AL AL - J.B. Beasley, 17, & Tracie Hawlett, 17, Ozark, 31 July 1999 #3

[killarney rose]

That's is how I remember it as well. You can probably find a linked article on thread 1.

 

[somequestions]

Could of gave them wrong directions to

From what I remember of J.B. Beasley sister Jacqui's interview, Ms. Merritt actually did give J.B. the wrong directions, but only in terms of number of stoplights. Since all you have to do is drive down Broad Street to get to 231 according to google maps, I think Ms. Merritt told J.B. it took 5 stoplights to get to 231 when it actually took 6. I am trying to remember this so if my information is wrong, you know why. But I think it was number of stoplights and Ms. Merritt was off by 1, it being she either told J.B. one too many or one too few. I think it was one too few.

Ironically it was J.B. Beasley's sister Jacqui that changed my thinking about J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett being lost that night. When J.B. was discussing how to get to 231, Ms. Merritt must have mentioned a landmark at where J.B. Beasley had to turn onto 231, a business or building that J.B. remembered because when Ms. Merritt mentioned it Jacqui said that J.B. was like, "Oh yeah, yeah, I know where that is" or something along those lines. Jacqui never mentioned what landmark it was as far as I remember. That made me think J.B. knew how to get back to 231 and once on 231 it is a straight shot home. So then that line of thinking made me think what place could they have stopped where there would have been very few people and no cameras on 231 where someone coming back to their car in the early morning hours is not going to arouse suspicion? And I think even Ozark PD would have asked for any surveillance cameras from businesses along the supposed route home to see if they stopped anywhere. So then I only came up with one place they could have stopped: the rest stop on 231.

I am guessing police checked out the rest stop on 231, but if I were a detective it would have been the number one place to check on my list. I know it does not make a lot of sense because of how far it is from where the car was eventually found on Herring Ave.

But just like I have written before, just because I think J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett were not lost after leaving the Big Little Store in Ozark, AL does not mean that they were not lost and did not get lost again. And just because I think the rest stop on 231 is the most likely location for them to stop does not mean it was the location they stopped, if they stopped by themselves at all. Everything that happened is still a mystery over 19 years later.

 

[CoolJ]

I'm not sure they "were there for so long". IIRC, they saw lights on because someone was cleaning inside the store, however the door was locked. So the person cleaning indicated to the Merritt's they were closed. As the Merritt's turn to leave, then JB and Tracie pull up. Not knowing the girls' intentions, Mrs Merritt explains the store is closed. That's when Tracie goes to the pay phone to call her mom and JB and Mrs Merritt begin the discussion on how to get to Highway 231. In MOO opinion, this is not an inordinate amount of time.

I'm not good at finding archived web articles, ones from 1999 to 2000 which would have Mrs Merritt's statement on what happened that evening, but I believe this to be what happened from articles which were posted on Thread's 1 and 2. I remember Mrs Merritt being concerned for JB and Tracie, because it was late at night, so that is why she waited for them to get in their car and leave, before she and her daughter left.

I don’t think I recall anything about a person inside the BL store cleaning. That would add another eye witness to be the last to see the girls. Where have you seen this?

 

[Catmommy]

Since we're just pitching different theories, does anyone know if there was a "stop and cop" in Ozark? That's generally a street or neighborhood where you would drive through and slow down for anybody who came out with weed or other drugs to saleright at your car. Teens during this time were into booze and weed mostly in Alabama. If the girls wanted a bit of something to party with on the way back home, this could explain the time requested to meet the boys they never met and the window being part ways down. Instead of copping, they were stopped by a opportunistic offender who kidnapped them in their car, attempted a sexual assault and shot both girls when they became too difficult to control. The car was left at a location that made it easy for him to hike back to wherever he stayed. This is NOT to cast ANY type of judgment on these girls or to even imply they were drug users. Just another guess in a long line of possible scenarios.

 

[jkloc420]

From what I remember of J.B. Beasley sister Jacqui's interview, Ms. Merritt actually did give J.B. the wrong directions, but only in terms of number of stoplights. Since all you have to do is drive down Broad Street to get to 231 according to google maps, I think Ms. Merritt told J.B. it took 5 stoplights to get to 231 when it actually took 6. I am trying to remember this so if my information is wrong, you know why. But I think it was number of stoplights and Ms. Merritt was off by 1, it being she either told J.B. one too many or one too few. I think it was one too few.

