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

[ThinBlueLine]

Thank you for your reponse and I am very much aware that the case has been actively ongoing. I have personally called in some info that I felt was pertinent to the case and the said info has been looked into. All of that was in the past few months. The AL Attorney General's Office has a cold-case investigator working the murders and the Ozark Police and the FBI are also involved. I am especially happy to see Ozark Police Chief Walker take a keen interest in the case. He is a very decent and caring man and seems to have a genuine interst in seeing this case solved.

What I meant in my previous post is the new podcast may very well get more people talking, which could put the murderer or murderers on edge. When they get nervous, they tend to make mistakes and generate attention to themselves.

Appreciate your expanding on subject. While hastening to stand to be corrected, and please do so if not; the Alabama Attorney General Office's Cold Case Investigator previously known to have been assigned their cases is no longer there after abrupt departure around about late April/May earlier this year.
True, Chief Walker, appearing to be a decent and professional man; unfortunately these cases have been, will be kept beyond his official capacity to aggressively engage in.
The information you provided most assuredly must have been a compelling contribution; there are though, now, at this time, paralleling and separate far more advanced movements in pursuit of same official conclusions.

 

[TedMac]

Appreciate your expanding on subject. While hastening to stand to be corrected, and please do so if not; the Alabama Attorney General Office's Cold Case Investigator previously known to have been assigned their cases is no longer there after abrupt departure around about late April/May earlier this year.
True, Chief Walker, appearing to be a decent and professional man; unfortunately these cases have been, will be kept beyond his official capacity to aggressively engage in.
The information you provided most assuredly must have been a compelling contribution; there are though, now, at this time, paralleling and separate far more advanced movements in pursuit of same official conclusions.

I was not aware that the Cold Case Investigator was no longer working the case. Thank you for letting us know that. Do you know if he has been replaced with another Cold Case Investigator or has the AG Office just abandoned the case?

Could you please elaborate on your statement "unfortunately these cases have been, will be kept beyond his official caapacity to aggressively engage in"? Also, your statement "there are though now, at this time , paralleling and separate far more advanced movementss in pursuit of same official conclusions"? I do not understand what you are saying.

 

[shark315]

I've finally caught up on all of these threads, one hell of a read. I wish that I was able to read the original thread 3, sounds like there was some good info in it. I was to say again for most of you not living in this area the info you have gathered is awesome. I was wonder if any of you had copies of any of the wiregrass forums that you could PM me so I could read them?

 

[LR1]

I've finally caught up on all of these threads, one hell of a read. I wish that I was able to read the original thread 3, sounds like there was some good info in it. I was to say again for most of you not living in this area the info you have gathered is awesome. I was wonder if any of you had copies of any of the wiregrass forums that you could PM me so I could read them?

Hi shark, I think you said you were from ozark and I was curious as to how you first heard about the murders and whether there was talk before the news hit or was it only when it hit TV that Sunday night that most people became aware? Had you ever seen or heard of either victim before this? Also curious about what kind of incident the locals thought might have brought this on and if opinions have changed over the years.

 

[shark315]

My family got stationed here in '94. For me it was a little different as to when I found out because at the time my best friend lived in Brown Homes (the income based housing next to the hospital off of Stokes Ave) so we had hung out over there for a bit the night of the 31st. I can't remember what time I went home, but I went back over there in the morning/early afternoon. We saw police cars at that time but didn't think much about it, when I left there were more police cars but still didn't think much about it just figured that they had busted someone with drugs or something like that. You have to understand that it is not uncommon even with regular traffic stops for there to be 2, 3 or even 4 cops checking on everything, these cops here ride 1 per car so they are always trying to back each other up. Anyhow so I knew something was going on before the news just not what had happen. We we finally did find out, and I don't remember if I found out from the news or maybe my parents told me, freaked us out because we were right there. We were smokers who had to smoke outside so it was like how the hell did this happen and we didn't hear/see anything that night out of the norm. It was insane for us that were basically the same age, it definitely deflated the "I'm young and nothing bad is going to happen to me mentality" that all kids have at that age. I never knew either girl that I can remember, I mean there's a possibility of having been at a gathering (field party, hang out at the mall, booksamillion you know just where kids hungouts) at the same time but I had never heard of them nor recognized them. The rumors have basically been the same (BS, JWB, RC & TW, and of course the cops did it, which is what I've always heard the most)

 

[LR1]

Thanks, that's exactly what I was looking for. Sort of a take me back to that day kind of thing. And wow, Brown Homes, that's very near where the car was found. Now, skipperville has entered the conversation recently, actually it was mentioned fleetingly very early on if I'm not mistaken but could browns crossroads be confused with skipperville for someone not completely familiar with the area or are they far enough apart for that not to happen?

You mentioned places in town, parking lots etc. where people would hang out. What about the large parking lot just south of the dale county jail there on Union, I've always wondered if people would park up in that lot also.

