The following summary can be found in the archives of the official
America's Most Wanted website. It corresponds with the Aug. 26, 2000, episode which featured this case. As you can see, it is stated early in the summary that "Beasley was sexually assaulted," and the information is attributed to three agencies: the Alabama Bureau of Investigation, Ozark Police, and the FBI.
The reason I'm highlighting this is to illuminate the rampant misinformation associated with this case. If this is really what was provided to (and shared by)
America's Most Wanted by these agencies, it's easy to see what a difficult job it is to attempt to dispel rumors and myths in this case.
On August 1, 1999 the bodies of two Dothan, AL girls, JB Beasley, 17, and Tracie Hawlett, 17, were found in the trunk of Beasley’s Mazda on an isolated road in Ozark, AL. They were each shot once in the head at close range and Beasley was sexually assaulted. Semen was also found on Beasley’s clothes and skin.
July 31st was JB’s birthday and The Alabama Bureau of Investigations says that that night, the girls were going to a field party in Ozark to celebrate JB and another classmate’s birthday. While driving to Ozark, the girls apparently took a wrong turn and ended up at the Big/Little Convenient store around 11:30pm. Because it was getting late, they asked a woman in the parking lot, Marilyn Merritt, for directions back to the main highway to get home. Before they left the store, Tracie called her mother from the pay phone to say they were on their way, but the girls never made it. The girls were also planning to meet two boys later that evening at another gas station in Midland City and never made it to them either.
A surveillance tape from the convenient store shows a white pick up truck at the store the same time the girls were getting directions. Police say every truck matching the description has been checked out. One man was questioned but a grand jury refused to indict Johnny Barrentine on capital murder charges after DNA tests ruled him out. Police say he is mentally retarded and was consumed with the case and lied to collect the reward money. Over 400 people have been interviewed, but no other witnesses, suspects or leads have brought new clues to this murder mystery.
Data from: ABI, Ozark Police, FBI
Wayback Machine
[Summary can be found under Archives/Aug. 26, 2000.]