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

[CoolJ]

Does anyone know the source and timing of the first reports regarding "JB's license on the dash" ? Who leaked that picture? Why?
This whole thing is throwing up some major red flags for me.

I was sure I read somewhere where Spivey is quoted talking about the license on the dash. Maybe it was the deputy chief? Combing through old articles now.

 

[jburgoon]

The shell casing was sent off to the wrong lab and is no longer available. Big mistake on OPD's part. I haven't heard back about the soil samples yet but I am making a point to ask. I am assuming they came back negative since they still don't know where the crime actually took place

 

[jburgoon]

I don't know how it got leaked but I am just glad that I can confirm it to be a rumor and that they were not found on the dash. If I can confirm any other things for you all- I will be glad to.

 

[jburgoon]

O.k., I don't remember... Were J.B.'s fingerprints still on the steering wheel or was the wheel wiped clean?

And does anyone know what became of the car? I have heard of evidence found on older cars than this one. And this includes cars that had been used, changed hands, etc.

The car was released to The insurance company shortly after the murders. It shouldn't have but I was told OPD got everything they needed from the vehicle before it was released.

 

[jburgoon]

Yes it really makes you wonder what facts are not really facts. The pockets turned inside out....wonder how true that is now. Are they going to come back and say that an officer turned those inside out after the girls were discovered? Is photographic evidence being preserved/protected so it doesn't disappear? Whatever happened to the soil samples and 9 mm casing they found and sent off for comparison? Did they recover slugs or not? Too much silence is a bad thing. It is too easy to manipulate the information.

The photographs are being preserved. They are in the evidence room along with all other evidence from the scene.

 

[TedMac]

Again, I don't discount police involvement. But there is more evidence indicating they goofed up the investigation then participated in any crime. I have not seen one single fact that indicates a law enforcement officer committed this murder vs A construction worker or a mechanic or a cook at a local diner.

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Exactly. As a former police officer, I can tell you this is a case of missed opportunities. When I first read about this case, the first thing that jumped out at me was the crime scene. The car containing the bodies was found at approximately 8am, but the bodies were not discovered for 5 hours. According to reports, several police officers were seen walking around the car and even going inside it. Also, during this time, probably some citizens walked up the road and by the car, possibly touching it. By not finding the bodies for several hours, LE lost its ability to get tracking dogs on the scene. Bloodhounds could have followed a trail from the car to possibly a home or a car parked nearby. Or at a minimum, they could have followed a trail indicating which direction the killer went after abandoning the car. Missed opportunity #1. Also, there is a very good chance the killer had mud on his shoes (just like Tracie) and left muddy footprints on the road or grass beside the car. If so, the hot AL sun probably dried up those prints after a couple of hours. Missed opportunity #2. Was JWB ever re-interviewed about what he actually knew, saw or heard? Probably not. Ozark PD didn't even know he was dead until JB's sister told them. If they had approached him in a nonaccusatory way, maybe he would have told them something. Hopefully, the Cold Case Investigator from the AG's office did that. If not, missed opportunity #3.

Then there are some things LE couldn't control. The killer, by moving the car from to the location the girls were shot to Herring Ave., denied the investigators a chance to search the area for more clues such as footprints, shell casings, perhaps more semen, etc. Also, the location could have given LE a clue as to the killer may be. By that I mean the land could be linked to the killer in some fashion.

 

[CoolJ]

I don't know how it got leaked but I am just glad that I can confirm it to be a rumor and that they were not found on the dash. If I can confirm any other things for you all- I will be glad to.

Thanks for this Jacqui. You are doing a great job keeping this case alive.

Can you confirm if the gas tank was almost empty and if it had been filled up the day before? Thanks

 

[jburgoon]

Thanks for this Jacqui. You are doing a great job keeping this case alive.

Can you confirm if the gas tank was almost empty and if it had Ben filled up th day before? Thanks

It was on empty. My dad filled it up her for 1 to 2 days before.
Thank you I appreciate that- it's the least I can do.

 

[TooCurious]

Does the lead investigator do like a yearly update with family or anything?
Also, can you confirm that a separate agency is now looking at the case?

