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

[easongt]

Ok... the latest developments on the FB page are really confusing. I believe the guy RW is the same guy I referred to using the name "Top". I could be wrong. Anyhow... some crazy things (screenshots) posted. I'm starting to get really confused. I'm also starting to realize that maybe all of this stuff hinders with the real investigation by LE. Can you imagine trying to follow up on all this? Someone needs to come in and start from scratch (an outside agency). Dang...

 

[Tracey4AU]

Ok... the latest developments on the FB page are really confusing. I believe the guy RW is the same guy I referred to using the name "Top". I could be wrong. Anyhow... some crazy things (screenshots) posted. I'm starting to get really confused. I'm also starting to realize that maybe all of this stuff hinders with the real investigation by LE. Can you imagine trying to follow up on all this? Someone needs to come in and start from scratch (an outside agency). Dang...

I so agree! It's turned into a cluster %*&# ! There are some seriously whack characters coming out of the woodwork!

 

[TedMac]

Let's start somewhere fresh. Here's a question I don't know the answer to. Was anyone other than JWB given a polygraph? And I am making an assumption about JWB since I can not specifically recall reading that he took one. Please spare me the lectures on what is not admissible in court. I am very much aware, however my boss has polygraphed thousands for LE including numerous homicides. It is invaluable in investigations.[/QUOTE

I don't recall any polygraphs being administered either and as far as I know JB didn't take one either. There was a report of several people having their DNA tested for possible matches to what was found on Beasley's body. The number included several members of Ozark PD due to the rumors that one of them were involved. All of this was voluntary on their part and there were no matches. Chief Spivey also closely scrutinized several officers of Ozark PD and none were found to be a part of the murders.

Also, Beasley had a boyfriend at the time and I understand that his DNA was tested too-with negative results.

 

[varys]

Also, Beasley had a boyfriend at the time and I understand that his DNA was tested too-with negative results.

Oh wow, I think that is the first time I have heard she had a boyfriend.

 

[DimeDetective]

Column by Jan Murray of The Southeast Sun regarding the information that has been posted by the Henry County Report this month and the lack of coverage by the mainstream media:

"A look at 1999 Ozark murders, current discussions, and journalism ethics -- Is there a fire behind all the smoke?," The Southeast Sun, November 18, 2015:

My point in this column is not to point fingers, determine guilt, conspiracy or anything else. My mind is open to all the possibilities, though it’s sickening to think that the current accusations being made are even a little bit true or that persons would make such accusations without merit. Scary, in either case.

http://www.southeastsun.com/opinion/article_c9ca0fc0-8e03-11e5-a0a7-f351bc002211.html

 

[easongt]

Column by Jan Murray of The Southeast Sun regarding the information that has been posted by the Henry County Report this month and the lack of coverage by the mainstream media:

"A look at 1999 Ozark murders, current discussions, and journalism ethics -- Is there a fire behind all the smoke?," The Southeast Sun, November 18, 2015:



http://www.southeastsun.com/opinion/article_c9ca0fc0-8e03-11e5-a0a7-f351bc002211.html

Thanks for posting! Many of us on here have been rational enough to understand why mainstream media has not taken off with this and ran. Simply put... at this point the allegations amount to nothing more than small town gossip.

I for one... would LOVE for these recent accusations to lead to closure and justice. I just can't deny my gut feeling that all this new information is a bust. Many of us have been looking into this case for a long time. Some of you guys have even been looking into it for years and years. I only recently became aware of this case in 2013. Usually a week never goes by where I don't check this thread... and lately it seems I check it several times a day.

Thanks again for the link...

 

[easongt]

Oh... I ate lunch today in Dothan and ended up discussing this case with a local who knew JB. She claimed to be at the Headland party the night of the murders. I asked her if she knew anything about JB having a relationship with any LE and she could only tell me that she had "heard" that sometime after the murders... but never heard it before the murder. She did tell me that in HER opinion... they were not "lost" in Ozark... that they knew their way around much to well to get "lost". For what it's worth... thought I would share.

