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

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CoolJ said:
Never heard another peep from that poster.
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This new piece of information (the arrest of a former Ozark police officer, who is the son of a high ranking LE officer) fits in awfully nicely with one of the prominent rumors that have surrounded this case for a long time. IMO
 
Where is the pond? Is there one?
 
CoolJ said:
This new piece of information (the arrest of a former Ozark police officer, who is the son of a high ranking LE officer) fits in awfully nicely with one of the prominent rumors that have surrounded this case for a long time. IMO
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It fits.....
 
Irishrose70 said:
http://henrycountyreport.com/?p=3301 http://henrycountyreport.com/?p=3378 very interesting articles, and information in them. It probably does not pertain directly to the case, but some of the comments and information revealed might explain a few things. Yes, the articles are about alligators, but it is other information in them and in the comments that I am speaking of.
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Thank you for posting very interesting indeed, seems same players names or from same families. I had mentioned earlier a Topix convo for Bonifay that a Scott poster rambles on and on about corruption and drugs, also on the Mia Brown murder thread there. Seems it could all be connected including the girls murder to ongoing corrupt departments related to drugs
 
Yep, that story and the people involved in it were checked out by the Police. LE cleared the person from any involvement in the case.
 
Returning to this thread after a bit of an absence:

I thought some additional information on one of the commonly cited locations might be useful.

Here is a photograph of investigators examining the possible murder site on AL-123.

Hwy%20123.jpg


How this exact site was located by the police is not entirely clear. It has been reported that a woman in the area heard screams and two gun shots. This individual reported this information in March of 2000, nine months after the murders.

The True Crime Notebook notes that

"The area, next to what neighbors said is a now-vacant house, is surrounded by trees and has two World War II-era buildings on the property. The spider-web-encrusted buildings — wooden structures that appear to be a barn and a half-collapsed garage — sit about 100 feet off the roadway."
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Here is the location today:

Aerial View

Street View

Street View Looking North

Street View Looking South

Google Street View of the road frontage showing the newer home, the older (abandoned?) home and the barn-type structure.

The wooden, barn-type structure is clearly present in both the older investigator photograph and the Google Street images. The blue tractor also appears visible in both images.

In the aerial, note the proximity to the small adjacent pond, but also the proximity of other homes and structures.

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Using Dale County's GIS system, I was able to pull up a variety of information on the property. The property itself actually has two tax identification numbers since 130 acres of the parcel falls in Dale County and 15 acres falls in the city of Ozark.

As you can see below, the property is actually quite extensive and includes some fields away from the road. The structures themselves are located in the northwest corner of the parcel.

Here is an aerial image with the entirety of the property outlined in red:

Site1_zpsutmlhj2g.jpg


Here is a close up with an arrow highlighting the barn structure shown in the above Google Street View images:

Site1_Barn_zpsaomy8uul.jpg


Below is some basic property information. I have masked the current owners' names:

Site1_Parcel_Information_zps5ss4yvfp.jpg


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Two buildings are listed as being on the property, one built in 1977 and one built in 1945.
Both appear to be residential structures. I believe this is the original home built in 1945, while this is the current residence located just to the north. Two "building appendages" are identified on the parcel with the 1945 home. These are very likely the barn or barns.

Information on the 130 acre portion.

Information on the 15 acre portion.

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This is my first post on Websleuths. I wanted to comment on this case because I have browsed the threads and thought I might have some information on two map questions. First, how did J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett end up in Ozark, AL at that convenience store? Second, how did they end up over in the area where their car was found on the southern end of Herring Ave?

I think the answer to the first question is very easy. I remember reading some information about what road signs actually mean in terms of numbers. The information is this. Even number road signs are east-west routes. Odd number road signs are north-south routes. The reason this ends up confusing people is because they take the road sign to mean literally what it says. So for example, if you were driving on Rt. 27 in Alabama and the road sign reads Rt. 27 North, psychologically what direction will a person think they are going? According to what I read the party was supposed to be in Halesburg. So I think the reason JB Beasley drove all the way over to Ozark in the opposite direction is because she thought she was going north. What is somewhat unique is that they had to stay on Rt. 27 for some time before getting to Ozark and the Ozark convenience store. Rt. 27 looks like it curves and winds around.