 

[TedMac]

Does the lead investigator do like a yearly update with family or anything?
Also, can you confirm that a separate agency is now looking at the case?

The family would have to answer the 1st question.

There is a cold case investigator from the AL Attorney General's Office assigned to the case and yes, it is confirmed. He has posted on here as well as the Facebook page. Also, the AL Attorney General's Office has a webpage and the cold cases that are under investigation are listed and this is one of 10 or so cases listed.

 

[iron_angel]

It was on empty. My dad filled it up her for 1 to 2 days before.

So, this somewhat means that the car wasnt left there on purpose but rather than the person(s) drove it til it ran out of gas, unless the tank was syphoned.

 

[easongt]

Well being on the empty might not necessarily mean it was out of gas.

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[killarney rose]

It would be interesting to know if the car was still running but parked on empty, or if it ran out of gas and was left there. I have to wonder at this point if OPD even checked that. After reading Jacque's posts it's most obvious they really dropped the ball on this case. Thank you so much Jacque for answering our questions.

If the car ran out of gas, the killer still could've been from the neighborhood, but he also could've been cutting through the neighborhood heading to a dump site out of town and had to leave them where the car ran out of gas.

 

[jburgoon]

The family would have to answer the 1st question.

There is a cold case investigator from the AL Attorney General's Office assigned to the case and yes, it is confirmed. He has posted on here as well as the Facebook page. Also, the AL Attorney General's Office has a webpage and the cold cases that are under investigation are listed and this is one of 10 or so cases listed.

What Ted said. Thanks Ted! Yearly we are updated about the same things. They are working on it, leads are still coming in, they are narrowing POI down, etc. same story for 16 years.

 

[LR1]

The only problem with that is he would be a repeat offender and once caught, identified. Not being caught would have emboldened him. I think this is a good reason to suggest it was not sex driven. Of course, he could be active and still at large but the unsolved murder count would be enormous by now.

I hesitate at calling it a profile but there was a suggestion maybe 10 years ago by LE that we might be looking for someone, I forget how they described it exactly, but that he might've had some type of sexual dysfunction. It wouldn't be a given that he would've been caught in the years that followed if he did re-offend but I do see your point. I'm not sure what year they started keeping samples from convicted offenders so it could have been someone let out who wasn't in the system.

 

[easongt]

Jacqui... enlighten us with what you have been told about the suspect from Michigan. Separate an email from fax or just tell us in general what you know as long as it's okay for you to do so. It is the general belief that he had made alarming statements to certain individuals who then reported this to the police. This prompted le to make several trips to interview him. Is this correct?

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[easongt]

Separate rumor from fact... sorry

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[jburgoon]

Yes @eastongt, that is correct. To my knowledge, the Michigan guy was riding in the vehicle with a friend and he suddenly turned to them and said ," what would you do if I told you I murdered those two girls"?


He was at a party blocks away from where the girls were found on herring avenue. He moved away pretty quickly to Michigan after the murders. The police and ABI have met with him a couple times but he never confessed. With no evidence to tie someone to the murder case, you have nothing unless the Individual confesses.

 

[TooCurious]

Yes @eastongt, that is correct. To my knowledge, the Michigan guy was riding in the vehicle with a friend and he suddenly turned to them and said ," what would you do if I told you I murdered those two girls"?


He was at a party blocks away from where the girls were found on herring avenue. He moved away pretty quickly to Michigan after the murders. The police and ABI have met with him a couple times but he never confessed. With no evidence to tie someone to the murder case, you have nothing unless the Individual confesses.

Did they take DNA sample or prints from the Michigan guy? I know it is a "well duh" question but I have to ask! Just think, a palm print and DNA and we still have no one in custody after 16 years. How likely is it that whoever committed this crime never offended again? It just seems improbable to me.

 

[TedMac]

Did they take DNA sample or prints from the Michigan guy? I know it is a "well duh" question but I have to ask! Just think, a palm print and DNA and we still have no one in custody after 16 years. How likely is it that whoever committed this crime never offended again? It just seems improbable to me.

Chief Spivey reported that his DNA did not match the semen found on Beasley. He noted that the guy was still considered a suspect. I don't know whether he voluntarily submitted a sample or whether it was from a previous arrest. Either way it was not a match.