- went out to Cabaret, a local nightclub. They drank some, got in a fight and she left him there. Butch began walking home. During his walk, he got an asthma attack- supposedly. His inhaler was found in his hand. He was killed by a car on that dark road- a road seldom used. Nancy recieved a good deal of money from his death and always insisted it was for her boys' school. I'm not the only one who believes Nancy killed him. To date- 15 years later, at the ages of 19 and 21, neither boy has seen a penny. The other son just joined the Army and is slated for Iraq. Nancy has a bad history of cheating on her husbands and, with the sole exception of Butch, picks men who are angry, abusive, controlling and dangerous. All of them have abused Gene. Nancy always allowed it. Nancy would use the older kids to watch the younger ones. This is her fourth marriage, and we're awaiting another child. She always has at least one child per marriage. Nancy and I had a major falling out maybe 10 years ago because I didn't like how she was treating her kids, and to be honest, how she was living her life. She didn't want to hear any of it. With her, it's always about her and no one else. I hadn't seen Gene or the kids for several years until last week, when there he was. Somehow, he and I always pop back into each others lives after many years. This time, he shocked me by introducing a wife, stepson and his first baby. He has a wonderful family!! I'm so proud of him, even though his mother says otherwise to him. Gene had moved to Florida for a few years with Nancy and that family. To show up back here, living right above me told me something. We had a lot of catching up to do, and he told me Nancy had remarried in February of this year to husband #4. He didn't say the name right away. He did say this guy had pulled a gun on her before they were married, treated her like ****, her family like **** and was abusive and extremely controlling. Still- no name. Had he said a name I would have not been surprised because this guy- A.) has a very unique name, and B.) is exactly like that. How do I know? Let me go back to last night first, when I got the bomb dropped in my lap. They wanted me to come upstairs to read a letter Nancy had written to Gene, Nancy's father and several members of the family. There were 2 pictures- both of the wedding day, one with Nancy and her new husband and one with them and the kids. When I saw the man, my jaw dropped. I said- I know that guy!! When Gene told me the name- Clenton, I about **** my pants. He was out on $25,000 bond when they got married. Nancy married his *advertiser censored* anyway, even though he held a gun to her throat and threw it at one of the kids. Needless to say, I was in terrible shock because I worked with this guy on 3rd shift for 3 years, and he's insane. This is the same guy that followed Roger home one day and pulled a 9mm out of his car threatening Roger. I have that in a journal somewhere here at WDC, I'll have to find it. Clenton and I would talk sometimes about Bingo, and just ******** stuff, and sometimes, he'd get this look in his eyes that would scream dangerous. He's go out on the flightline and cut helicopter tires to the core. They caught him a time or two. He was abusive to many girlfriends. And he lived on Herring Ave in Ozark, AL. Roger and I talked about this a lot; we both feel he's the one who killed Tracie Hawlett and J.B. Beasley that night in 1999. He has a 9mm; a 9mm was used. The murders happened very late at night; Clenton worked 3rd shift and was always out late on nights he didn't work. The police feel the person who did this had done it before; Clenton has a history of abuse and violence. The police profile matches Clenton. Clenton was fired from Army Fleet Support because he refused several times to take a drug test. He claims he was laid off. This is not true. There are more facts, but I will not divulge them right now because they are too sensitive. Their case was featured on Americas Most Wanted, but the tips led nowhere. I've fought with myself for years about calling in a tip, however, due to police corruption in Ozark, I do not believe this case will ever be solved. One thing remains true: There is a killer on the loose; a killer of two 17- year old innocent girls, and I believe he is married to the mother of my young friend and is now living somewhere in Florida. The question is: What do I do now?

Thanks for presenting this. I had never seen it. I find it to be really interesting.

 

[wanttohelp]

I had not seen this before sorry if it has been posted
http://www.southeastsun.com/home/article_eda6e660-cb4f-5152-9710-83bdf10d9515.html

 

[Irishrose70]

I still think the original suspect that was arrested is the key to solvin this case. He knows what happened or at least has a pretty good idea. IMO

If he really knew something, and there are many that think he did, it is too late. He passed away March 24th, 2014.

 

[DimeDetective]

The Unsolved Murders of J.B. Beasley & Tracie Hawlett
15th Anniversary - July 31, 2014​

Articles

The Dothan Eagle, “Unsolved Murders of Teen Girls Spurs Vigil,” July 27, 2014:
http://www.dothaneagle.com/news/for...cle_2f45af38-1602-11e4-93c0-001a4bcf6878.html

WTVY.com, “Prayer Vigil for J.B. Beasley, Tracie Hawlett Scheduled for Thursday,” July 28, 2014:
http://www.wtvy.com/home/headlines/...Hawlett-Scheduled-for-Thursday-268941481.html

RickeyStokesNews.com, “Fifteen Years Later — Still No Suspects in Double Murder,” July 29, 2014:
http://www.rickeystokesnews.com/art...ter-still-no-suspects-in-double-murder-126800

The Greenville Advocate, “Loved Ones Continue Search for Answers Following 15-Year-Old Crime,” July 30, 2014:
http://www.greenvilleadvocate.com/2...arch-for-answers-following-15-year-old-crime/

DothanFirst.com, “15 Years Still Unsolved,” July 31, 2014:
http://www.dothanfirst.com/story/d/story/15-years-still-unsolved/27391/ENWB5tL2Tkyj6QBCQ97iPA

AL.com, “15-Year-Old Double Homicide of Ozark Teenagers Remains Unsolved,” August 1, 2014:
http://www.al.com/news/montgomery/index.ssf/2014/08/15-year-old_double_homicide_of.html

WSFA.com, “Murders of Ozark Teens Remain Unsolved 15 Years Later,” August 1, 2014:
http://www.wsfa.com/story/26169180/murders-of-ozark-teens-remain-unsolved-15-years-later


Video

RickeyStokesNews.com, “Interview with Ozark Police Chief Spivey on the Beasley Hawlett Murders,” July 29, 2014:
http://www.rickeystokesnews.com/art...-spivey-on-the-beasley-hawlett-murders-126812

WTVY.com, “Family and Friends Gather to Remember Tracie Hawlett and J.B. Beasley,” July 31, 2014:
http://www.wtvy.com/home/headlines/...-Tracie-Hawlett-and-JB-Beasley-269487881.html


Audio

TheJoyFM Dothan, “Jacqui Burgoon On the Air,” July 28, 2014:
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=135197633254731&story_fbid=639260082848481