Ironically it was J.B. Beasley's sister Jacqui that changed my thinking about J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett being lost that night. When J.B. was discussing how to get to 231, Ms. Merritt must have mentioned a landmark at where J.B. Beasley had to turn onto 231, a business or building that J.B. remembered because when Ms. Merritt mentioned it Jacqui said that J.B. was like, "Oh yeah, yeah, I know where that is" or something along those lines. Jacqui never mentioned what landmark it was as far as I remember. That made me think J.B. knew how to get back to 231 and once on 231 it is a straight shot home. So then that line of thinking made me think what place could they have stopped where there would have been very few people and no cameras on 231 where someone coming back to their car in the early morning hours is not going to arouse suspicion? And I think even Ozark PD would have asked for any surveillance cameras from businesses along the supposed route home to see if they stopped anywhere. So then I only came up with one place they could have stopped: the rest stop on 231.

I am guessing police checked out the rest stop on 231, but if I were a detective it would have been the number one place to check on my list. I know it does not make a lot of sense because of how far it is from where the car was eventually found on Herring Ave.

But just like I have written before, just because I think J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett were not lost after leaving the Big Little Store in Ozark, AL does not mean that they were not lost and did not get lost again. And just because I think the rest stop on 231 is the most likely location for them to stop does not mean it was the location they stopped, if they stopped by themselves at all. Everything that happened is still a mystery over 19 years later.

All i am saying is maybe they were set up. Hopefully they checked the outgoing and incoming calls to that pay phone at the time.

 

[Tinala]

From what I remember of J.B. Beasley sister Jacqui's interview, Ms. Merritt actually did give J.B. the wrong directions, but only in terms of number of stoplights. Since all you have to do is drive down Broad Street to get to 231 according to google maps, I think Ms. Merritt told J.B. it took 5 stoplights to get to 231 when it actually took 6. I am trying to remember this so if my information is wrong, you know why. But I think it was number of stoplights and Ms. Merritt was off by 1, it being she either told J.B. one too many or one too few. I think it was one too few.

Ironically it was J.B. Beasley's sister Jacqui that changed my thinking about J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett being lost that night. When J.B. was discussing how to get to 231, Ms. Merritt must have mentioned a landmark at where J.B. Beasley had to turn onto 231, a business or building that J.B. remembered because when Ms. Merritt mentioned it Jacqui said that J.B. was like, "Oh yeah, yeah, I know where that is" or something along those lines. Jacqui never mentioned what landmark it was as far as I remember. That made me think J.B. knew how to get back to 231 and once on 231 it is a straight shot home. So then that line of thinking made me think what place could they have stopped where there would have been very few people and no cameras on 231 where someone coming back to their car in the early morning hours is not going to arouse suspicion? And I think even Ozark PD would have asked for any surveillance cameras from businesses along the supposed route home to see if they stopped anywhere. So then I only came up with one place they could have stopped: the rest stop on 231.

I am guessing police checked out the rest stop on 231, but if I were a detective it would have been the number one place to check on my list. I know it does not make a lot of sense because of how far it is from where the car was eventually found on Herring Ave.

But just like I have written before, just because I think J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett were not lost after leaving the Big Little Store in Ozark, AL does not mean that they were not lost and did not get lost again. And just because I think the rest stop on 231 is the most likely location for them to stop does not mean it was the location they stopped, if they stopped by themselves at all. Everything that happened is still a mystery over 19 years later.

Even if she did say 6 stops when they got to the 5th stop it is on the top of a slope and they would have been able to see the 6th light and the 231 hwy. up ahead. That area is well lit at the intersection of 231. There is a McDonald’s on the right corner and a gas station, was a BP in the left. Very very very easy to find 231 from Broad st. I don’t believe they ever meant to go right to 231, I think they planned a stop somewhere else long the way. Once you turn left onto 231 it is about mile of well lit hwy and then it is dark as all get out from that point to Midland city.

 

[SavageMarkIII]

My opinion and intuition is, they never made it to 231 that night. Whatever the incident was that led to them being stopped/abducted (however you want to phrase it) happened before they made it to 231. Now whether that was due to the number of stop lights issue, they got lost again or whether they knew about another party in Ozark, I don't know. But my gut feeling has always been they never made it out of the general area of the Big/Little and Herring Road.

 

[jkloc420]

My theory is a man and a woman did this. I think the girls made it to some kind of party. I think one of the girls might of been messing around or talking with somebody's boyfriend. Out of jealousy i think the girlfriend did something and the boyfriend cleaned it up

 

[SavageMarkIII]

Since we're just pitching different theories, does anyone know if there was a "stop and cop" in Ozark? That's generally a street or neighborhood where you would drive through and slow down for anybody who came out with weed or other drugs to saleright at your car. Teens during this time were into booze and weed mostly in Alabama. If the girls wanted a bit of something to party with on the way back home, this could explain the time requested to meet the boys they never met and the window being part ways down. Instead of copping, they were stopped by a opportunistic offender who kidnapped them in their car, attempted a sexual assault and shot both girls when they became too difficult to control. The car was left at a location that made it easy for him to hike back to wherever he stayed. This is NOT to cast ANY type of judgment on these girls or to even imply they were drug users. Just another guess in a long line of possible scenarios.