 

[shark315]

Yes it was to close for comfort. No I don't see how anyone could confuse the two. They go in pretty different directions skipperville being 105 and Brown's being 27. Plus Brown's is a river where we all hung out the actual cross roads is a little further up but if anyone said let's meet up at browns crossroads it was know that it was meant to be at the river. No, no one would have hung out there. That's the DMV and the always had city/state vehicles there and if you were there after dark you'd be questioned about what you're business there was

 

[LR1]

For some reason I was thinking browns crossroads was north east of town but now I see its south east, near where 27 crosses the river. I don't think they would have had time to go to skipperville and make it back to the store at 11:30, maybe they went after the phone call.

Any of your buddies get questioned or tested after this happened? They said at one point over 100 had been tested.

 

[shark315]

I believe you are correct in that they wouldn't have had time to make it to the B/L by 11:30 and having 10-15 mins to hang out at the party, but that also depends on where the field party would have been. Like if it wasn't actually in skipperville but on the outskirts in stead.
No one that I knew had been questioned nor tested, at least if they did they never said anything. And I always thought that was strange that even the people I knew in Brown Homes never mentioned being questioned. With this being a small town and the everyone knows everyone that had they been questioned someone would have said so and I would like to think that I'm still young enough to remember that they had said so.
Honestly when they said they had tested "100" people I always thought that the majority of that would be family, friends, and anyone that could have been or had access to J.B.'s car for exclusion purposes (DNA and fingerprints) and not actual suspects.

 

[LR1]

While canvasing the area that day I would be surprised and dissapointed if they didn't ride through that section at least to see if anyone saw or heard anything the night before.

I suspect they would have also tested sex offenders and maybe a few who got tipped on and who volunteered to give a cheek swab.

 

[shark315]

I was surprised that I never heard of them asking around. This town has always been about putting their two cents in and telling other peoples business hence all the rumors.
Sex offenders, I don't know about that one since they early on said that it wasn't a sex crime. So unless the was a sex offender that had done his deed, then put his victim in a trunk and shoot them as part of his MO, then I don't really see the cops testing them. I'm sure they tested the ones that were POI but still that would only be a small percentage of the "100"
Do you have copies of some of the wiregrass forums that you could PM me or "V's" name. Some things sound familiar but not enough to jog anything in my memory just yet since I've only read about him through these threads.

 

[LR1]

I don't know anyone with a copy of that discussion unfortunately.

 

[somequestions]

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.

I have a question about this story above. Did Tracie Hawlett tell her mother on the phone call that they were going to stop to see some boys in Midland City, AL? The reason I ask is because according to your story J.B. Beasley was talking to Ms. Merrit and her daughter. Tracie then "joined" them after making the phone call. This makes it seem like J.B. Beasley was not physically standing next to Tracie Hawlett when Tracie made the phone call. But then according your story the car headlights were no longer visible in Ms. Merritt's rearview mirror. This we can assume that they turned somewhere before Union Street. The reason I ask is because if two people make a plan and one relays it on the phone to their mother, wouldn't the plan have to have been made before they exited the vehicle or at least before J.B. went to talk to Ms. Merrit and Tracie to make her phone call to her mother? So why would the girls go anywhere other than toward Midland City, AL which is on the way to Dothan? I do not see the difference between Tracie telling her mother they are going to stop to see some boys in Ozark versus Midland City. I guess the point I am getting at is that according to the story it seems like Tracie is already heading to the payphone to call her mother before J.B. talks to Ms. Merrit and her daughter about directions. And that makes me think Tracie Hawlett told her mother the truth.

It is just like any conspiracy theory. In hindsight, looking back doesn't one have to think if their was some sort of "plan" to murder one of the girls that it was a rather dumb plan? Who says to themselves that they are going to kidnap the victims in their vehicle, drive the victims dead bodies around in the victim's car, then walk away and expose themselves to potential witnesses? And there were 2 victims.

I am very confused. Maybe you can explain it to me?

 

[ThinBlueLine]

I was not aware that the Cold Case Investigator was no longer working the case. Thank you for letting us know that. Do you know if he has been replaced with another Cold Case Investigator or has the AG Office just abandoned the case?

Could you please elaborate on your statement "unfortunately these cases have been, will be kept beyond his official capacity to aggressively engage in"? Also, your statement "there are though now, at this time , paralleling and separate far more advanced movements in pursuit of same official conclusions"? I do not understand what you are saying.

For a fact I cannot say. Beyond that, consider the political atmosphere, these cases have been politically entangled since the time before their tragedies.
In response to your inquiries items #02 and #03; the latter of aforementioned comment would best serve in answering that inquiry. For you see, never having before been a participant in this forum, I wasn't aware when not being rude, in beliefs were contributing, following the rules have realized I am being blocked, giving cause to re-evaluate my further contributions, if had been given time to further expand on excessive amounts of details; after nineteen years, cause for pause and start with realities in chronological order and therein solves their cases.