I think the second question is a lot harder to answer. It really all depends on EXACTLY how Ms. Merrit gave the directions to the girls. Did she say "You'll see the sign for 123 and make a left?" You also have to remember this happened at night. My best guess is based on something that happened to me when I was a young driver. I got lost in a city and I kept going in a big circle ending up in the same spot 3 times! The only thing I can think of is that they never made it to RT 123 or US 231 south. Both those road signs would accurately give a southern direction both being odd numbers. There is always the possibility they passed both roads, but it seems unlikely. What I think is that J.B. Beasley turned onto Southeastern because she saw the road sign there and did not go the extra street. She turned early and began her circle. Psychologically I have seen this as well. People think they have gone too far when they have not gone far enough.


She gets to the end of Southeastern and thinking she has missed the road she was supposed to turn on, makes a left onto College. At this point the case is very confusing especially when you consider just how long they stayed on RT. 27 going the opposite direction to Ozark. I cannot figure out why J.B. Beasley did not continue to drive in a straight line. If she had followed College it would have merged with Eurafa and taken them back to Rt. 27. They probably did not happen because Herring is before Rt. 27 and once on 27 one of the girls would probably have remarked they have already passed this area. I think they would have at least remember the railroad tracks.


That is what is so confusing about this case. If at any point they would have continued going west, they would have run into Rt. 123 or if they missed that, U.S. 231. If they would have gone east they would have run into Rt. 27. Unless for some reason they went North, the only other thing I think is that J.B. Beasley started to do something that I have done since when I have gotten lost or need to find a new route quick. When streets are gridline, you can keep a sense of direction. I think she started a stair step pattern of following streets that head south. Does the water tower in town light up at night? The one main problem is that there is no way of knowing when they encountered their kidnapper. And even going south, following this pattern she would have ran into RT. 123. The last street is Matthews St. It runs into 123. Because of where the car was found, that is what I thought their route through Ozark might have been.

As for the killer, I could not understand why he shot them in the trunk of their car. What he did with them takes privacy, and since he was near some type of water, why not shoot them there, leave their bodies in the creek, then drive their car somewhere and leave it? The only answer I can come up with is that the crime took place at his home.

It is the same with the parking. Why did he park the car perpendicular to the road? Why did he not pull the car off the road in the traditional sense? I think it was because he knows he lives north/south of where the car was parked. If the vehicle had been found facing north, he thinks police are going to search south. If the vehicle had been found facing south, he thinks police are going to search north.

All my opinions are educated guesses based on my observation of my own and others driving behavior. For all anyone knows maybe J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett went north of Ozark or they made it back to the convenience store and where kidnapped there.

If I were a detective on this case, I would have got a taped recording from Ms. Merritt about the directions she gave and also a taped recording from the person who tried to direct them to the party, then found an impartial high school senior who does not live in Ozark to listen to the directions and try to follow them without any help.

I hope this information concerning maps and driving lends some useful information to this case.
 
somequestions said:
This is my first post on Websleuths. I wanted to comment on this case because I have browsed the threads and thought I might have some information on two map questions. First, how did J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett end up in Ozark, AL at that convenience store? Second, how did they end up over in the area where their car was found on the southern end of Herring Ave?

I think the answer to the first question is very easy. I remember reading some information about what road signs actually mean in terms of numbers. The information is this. Even number road signs are east-west routes. Odd number road signs are north-south routes. The reason this ends up confusing people is because they take the road sign to mean literally what it says. So for example, if you were driving on Rt. 27 in Alabama and the road sign reads Rt. 27 North, psychologically what direction will a person think they are going? According to what I read the party was supposed to be in Halesburg. So I think the reason JB Beasley drove all the way over to Ozark in the opposite direction is because she thought she was going north. What is somewhat unique is that they had to stay on Rt. 27 for some time before getting to Ozark and the Ozark convenience store. Rt. 27 looks like it curves and winds around.