Both family and friends have stated many times that JB and Tracie did not use alcohol or drugs. And it has been stated many times on these threads that the toxicology report from the autopsy was that neither girl had drugs or alcohol in their system.

We need to be careful how we discuss the victims and family. We need to read the information available before questioning the victims integrity. That is how we lost Thread #3 in the web site change....because it was closed prior to the change.

 

[LR1]

I would respectfully disagree SM3, parents and friends don't always know what their kids and friends are up to and a lack of a positive test wouldn't necessarily tell us of their possible inclinations in that regard. Having said that, I have seen nothing to indicate any drug use by either girl. Folks can read the info available but clearly much of the info available is questionable at best. Also, nothing in that post even remotely resembles the reason the thread was closed.

 

[somequestions]

Even if she did say 6 stops when they got to the 5th stop it is on the top of a slope and they would have been able to see the 6th light and the 231 hwy. up ahead. That area is well lit at the intersection of 231. There is a McDonald’s on the right corner and a gas station, was a BP in the left. Very very very easy to find 231 from Broad st. I don’t believe they ever meant to go right to 231, I think they planned a stop somewhere else long the way. Once you turn left onto 231 it is about mile of well lit hwy and then it is dark as all get out from that point to Midland city.

Thanks for the description of the area. Since I am not from Alabama, it is hard to come up with ideas using google maps. My point was that whether Ms. Merritt told J.B. Beasley 6 stoplights or 5 stoplights, since J.B. knew some "landmark" near 231, that made me think she would have found 231 regardless of the directions from Ms. Merritt.

So you think it is very easy to find 231 from Broad Street. If J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett stopped at the rest stop on 231 before Midland City, do you think that is possible? I know it is not a very likely theory because of how far J.B. Beasley's car ended up away, but after looking at google maps I thought that maybe if the person walked down Matthews Avenue to Parker Drive they could avoid being seen for much of the time walking back to their car at the 231 rest stop? The roads look desolate enough to me on google maps.

Whether or not J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett made it to 231 in J.B.'s car is as much a mystery as the rest of the case. Only two people probably know whether they made it that far and they are not here to tell us.

 

[killarney rose]

That rest stop used to look positively desolate to me, and now, years later and having been remodeled, it still looks desolate to me.

 

[somequestions]

That rest stop used to look positively desolate to me, and now, years later and having been remodeled, it still looks desolate to me.

I think it will always be difficult to try to think of things the way they would have been on Saturday night, July 31, 1999. Like you wrote, the rest stop has been remodeled. I was always kind of surprised there even was a rest stop on 231. I always thought rest stops were only on interstates.

The missing Boston Red Sox cap(if that information is true) is what got me to thinking about the 231 rest stop. It made me think the killer did not live nearby where the car was located and that wearing a Boston Red Sox cap at a rest stop would not seem out of place since at many rest stops on interstates there are people from many different states traveling through an area.

But if J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett did meet their murderer at the 231 rest stop, the murderer, after they left J.B.'s car on Herring Avenue, was in for a long walk, over 7 miles according to google maps. It is just another guess. For all anyone knows J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett may have not even made it very far down Broad Street before something happened, let alone getting to 231. Their location of where they went that night is as much a mystery as anything else in this case.

 

[ThinBlueLine]

I think it will always be difficult to try to think of things the way they would have been on Saturday night, July 31, 1999. Like you wrote, the rest stop has been remodeled. I was always kind of surprised there even was a rest stop on 231. I always thought rest stops were only on interstates.

The missing Boston Red Sox cap(if that information is true) is what got me to thinking about the 231 rest stop. It made me think the killer did not live nearby where the car was located and that wearing a Boston Red Sox cap at a rest stop would not seem out of place since at many rest stops on interstates there are people from many different states traveling through an area.

But if J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett did meet their murderer at the 231 rest stop, the murderer, after they left J.B.'s car on Herring Avenue, was in for a long walk, over 7 miles according to google maps. It is just another guess. For all anyone knows J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett may have not even made it very far down Broad Street before something happened, let alone getting to 231. Their location of where they went that night is as much a mystery as anything else in this case.