 

[TedMac]

Oh... I ate lunch today in Dothan and ended up discussing this case with a local who knew JB. She claimed to be at the Headland party the night of the murders. I asked her if she knew anything about JB having a relationship with any LE and she could only tell me that she had "heard" that sometime after the murders... but never heard it before the murder. She did tell me that in HER opinion... they were not "lost" in Ozark... that they knew their way around much to well to get "lost". For what it's worth... thought I would share.

I agree with everything you wrote in your last two posts. I don't think they were lost either, but probably asked for directions to find the quickest way to get back to Dothan.

Also, I've never seen anything that supported Beasley being romantically involved with a police officer. That talk started with the story of the driver's license being found on the dash of her car.

 

[somequestions]

In the case of J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett, there seems to be a few possible scenarios as to what happened that night no matter who the actual murderer.

1. They left the gas station and at some point were stopped either by a police officer or someone posing as one. This is the most plausible scenario, but there are a few problems. I have not heard of many roadside kidnappings where the kidnapper forgets to bring his own vehicle or uses that of his victims unless he does not have a car. And since the roads they were supposed to go down to get back to Dothan seem to be main roads, the kidnapper leaving his car on the side of the road seems risky.

2. They see someone walking or coming out of a business and decide to ask that person for directions. And in the process of asking that person for directions that person just happens to have a gun on them and decided to kidnap and kill two females forgoing any other plans they might have had before being asked for directions.

3. They decided to stop at the house of someone they knew after they left the gas station in Ozark. It might explain where the car was found in town since they went somewhere else they were familiar with. But then there is the mud and the briars on the clothes. If the person had them inside their house already why would he then take them outside to trample through mud and weeds? They could have escaped and were recaptured after getting wet and muddy or went to the person's house full of mud on their shoes and wet pants, but that seems strange.

4. They got lost and ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. I know it has been discussed that the girls especially J.B. Beasley was familiar with Ozark, AL, but she is only 17. The reason I tend to believe they got lost was because of where the car was found. The kidnapper/murderer made absolutely no attempt to hide the crime. It is not like leaving the car on Herring Ave. will cause it to never be discovered and the bodies will never be found in the trunk. The car being left there is probably more an indication of his fear of being seen walking away than any attempt at trying to stage or hide his crime. That might also explain this Boston Red Sox cap missing that has been talked about. Maybe he was trying to hide a part of his identity?

It is kind of surprising a case like this has not been solved because of the localized nature and small town. Everything seems to point to someone who lives rather close to the scene and simply feels that since he has no relationship with the victims just wants to distance himself from the crime scene. That is my guess.

 

[easongt]

One could deduct that if they were killed by a stranger, then the most logical place for them to have been noticed/observed or "stalked" would have been at the gas station. It was there that they were out of the vehicle and spent time where they could have been seen... versus in a dark moving vehicle driving down the road. This is one of the primary reasons I liked the original suspect. And who better to have been at the right place at the right time (or wrong place/wrong time) than someone who lived near there and was "out". If no DNA had been recovered... would they have proceeded with the initial suspect? Maybe not... can't say for sure. Question that bugs me... Did LE eliminate B as a suspect based solely on the DNA? If there were other reasons to eliminate him, what were they?

 

[somequestions]

One could deduct that if they were killed by a stranger, then the most logical place for them to have been noticed/observed or "stalked" would have been at the gas station. It was there that they were out of the vehicle and spent time where they could have been seen... versus in a dark moving vehicle driving down the road. This is one of the primary reasons I liked the original suspect. And who better to have been at the right place at the right time (or wrong place/wrong time) than someone who lived near there and was "out". If no DNA had been recovered... would they have proceeded with the initial suspect? Maybe not... can't say for sure. Question that bugs me... Did LE eliminate B as a suspect based solely on the DNA? If there were other reasons to eliminate him, what were they?