I think the second question is a lot harder to answer. It really all depends on EXACTLY how Ms. Merrit gave the directions to the girls. Did she say "You'll see the sign for 123 and make a left?" You also have to remember this happened at night. My best guess is based on something that happened to me when I was a young driver. I got lost in a city and I kept going in a big circle ending up in the same spot 3 times! The only thing I can think of is that they never made it to RT 123 or US 231 south. Both those road signs would accurately give a southern direction both being odd numbers. There is always the possibility they passed both roads, but it seems unlikely. What I think is that J.B. Beasley turned onto Southeastern because she saw the road sign there and did not go the extra street. She turned early and began her circle. Psychologically I have seen this as well. People think they have gone too far when they have not gone far enough.


She gets to the end of Southeastern and thinking she has missed the road she was supposed to turn on, makes a left onto College. At this point the case is very confusing especially when you consider just how long they stayed on RT. 27 going the opposite direction to Ozark. I cannot figure out why J.B. Beasley did not continue to drive in a straight line. If she had followed College it would have merged with Eurafa and taken them back to Rt. 27. They probably did not happen because Herring is before Rt. 27 and once on 27 one of the girls would probably have remarked they have already passed this area. I think they would have at least remember the railroad tracks.


That is what is so confusing about this case. If at any point they would have continued going west, they would have run into Rt. 123 or if they missed that, U.S. 231. If they would have gone east they would have run into Rt. 27. Unless for some reason they went North, the only other thing I think is that J.B. Beasley started to do something that I have done since when I have gotten lost or need to find a new route quick. When streets are gridline, you can keep a sense of direction. I think she started a stair step pattern of following streets that head south. Does the water tower in town light up at night? The one main problem is that there is no way of knowing when they encountered their kidnapper. And even going south, following this pattern she would have ran into RT. 123. The last street is Matthews St. It runs into 123. Because of where the car was found, that is what I thought their route through Ozark might have been.

As for the killer, I could not understand why he shot them in the trunk of their car. What he did with them takes privacy, and since he was near some type of water, why not shoot them there, leave their bodies in the creek, then drive their car somewhere and leave it? The only answer I can come up with is that the crime took place at his home.

It is the same with the parking. Why did he park the car perpendicular to the road? Why did he not pull the car off the road in the traditional sense? I think it was because he knows he lives north/south of where the car was parked. If the vehicle had been found facing north, he thinks police are going to search south. If the vehicle had been found facing south, he thinks police are going to search north.

All my opinions are educated guesses based on my observation of my own and others driving behavior. For all anyone knows maybe J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett went north of Ozark or they made it back to the convenience store and where kidnapped there.

If I were a detective on this case, I would have got a taped recording from Ms. Merritt about the directions she gave and also a taped recording from the person who tried to direct them to the party, then found an impartial high school senior who does not live in Ozark to listen to the directions and try to follow them without any help.

I hope this information concerning maps and driving lends some useful information to this case.
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Great 1st post & Welcome to Websleuths! :wagon: :welcome: :detective:

It is nice to have an additional poster on this thread. You raise some very good questions. I think the killer or killers didn't leave them in the creek because the identity of the murder scene would be known to LE and perhaps reveal physical evidence such as footprints, tire tracks, etc. The girls had either been marched through the water by the killer or ran through water in an attempt to escape. There is a very good chance that his footprints or perhaps other items were left at the scene. Moving the bodies from the spot of the kill eliminated the possibility of LE gathering evidence against him. Another reason may have been the killer was afraid that people may be able to tie the place of the kill to him. By that I mean if they were killed on his land or maybe a relatives' land and the bodies were to be found there, then suspicion could fall on him.

His reason for shooting them in the trunk of the car-good question. Possibly to limit the blood spatter and keep it off him? I'm just guessing here, but he could have nearly closed the trunk and fired the shots. A good part of the the blood would have hit the trunk lid instead of bouncing back and hitting him. It also would have reduced the time the shots were fired to the time he drove away. If he had shot them outside of the car, and had planned to move the bodies, he would have had to taken the time to load two dead bodies, thus increasing his chance of detection. They may have been near homes when he shot them and was afraid he would have been seen or heard if he stayed their very long. Also, if the trunk lid was partially closed, it would have helped to muffle the sound of the shots. This is a stretch, but maybe he didn't want to touch a dead body. Some people absolutely refuse to do so.

You have some really good theories about why the car was left the way it was.
 
My first post as well.