 

[ThinBlueLine]

The night of July 31, 1999 after Ms. Hawlett finishing her phone call she joined Ms. Beasley, Ms. Merritt's daughter, and Ms. Merritt; Ms. Merritt due time of night, familiar with area did not want to drive off leaving them alone; Ms. Beasley according to Ms. Merritt did not specifically ask for directions to Dothan, they were not lost; only if Ms. Merritt knew, from that location, a quicker way back to Dothan. Ms. Merritt after explaining basic information as best she knew advised Ms. Beasley to follow her and her daughter out of the store's parking lot west towards downtown to Union Street. Ms. Beasley did immediately follow Ms. Merritt all the way without stopping; Ms. Merritt at the same time keeping Ms. Beasley's vehicle's headlights in her own vehicle's interior rearview mirror. Only, up until the time when Ms. Merritt's vehicle was required to descend over Broad Street's hump to approach downtown red light did Ms. Merritt lose sight of Ms. Beasley's vehicle's headlights, and although pausing long enough that Ms. Beasley, not that far behind should have been immediately behind Ms. Merritt, Ms. Beasley's vehicle never came over that same hump as Ms. Merritt had just traveled; Ms. Merritt proceeding home, only to find out next afternoon about the tragedies involving both Ms. Beasley and Ms. Hawlett.

 

[TedMac]

The night of July 31, 1999 after Ms. Hawlett finishing her phone call she joined Ms. Beasley, Ms. Merritt's daughter, and Ms. Merritt; Ms. Merritt due time of night, familiar with area did not want to drive off leaving them alone; Ms. Beasley according to Ms. Merritt did not specifically ask for directions to Dothan, they were not lost; only if Ms. Merritt knew, from that location, a quicker way back to Dothan. Ms. Merritt after explaining basic information as best she knew advised Ms. Beasley to follow her and her daughter out of the store's parking lot west towards downtown to Union Street. Ms. Beasley did immediately follow Ms. Merritt all the way without stopping; Ms. Merritt at the same time keeping Ms. Beasley's vehicle's headlights in her own vehicle's interior rearview mirror. Only, up until the time when Ms. Merritt's vehicle was required to descend over Broad Street's hump to approach downtown red light did Ms. Merritt lose sight of Ms. Beasley's vehicle's headlights, and although pausing long enough that Ms. Beasley, not that far behind should have been immediately behind Ms. Merritt, Ms. Beasley's vehicle never came over that same hump as Ms. Merritt had just traveled; Ms. Merritt proceeding home, only to find out next afternoon about the tragedies involving both Ms. Beasley and Ms. Hawlett.

Welcome to Websleuths! We appreciate your participation in this case. Is your post a police report? It sounds official!

 

[Bulldog23]

Yes welcome, Thin Blue Line! That is certainly the most informative and comprehensive information that I have ever heard about Merritt's involvement in the case. The immediate thoughts I have reading the information is that they could have turned on Depot Lane (why?), or could be attending the (rumored) party on Atlas Street. It seems like I remember the PI that posted on the Wiregrass boards saying the Veritas's brother lived on Atlas at one point. Can anyone confirm or refute?

 

[CoolJ]

Does anyone know where the Merritt’s lived at the time?

 

[TedMac]

Does anyone know where the Merritt’s lived at the time?

She lived in Ozark, but I don't know the street address.

 

[aegis100]

The night of July 31, 1999 after Ms. Hawlett finishing her phone call she joined Ms. Beasley, Ms. Merritt's daughter, and Ms. Merritt; Ms. Merritt due time of night, familiar with area did not want to drive off leaving them alone; Ms. Beasley according to Ms. Merritt did not specifically ask for directions to Dothan, they were not lost; only if Ms. Merritt knew, from that location, a quicker way back to Dothan. Ms. Merritt after explaining basic information as best she knew advised Ms. Beasley to follow her and her daughter out of the store's parking lot west towards downtown to Union Street. Ms. Beasley did immediately follow Ms. Merritt all the way without stopping; Ms. Merritt at the same time keeping Ms. Beasley's vehicle's headlights in her own vehicle's interior rearview mirror. Only, up until the time when Ms. Merritt's vehicle was required to descend over Broad Street's hump to approach downtown red light did Ms. Merritt lose sight of Ms. Beasley's vehicle's headlights, and although pausing long enough that Ms. Beasley, not that far behind should have been immediately behind Ms. Merritt, Ms. Beasley's vehicle never came over that same hump as Ms. Merritt had just traveled; Ms. Merritt proceeding home, only to find out next afternoon about the tragedies involving both Ms. Beasley and Ms. Hawlett.

Welcome! This is certainly the most information I have ever read regarding Ms. Merritt's participation and involvement with the girls. It certainly sounds like a police report. Additional information of this caliber would go along way in helping clear the picture that misinformation has clouded over this case from the beginning.