I agree the original suspect Johnny B. was a good suspect. He lived close to where the car was found and he supposedly knew what the girls were wearing the night of the murder. To include or exclude him, you can ask some easy questions:

1. When he arrived home that night did his wife see that he had wet pants or muddy shoes?
2. How long did it take for him to return?
3. On Herring Ave. were there impressions in the ground near J.B. Beasley's car as if another car had been parked there too?

So he stops them, kidnaps them, takes them in their car to some secluded place where he assaults and shoots them. Then he drives their car back to near where his car was parked. To this day that question baffles me. If a person has a gun, why not force them into their vehicle?

So he leaves the car on Herring Ave., but before he can go back home he still has to walk back to his own vehicle(if no impressions in the grass off Herring Ave where they found J.B. Beasley's car). It really seems like this scenario takes some time and for a guy who must suspect his wife is probably waiting for him to return with milk, it just seems strange to perform the crime in this manner. The crime must also have been spontaneous. He goes out for milk but ends up running into J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett who he has no idea are going to be at the gas station until he sees them there. He then decides to murder them for no apparent reason since the motive was not robbery and if the DNA is not his, was not a sex crime.

Does this mean that he is not their killer? No. But I can understand why there might be reasonable doubt.

 

[easongt]

We are at such a disadvantage. As cold case enthusiasts (and let's face it... even if our careers involve sleuthing... we are still enthusiasts), we are attempting to put together a jigsaw puzzle with many of the pieces missing from the table. We just don't have access to everything. If Johnny B isn't deemed a viable suspect by LE... I would love to know why. I would scratch him off my list and move on.

 

[easongt]

I agree the original suspect Johnny B. was a good suspect. He lived close to where the car was found and he supposedly knew what the girls were wearing the night of the murder. To include or exclude him, you can ask some easy questions:

1. When he arrived home that night did his wife see that he had wet pants or muddy shoes?
2. How long did it take for him to return?
3. On Herring Ave. were there impressions in the ground near J.B. Beasley's car as if another car had been parked there too?

So he stops them, kidnaps them, takes them in their car to some secluded place where he assaults and shoots them. Then he drives their car back to near where his car was parked. To this day that question baffles me. If a person has a gun, why not force them into their vehicle?

So he leaves the car on Herring Ave., but before he can go back home he still has to walk back to his own vehicle(if no impressions in the grass off Herring Ave where they found J.B. Beasley's car). It really seems like this scenario takes some time and for a guy who must suspect his wife is probably waiting for him to return with milk, it just seems strange to perform the crime in this manner. The crime must also have been spontaneous. He goes out for milk but ends up running into J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett who he has no idea are going to be at the gas station until he sees them there. He then decides to murder them for no apparent reason since the motive was not robbery and if the DNA is not his, was not a sex crime.

Does this mean that he is not their killer? No. But I can understand why there might be reasonable doubt.

Doesn't it make sense that this case appears to be lacking motive? Doesn't this crime seem to fit someone who didn't plan this? Someone who happened to stumble onto something and act without thinking it through? Someone who was without a doubt in the vicinity? Someone who allegedly had no alibi for a time during the murder time frame? Someone described as mentally challenged or with extremely low IQ? Seems to fit the way they described Johnny B huh? Didn't his own attorney describe him as someone who wanted the reward and didn't think this through... and got in over his head?

One of the first things I learned 25 years ago... make EVERY effort to prove the subject innocent. Only when you fail at this do you succeed in finding the suspect. I think LE believes he did it but can't prove it. I think the DNA exonerated Johnny B with the Grand Jury prematurely.

All of this is of course based on what little has been released to the public and is my opinion only.

 

[CoolJ]

Doesn't it make sense that this case appears to be lacking motive? Doesn't this crime seem to fit someone who didn't plan this? Someone who happened to stumble onto something and act without thinking it through? Someone who was without a doubt in the vicinity? Someone who allegedly had no alibi for a time during the murder time frame? Someone described as mentally challenged or with extremely low IQ? Seems to fit the way they described Johnny B huh? Didn't his own attorney describe him as someone who wanted the reward and didn't think this through... and got in over his head?