I truly think shooting them in the trunk was just out of convenience. Moving bodies would be tiring and could possibly take quite a bit of time depending on how far he would have to move them. Carrying/dragging two at a time would be nearly impossible for anyone close to average size, so the killer would have instantly doubled the amount of time he's in contact with a victim and increased the chances of leaving evidence behind. Being seen moving a dead body would raise some questions from anyone. Being seen driving isn't going to raise any red flags. It also allows the killer to choose the best point to drop off the car and get away without being seen by anyone. Maybe the killer had planned on leaving the car where he killed the girls, but headlights or hearing a car approaching forced him to continue moving. Maybe he continued to meet fellow drivers the entire night and was forced to keep driving. Maybe he had the perfect dumping spot picked out, but met a vehicle there and didn't want to draw attention to himself by slowing down or pulling in. I can't possibly imagine someone intentionally driving around with alive (but unwilling) or dead girls for long periods of time. Too many things could go wrong. Just some ideas running through my head, of course.

I do have a few questions as well.

Is it possible that the girls were the ones to run out most of the gas? Or the gas tank wasn't as full as parents were lead to believe? I'm sure I wasn't the only teenager given $20 to fill up my car and only put $10 so I'd have cash for something I wanted more, like a pack of smokes and a bottle of cheap booze (I'm sorry Mom!) I'm not sure it makes a difference at all either way, just trying to get an idea of how the night played out.

Was the "birthday party" a ruse to get a later curfew? I know my curfew was extended a couple of times for special occasions. I can't see why they would plan a birthday party for someone knowing they wouldn't be showing up until 10 pm or later and would have to leave around 11 or so to get home before curfew. 30-60 minutes is hardly a party.

According to the articles I've read, they left Tracie's house sometime between at ~10pm. According to Google Maps, it takes approximately 14-16 minute to get to Headland from Tracie's neighborhood. Meaning they drove around an extra 15 minutes or so before stopping to use the payphone at 10:30 pm. Was this trying to find the party, taking the scenic route? Did they ever check what phone calls were made at the payphones? Did they call someone other than friends at the party? I can't find a timeline of how long they were there, but I assume just a couple of minutes. Then they show up at the Big/Little at a little after 11:30. Again, according to the map, this trip should have taken a bit over 30 minutes, not an hour. Were they still trying to find the party after leaving the gas station in Headland, even though they were due home in an hour? I can't help but wonder if the party wasn't their planned destination. It would be easy to convince a good friend to cover for you, especially since there would likely be no parents at the party to blow your cover. Could someone have called a "boyfriend" from the payphone to meet them somewhere? 30 minutes is enough time for a hook up (and possibly the source of the semen on the bra and why there is only semen on one victim). Maybe the "boyfriend" had planned this or at least the thought had crossed his mind. Maybe he wasn't expecting the second girl. Maybe there was a fight. More random thoughts, of course.

I just can't help but think they knew the killer. I live in the middle of nowhere where everyone knows everyone, and would definitely pull over for someone I knew. Day or night. But pulling over for a random man at night when I was already late getting home, definitely not.

Unless I want to pull an idea out of far left field. Remember, these are just random thoughts from someone who should have been in bed 4 hours ago and you are free to laugh! What if the killer wasn't a male? What if the semen was from a boyfriend (either from the 30 minute time lapse after the first payphone or even earlier in the day) and had nothing to do with the killer? Statistically, it's a long shot, but a female could have easily pulled it off just as well as a male, considering she wouldn't have to move the bodies manually (she forced them into the trunk) and a gun would be just as scary and motivating in the hands of a male or female. No sign of rape (most females aren't sexually motivated killers, I don't think). The majority of women that I know, including myself, that either carry or at least shoot handguns carry/shoot a .38 or a 9mm. I'd also be far more likely to pull over at night for a female than I would a male. And since I'm pulling out the idea of a female killer, I might as well mention the idea of a couple or male/female duo, where the female is the lure and the male does the killing. Once again, sleep deprived ideas probably aren't the best.
 
Hoosier952 said:
My first post as well.