 

[shark315]

What is being blocked?

 

[ThinBlueLine]

I have a question about this story above. Did Tracie Hawlett tell her mother on the phone call that they were going to stop to see some boys in Midland City, AL? The reason I ask is because according to your story J.B. Beasley was talking to Ms. Merrit and her daughter. Tracie then "joined" them after making the phone call. This makes it seem like J.B. Beasley was not physically standing next to Tracie Hawlett when Tracie made the phone call. But then according your story the car headlights were no longer visible in Ms. Merritt's rearview mirror. This we can assume that they turned somewhere before Union Street. The reason I ask is because if two people make a plan and one relays it on the phone to their mother, wouldn't the plan have to have been made before they exited the vehicle or at least before J.B. went to talk to Ms. Merrit and Tracie to make her phone call to her mother? So why would the girls go anywhere other than toward Midland City, AL which is on the way to Dothan? I do not see the difference between Tracie telling her mother they are going to stop to see some boys in Ozark versus Midland City. I guess the point I am getting at is that according to the story it seems like Tracie is already heading to the payphone to call her mother before J.B. talks to Ms. Merrit and her daughter about directions. And that makes me think Tracie Hawlett told her mother the truth.

It is just like any conspiracy theory. In hindsight, looking back doesn't one have to think if their was some sort of "plan" to murder one of the girls that it was a rather dumb plan? Who says to themselves that they are going to kidnap the victims in their vehicle, drive the victims dead bodies around in the victim's car, then walk away and expose themselves to potential witnesses? And there were 2 victims.

I am very confused. Maybe you can explain it to me?

No! Had not one of the boys not called from the Shell Station in Midland City located on U.S. 231; leaving his message on Ms. Hawlett's phone around about the 1:00 A.M. hour, which was discovered later that morning by her mother. These boys, not from Midland City, rather from Pinkard.
Mrs. Merritt had personally stated, that when she and her daughter had decided to stop at the Ozark store; it had been because they had first noticed the interior store's lights on, soon thereafter before driving into the store's parking area, they had noticed, unknown to them, Ms. Beasley's vehicle; subsequently noticing both Ms. Beasley and Ms. Hawlett standing in close proximity of each other near end front of store at payphone; Ms. Beasley looking around about while Ms. Hawlett was already on the phone, albeit not having in way of knowing for how long, or to whom had been, or was then speaking. Ms. Merritt, stated when stopping in front of store, her daughter got out of vehicle to enter the store, approaching the store doors, Ms. Beasley getting her attention, stopping her, advising that the store was closed as Ms. Hawlett continued on the phone as both girls spoke. Thereafter when Ms. Merritt got out, entered into their conversation, further noticing Ms. Hawlett speaking on the telephone, also would hear Ms. Hawlett conclude her conversation with her mother, then joining them. It was then, Mrs. Merritt one may say took charge of the situation after Ms. Beasley asking of her, in almost same manner as she had her classmate just a short-time earlier in Headland[From there, what is the quickest way to Ozark]; "From there, what is the quickest way back to Dothan?" Mrs. Merritt said, rather than just leaving the girls, and chance their having a problem; she made the decision telling them to follow behind her vehicle towards downtown, then, thereafter continuing on following her directions.
Mrs. Merritt stated, that in fact Ms. Beasley did drive out of store's parking lot behind Mrs. Merritt's vehicle towards downtown Ozark; all-the-while doing so Mrs. Merritt maintaining a continuing visual in her own vehicle's interior rearview mirror on Ms. Beasley's vehicle's front headlights. Ms. Beasley's vehicle did in fact maintain that agreed upon type contact; that is, and only until after Mrs. Merritt's vehicle was required to travel over the street's hump downward into downtown's well lit area's first red light. Because angle of viewing from Mrs. Merritt's vehicle mirror, it did require brief moments before Mrs. Merritt realized Ms. Beasley's vehicle did not follow her over the street's hump.
somequestions: I trust this fact based timeline assist you.