One of the first things I learned 25 years ago... make EVERY effort to prove the subject innocent. Only when you fail at this do you succeed in finding the suspect. I think LE believes he did it but can't prove it. I think the DNA exonerated Johnny B with the Grand Jury prematurely.

All of this is of course based on what little has been released to the public and is my opinion only.

You think someone described as "mentally challenged" had the intellectual capacity to execute two teenage girls without being seen and get away with it for 16 yrs?

I think it far more likely that this was targeted. The only thing Johnny B may have stumbled onto was was a murder or crime in process.

I believe Johhny B knew who did this . I think it quite possible that more than a few know who did this. I think there are more than one responsible, quite likely a small group of people were involved in different aspects of the murder.

I also think the recent reports (whether lies, truth or partial truths) really rattled some cages.

JMO of course. I respect all opinions and enjoy reading all of your theories.

 

[easongt]

You think someone described as "mentally challenged" had the intellectual capacity to execute two teenage girls without being seen and get away with it for 16 yrs?

I think it far more likely that this was targeted. The only thing Johnny B may have stumbled onto was was a murder or crime in process.

I believe Johhny B knew who did this . I think it quite possible that more than a few know who did this. I think there are more than one responsible, quite likely a small group of people were involved in different aspects of the murder.

I also think the recent reports (whether lies, truth or partial truths) really rattled some cages.

JMO of course. I respect all opinions and enjoy reading all of your theories.

Absolutely I believe he could have done it alone and being of a low IQ. In my opinion the more people involved in a crime the more likely it gets solved. People get spooked and confide or confess to save themselves. Especially if they get arrested for an unrelated crime. In fact I prosecuted a fraudulent credit card case once and the suspect asked to talk with Homocide. They took her into a room and she gave up a murder to have charges dropped on the FUCC charge.

All someone needed was an inept investigation and a trampled on & contaminated crime scene/vehicle. Throw in some luck... and you end up not being indicted. Guilty people get away with crimes every day. Someone who was intelligent would have disposed of the vehicle somewhere else. Multiple killers would have had another vehicle! Again and again I will never ever ever waiver on this. Their car was left there for a reason. I believe that reason was so the killer could walk home or back to vehicle. Until evidence is presented that leads me elsewhere... I will stick to this most plausible theory.

IF Johnny B is guilty... Then the KEY to solving this would be his wife. Does anyone know if they are still married? She may talk someday.

 

[CoolJ]

Absolutely I believe he could have done it alone and being of a low IQ. In my opinion the more people involved in a crime the more likely it gets solved. People get spooked and confide or confess to save themselves. Especially if they get arrested for an unrelated crime. In fact I prosecuted a fraudulent credit card case once and the suspect asked to talk with Homocide. They took her into a room and she gave up a murder to have charges dropped on the FUCC charge.

All someone needed was an inept investigation and a trampled on & contaminated crime scene/vehicle. Throw in some luck... and you end up not being indicted. Guilty people get away with crimes every day. Someone who was intelligent would have disposed of the vehicle somewhere else. Multiple killers would have had another vehicle! Again and again I will never ever ever waiver on this. Their car was left there for a reason. I believe that reason was so the killer could walk home or back to vehicle. Until evidence is presented that leads me elsewhere... I will stick to this most plausible theory.

IF Johnny B is guilty... Then the KEY to solving this would be his wife. Does anyone know if they are still married? She may talk someday.

Johnny B apparently passed relatively recently. The thing with the wife is that there were some early reports that she may have been the one to originally go to the police because he was acting so strangely that night after being out for milk for a couple of hours.
There was also reports that completely contradict that.

LE obviously know more than has been released. If Johnny B did this alone, and nobody else was involved what would be the reason for LE following leads in several other states?