I truly think shooting them in the trunk was just out of convenience. Moving bodies would be tiring and could possibly take quite a bit of time depending on how far he would have to move them. Carrying/dragging two at a time would be nearly impossible for anyone close to average size, so the killer would have instantly doubled the amount of time he's in contact with a victim and increased the chances of leaving evidence behind. Being seen moving a dead body would raise some questions from anyone. Being seen driving isn't going to raise any red flags. It also allows the killer to choose the best point to drop off the car and get away without being seen by anyone. Maybe the killer had planned on leaving the car where he killed the girls, but headlights or hearing a car approaching forced him to continue moving. Maybe he continued to meet fellow drivers the entire night and was forced to keep driving. Maybe he had the perfect dumping spot picked out, but met a vehicle there and didn't want to draw attention to himself by slowing down or pulling in. I can't possibly imagine someone intentionally driving around with alive (but unwilling) or dead girls for long periods of time. Too many things could go wrong. Just some ideas running through my head, of course.

I do have a few questions as well.

Is it possible that the girls were the ones to run out most of the gas? Or the gas tank wasn't as full as parents were lead to believe? I'm sure I wasn't the only teenager given $20 to fill up my car and only put $10 so I'd have cash for something I wanted more, like a pack of smokes and a bottle of cheap booze (I'm sorry Mom!) I'm not sure it makes a difference at all either way, just trying to get an idea of how the night played out.

Was the "birthday party" a ruse to get a later curfew? I know my curfew was extended a couple of times for special occasions. I can't see why they would plan a birthday party for someone knowing they wouldn't be showing up until 10 pm or later and would have to leave around 11 or so to get home before curfew. 30-60 minutes is hardly a party.

According to the articles I've read, they left Tracie's house sometime between at ~10pm. According to Google Maps, it takes approximately 14-16 minute to get to Headland from Tracie's neighborhood. Meaning they drove around an extra 15 minutes or so before stopping to use the payphone at 10:30 pm. Was this trying to find the party, taking the scenic route? Did they ever check what phone calls were made at the payphones? Did they call someone other than friends at the party? I can't find a timeline of how long they were there, but I assume just a couple of minutes. Then they show up at the Big/Little at a little after 11:30. Again, according to the map, this trip should have taken a bit over 30 minutes, not an hour. Were they still trying to find the party after leaving the gas station in Headland, even though they were due home in an hour? I can't help but wonder if the party wasn't their planned destination. It would be easy to convince a good friend to cover for you, especially since there would likely be no parents at the party to blow your cover. Could someone have called a "boyfriend" from the payphone to meet them somewhere? 30 minutes is enough time for a hook up (and possibly the source of the semen on the bra and why there is only semen on one victim). Maybe the "boyfriend" had planned this or at least the thought had crossed his mind. Maybe he wasn't expecting the second girl. Maybe there was a fight. More random thoughts, of course.

I just can't help but think they knew the killer. I live in the middle of nowhere where everyone knows everyone, and would definitely pull over for someone I knew. Day or night. But pulling over for a random man at night when I was already late getting home, definitely not.

Unless I want to pull an idea out of far left field. Remember, these are just random thoughts from someone who should have been in bed 4 hours ago and you are free to laugh! What if the killer wasn't a male? What if the semen was from a boyfriend (either from the 30 minute time lapse after the first payphone or even earlier in the day) and had nothing to do with the killer? Statistically, it's a long shot, but a female could have easily pulled it off just as well as a male, considering she wouldn't have to move the bodies manually (she forced them into the trunk) and a gun would be just as scary and motivating in the hands of a male or female. No sign of rape (most females aren't sexually motivated killers, I don't think). The majority of women that I know, including myself, that either carry or at least shoot handguns carry/shoot a .38 or a 9mm. I'd also be far more likely to pull over at night for a female than I would a male. And since I'm pulling out the idea of a female killer, I might as well mention the idea of a couple or male/female duo, where the female is the lure and the male does the killing. Once again, sleep deprived ideas probably aren't the best.
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Welcome to Websleuths! :websleuther: :welcome2: :welcome3:

Just like the other new poster-great first post! Glad to have you on this page!