 

[somequestions]

No! Had not one of the boys not called from the Shell Station in Midland City located on U.S. 231; leaving his message on Ms. Hawlett's phone around about the 1:00 A.M. hour, which was discovered later that morning by her mother. These boys, not from Midland City, rather from Pinkard.
Mrs. Merritt had personally stated, that when she and her daughter had decided to stop at the Ozark store; it had been because they had first noticed the interior store's lights on, soon thereafter before driving into the store's parking area, they had noticed, unknown to them, Ms. Beasley's vehicle; subsequently noticing both Ms. Beasley and Ms. Hawlett standing in close proximity of each other near end front of store at payphone; Ms. Beasley looking around about while Ms. Hawlett was already on the phone, albeit not having in way of knowing for how long, or to whom had been, or was then speaking. Ms. Merritt, stated when stopping in front of store, her daughter got out of vehicle to enter the store, approaching the store doors, Ms. Beasley getting her attention, stopping her, advising that the store was closed as Ms. Hawlett continued on the phone as both girls spoke. Thereafter when Ms. Merritt got out, entered into their conversation, further noticing Ms. Hawlett speaking on the telephone, also would hear Ms. Hawlett conclude her conversation with her mother, then joining them. It was then, Mrs. Merritt one may say took charge of the situation after Ms. Beasley asking of her, in almost same manner as she had her classmate just a short-time earlier in Headland[From there, what is the quickest way to Ozark]; "From there, what is the quickest way back to Dothan?" Mrs. Merritt said, rather than just leaving the girls, and chance their having a problem; she made the decision telling them to follow behind her vehicle towards downtown, then, thereafter continuing on following her directions.
Mrs. Merritt stated, that in fact Ms. Beasley did drive out of store's parking lot behind Mrs. Merritt's vehicle towards downtown Ozark; all-the-while doing so Mrs. Merritt maintaining a continuing visual in her own vehicle's interior rearview mirror on Ms. Beasley's vehicle's front headlights. Ms. Beasley's vehicle did in fact maintain that agreed upon type contact; that is, and only until after Mrs. Merritt's vehicle was required to travel over the street's hump downward into downtown's well lit area's first red light. Because angle of viewing from Mrs. Merritt's vehicle mirror, it did require brief moments before Mrs. Merritt realized Ms. Beasley's vehicle did not follow her over the street's hump.
somequestions: I trust this fact based timeline assist you.

I am not from Alabama, but it looks to me like the two towns Pinkard, Midland City are right next to each other. What was the message that was left on Tracie Hawlett's phone about? It does not take an hour and a half to get to Pinkard/Midland City from Ozark.

 

[ThinBlueLine]

I am not from Alabama, but it looks to me like the two towns Pinkard, Midland City are right next to each other. What was the message that was left on Tracie Hawlett's phone about? It does not take an hour and a half to get to Pinkard/Midland City from Ozark.

The boy said he had been waiting at the Shell Station, the time was then about the 1:00AM, and couldn't wait any longer; end of message.
somequestions, consider the following: July 26-27/1999 Ms. Hawlett's home burglarized twice during same nighttime hours, yet neither time nothing of value ever taken; most obvious the rifling of drawers and closets as if someone's purpose was to find something in particular, items of high price value were never the target. July 31, 1999 Ms. Beasley's 17th birthday, invited to attend a birthday party in Haleburg with Ms. Hawlett after she got off work at Penny's. Requiring a drawn hand map; thinking out of the box for a moment, who all would have known she had such directions, the approximate timing, due Ms. Hawlett's employment, never made public the exact circumstances occurring in Tumbleton which caused them to return to Headland store and go directly to payphones, Ms. Beasley's call, and Ms. Hawlett's call, which one was made first, or together? What does Headland store's payphone records reveal as to phone company logs? At that time of night, why not just return back home? Unless whatever happened in Tumbleton may not have been anticipated, yet not alarmed by since recognizing whomever these boys were, further identifiable since following the girls back to Headland store. What's not known, what color, what type of truck were they driving? How long were they at the store? What did direction did they leave traveling in from the store?
Mrs. Merritt said, Ms. Hawlett was already on the phone upon entering store's parking lot; what does the phone company records reveal as to how many calls around about that same time?
When Mrs. Merritt would have lost sight of the girls, it is reasonable to conclude the time being approximately short of, just past the midnight hour. To read into the message the boy left on Ms. Hawlett's phone, about waiting as long as he could, it was 1:00 AM and had to go; one could logically believe in his mind earlier that night, for whatever reason, that he, and/or they were to meet the girls at a more reasonable hour; justifying further cause to wonder about number of payphone calls from Headland, or maybe even earlier.
Their estimated times of deaths were put at between 12:30 AM and 2:00AM.
To shark315's point earlier: Regarding public being interviewed/tested; witnessed, although having no reason at the time to believe involving a crime, an individual on Matthews Avenue after the 1:30AM hour standing close alongside street curb witnessed two dark colored 4 door vehicles traveling high speeds with second vehicle close up in space to first vehicle; the first vehicle identified as foreign built type of car, although unknown its make and model, and in very short-time only one sped back by. Because of having heard how those being treated who came forward in beliefs they may know something, this individual never went attempting to file a[any] report. I hope this will help provide you additional factual insight.

 

[shark315]

How did you come across all this info @ThinBlueLine

 

[SavageMarkIII]

Those from Ozark, remind me where the "hump" is on E. Broad St. heading towards S. Union? is it before or after Depot Ln? TIA