My theory is the girls ended up at a party or small "get together" in Ozark, either planned or unplanned. Something went awry. Or maybe they were lured there for a reason. JBs sister said they were trying to get to either Ozark or Midland City. I think there was some kind of drama going on that night with one of the girls. Somehow, someone involved with the investigation, tried to either botch or manipulate the investigation, either to protect themselves or somebody else.

IMO, shots to the head is a trademark of execution and organized crime.
My thoughts on this have nothing to do with the recent reports by alternative media, just looking at the totality of information, confirmed and unconfirmed.

I don't completely rule out the idea of some kind of deranged lone perp. I just find it unlikely. I find the idea of Johnny B as that lone perp highly unlikely. Of course I say that never having met the guy, just going by what I have read.

 

[CoolJ]

Also easongt, I think you are right that the car was parked there for a reason. I just don't think those who parked the car there were the killers. JMO

 

[LR1]

Johnny B apparently passed relatively recently. The thing with the wife is that there were some early reports that she may have been the one to originally go to the police because he was acting so strangely that night after being out for milk for a couple of hours.
There was also reports that completely contradict that.

LE obviously know more than has been released. If Johnny B did this alone, and nobody else was involved what would be the reason for LE following leads in several other states?

My theory is the girls ended up at a party or small "get together" in Ozark, either planned or unplanned. Something went awry. Or maybe they were lured there for a reason. JBs sister said they were trying to get to either Ozark or Midland City. I think there was some kind of drama going on that night with one of the girls. Somehow, someone involved with the investigation, tried to either botch or manipulate the investigation, either to protect themselves or somebody else.

IMO, shots to the head is a trademark of execution and organized crime.
My thoughts on this have nothing to do with the recent reports by alternative media, just looking at the totality of information, confirmed and unconfirmed.

I don't completely rule out the idea of some kind of deranged lone perp. I just find it unlikely. I find the idea of Johnny B as that lone perp highly unlikely. Of course I say that never having met the guy, just going by what I have read.

This reminds me...If JB asked for directions to Ozark or Midland city from Headland, I think it was mentioned "either or/ whichever was quicker" or something to that effect, then this tells me she/they were going to Ozark. In other words, she knew how to get there from Midland city but if there was a quicker or shorter route she might chose the alternate. Ozark wouldn't have been mentioned if they weren't going there.

If this is the case then they didn't stumble into Ozark as a result of being lost.

Why is it no one knows why or where the girls might have been going there? Or do they?

All this of course assuming the description of the discussion in Headland is correct.

 

[killarney rose]

You think someone described as "mentally challenged" had the intellectual capacity to execute two teenage girls without being seen and get away with it for 16 yrs?

I think it far more likely that this was targeted. The only thing Johnny B may have stumbled onto was was a murder or crime in process.

I believe Johhny B knew who did this . I think it quite possible that more than a few know who did this. I think there are more than one responsible, quite likely a small group of people were involved in different aspects of the murder.

I also think the recent reports (whether lies, truth or partial truths) really rattled some cages.

JMO of course. I respect all opinions and enjoy reading all of your theories.

I have always believed that JB stumbled onto this while out for milk. I think he witnessed the killings but had nothing to do with it himself. I believe the killer has been questioned, but there isn't enough evidence to convict.that has been my theory all along.

 

[easongt]

I originally thought they might have been looking for pot or something. Then I realized maybe Dothan would have given more access to that but sometimes it's easier in a smaller town. I'm not trying to slander or roll the victims in the mud here. They were two teenage girls and teenagers do that sorta stuff. I did it and unfortunately I've had to deal with my teenage kids doing it.

If Johnny B is dead, I sure wish LE or at very least a reputable reporter would interview the wife. Her truthfulness on that night would clarify everything and either close the case or exonerate him. I suppose it could just leave us with more questions, but until then it's a shot.

Also the other suspects (out of state), was there a known connection to Johnny B? Some of you mention your beliefs as to him witnessing but not shooting. Explain more of this if you can. What basis do you have for this? I don't rule that out but I don't subscribe to that theory (yet).