I don't think the party was a ruse and I suspect they planned to attend. While Tracie was on the phone with her mom, J.B. called a friend of hers who was at the party and told her that she had something to tell her when she arrived. Also, the directions they sought at the store were to the area of the party. You are correct about the girls "pushing the envelope" on the time it would take to get to the party and being home in time for curfew at 11:30. They may have planned to only stay a few minutes at the party by "putting in an appearance" and leaving or maybe Tracie asked for some additional time from her mother during their phone conversation? I guess we will never know.

I questioned the idea of the semen on J.B. too and wondered if it may have come from a meeting with her boyfriend earlier in the day. But, I think LE tested several of the local guys for DNA and none of them matched. I can't help but believe the semen came from the killer.

Until this case is solved, we will never know if the girls knew their killer (or killers). They were several miles from their homes and may not of know many people in Ozark. However, if they did, it would help explain how the killer was able to capture them.

I've wondered if more than one killer or vehicles were involved. A lot of people on here suspect that it was a single killer and they may be correct, but I've never seen anything that eliminates the possibility of more than one.

I don't want to create too long of a post so I will cut it off here. Again, welcome to Websleuths and congratulation on a great first post!
 
TedMac said:
Until this case is solved, we will never know if the girls knew their killer (or killers). They were several miles from their homes and may not of know many people in Ozark. However, if they did, it would help explain how the killer was able to capture them.

I've wondered if more than one killer or vehicles were involved. A lot of people on here suspect that it was a single killer and they may be correct, but I've never seen anything that eliminates the possibility of more than one.
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I'm not sure if I shortened the quoted text correctly or not.

I could see them not knowing many from out of town, maybe just seeing someone who looked familiar. Another possibility that crossed my mind. What if the girls spotted a familiar vehicle, thinking it belonged to a friend that would likely be going to the party or going back to Dothan. Since they are lost, maybe they thought it would be easier to follow the vehicle, hence why they ended up turned around after leaving Big/Little in Ozark. Maybe the driver pulls over to find out why they are following him. The girls were probably a bit spooked to find out that it wasn't who they thought it was. I'm sure they apologized and said they were trying to get home and they had planned on going to a party and had stopped to use the payphone. Maybe he saw an opportunity, two girls, lost and alone with no cell phone to call police. Maybe he offered to lead them to the party, maybe he offered a shortcut back to Dothan. They could have easily followed him down a road, a dead end, a trail through a field without questioning whether or not it was the right way or even a real road. Getting to a dead end or stuck in mud may have forced them to get out and run.

I do think the murder could have been pulled off by one killer, but it definitely would have been easier and safer with two. I don't know if two frightened girls would try to run away from someone with a gun if they thought there was even a slight chance of escape, but the killer would have no way of knowing either. He wouldn't want any chance of a witness getting away.

I couldn't find any reports of other injuries other than a scratch on one of the girl's arms and the gunshot wounds. It seems odd that they could have walked or run through a wooded area at night without more than a single scratch. No mention of bruising either. I can't believe someone could essentially kidnap two females and not use some sort of force throughout the course of the event.

Also regarding the missing keys. I wonder if it was actually a harmless habit that caused the killer to remove the keys? Most people I know remove the keys from the ignition when they get out. Usually to keep it from beeping when the door is opened and so they can lock the door when they get out.
 
Hoosier952 said:
I'm not sure if I shortened the quoted text correctly or not.

I could see them not knowing many from out of town, maybe just seeing someone who looked familiar. Another possibility that crossed my mind. What if the girls spotted a familiar vehicle, thinking it belonged to a friend that would likely be going to the party or going back to Dothan. Since they are lost, maybe they thought it would be easier to follow the vehicle, hence why they ended up turned around after leaving Big/Little in Ozark. Maybe the driver pulls over to find out why they are following him. The girls were probably a bit spooked to find out that it wasn't who they thought it was. I'm sure they apologized and said they were trying to get home and they had planned on going to a party and had stopped to use the payphone. Maybe he saw an opportunity, two girls, lost and alone with no cell phone to call police. Maybe he offered to lead them to the party, maybe he offered a shortcut back to Dothan. They could have easily followed him down a road, a dead end, a trail through a field without questioning whether or not it was the right way or even a real road. Getting to a dead end or stuck in mud may have forced them to get out and run.

I do think the murder could have been pulled off by one killer, but it definitely would have been easier and safer with two. I don't know if two frightened girls would try to run away from someone with a gun if they thought there was even a slight chance of escape, but the killer would have no way of knowing either. He wouldn't want any chance of a witness getting away.

I couldn't find any reports of other injuries other than a scratch on one of the girl's arms and the gunshot wounds. It seems odd that they could have walked or run through a wooded area at night without more than a single scratch. No mention of bruising either. I can't believe someone could essentially kidnap two females and not use some sort of force throughout the course of the event.

Also regarding the missing keys. I wonder if it was actually a harmless habit that caused the killer to remove the keys? Most people I know remove the keys from the ignition when they get out. Usually to keep it from beeping when the door is opened and so they can lock the door when they get out.
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Your theory on how they were captured is certainly possible. I really hadn't considered anything quite like that. You put forth some really good ideas. I don't think these gruesome murders were premeditated. The killer may have planned to kill someone that night, but I don't think J.B. & Tracie were necessarily the intended victims. They may have just driven into the killer's cross hairs and fell victim. No motive has been established. I believe their capture could have been something as simple as them stopping somewhere to ask for more directions and the killer being able to get into their car. It also could have been something like them stopping at a restaurant or some type of establishment to use the bathroom and the killer being in the parking lot and after spotting them, forced his way into their car. Another theory put forth by some is they were stopped by an LE Officer and he was the killer. J.B.'s license was found either in the front seat or on the dash of her car like she may have gotten it out from her purse and was preparing to show it to LE. Other than the license being out, I haven't seen anything to support this theory. If this was the case you would have to question where he left his vehicle while he drove off in their car. Some cars are easily concealed, but a marked Police Car? Not so much.

We know the killer was armed, he was probably able to subdue and maintain them by holding them at gunpoint. He may have simply got in the backseat of their car and ordered them to drive to the location they were killed.

I don't recall any other injuries to the girls other than the one you mentioned.

It has been reported that the weather had been very dry for several days. I mention this because the girls pants were muddy and wet from their knees down. So they probably didn't step in a mud puddle. They were either marched through a creek or pond or attempted escape and ran through a body of water in the process.

I agree with what you said about the keys.
 
TedMac said:
Another theory put forth by some is they were stopped by an LE Officer and he was the killer. J.B.'s license was found either in the front seat or on the dash of her car like she may have gotten it out from her purse and was preparing to show it to LE. Other than the license being out, I haven't seen anything to support this theory. If this was the case you would have to question where he left his vehicle while he drove off in their car. Some cars are easily concealed, but a marked Police Car? Not so much.
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I had read on here and on several other pages that LE or someone pretending to be LE could be a possibility. Is it possible that someone did see a police car near the car at some point? Or even saw a police car parked along the road without another car nearby? If I saw a car pulled over by LE, I assume they were likely speeding or a light out. Would someone even report seeing a police car with or without their lights on if they saw it? How many people are driving around in that particular area that time of night? Around here, there are often police cars parked along roads where most people speed. I'm not sure if you could see anyone inside the car at night if the interior lights are off, especially on a highway driving at higher speeds. Most people are probably looking at their speedometers instead of inside the car anyways.

I come from a town with a history of LE corruption and misconduct. It's hard to read rumors about LE being involved in a murder and not be tempted to believe it true. It does seem a bit odd that no foreign fingerprints or hairs were found inside the vehicle. The killer would have had to have touched the steering wheel, gear shifter, and door handles, both inside and out. He could have also touched the seat belt, radio, rear view mirror, window controls/cranks, and several places on the outside of the vehicle to shut the door. Did the killer wear gloves, did he wipe down the car, was it his hand print on the trunk or was that an accidental print left behind by LE officers checking out the abandoned car? It seems odd that a LE killer would have left the ID on the dash. Maybe he didn't see it, but I would have guessed he'd be far more thorough than most. When the car was first found, did any LE enter the car? At some point, they entered to open the trunk, but what about prior to that? I'm not sure what the laws are on abandoned vehicles. Can they legally search the interior of the car without a warrant? Did a parent ok them entering the vehicle? Since it belonged to someone reported missing, I'm assuming it instantly became part of a suspected crime scene, but I have no clue how that all works.
 
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