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

[aegis100]

Here is a shot of the shoes from Haunted Evidence part 1 for those interested. Like somequestions stated we don't know if this is an actual shot or a recreation but I agree it is a unique pattern.

 

[killarney rose]

I was in ozark this morning,as always I thought of the girls. I was watching (DH was driving) for the truck stop and rest area to see how close they were to each other. They aren't. The rest area while desolate, is actually on the edge of Midland City , about the halfway point between ozark and Dothan. I also noticed something I've never noticed before. Directly across the road from the rest area is a public access lake, named Whispering______. I forgot the last half of the name but there is a driveway with a big sign right on 231.

This has never been brought up here, but what if the girls were overcome at the rest area, taken to the lake, then the killer as has been theorized dumped the car with the girls in it near his home?

 

[aegis100]

Great observation killarney rose. Looking at the area you spotted with Google maps there is a driveway on the left (northbound on highway 231) that immediately turns back to the right and becomes a dirt road. This road curls around the lake and splits off into several other dirt roads with intermittent houses/structures. I could see your theory occurring easily as they may have stopped for the restroom. I think I recall in an earlier post that the rest area was closed but I could be wrong. I know most of Alabama's rest areas are not staffed 24 hours a day. I wonder if LE talked to any attendants that staffed the rest area that night who might have seen the girls or a loitering vehicle. I doubt surveillance cameras were in use in 1999.

 

[killarney rose]

The rest area now seems to have been rebuilt and updated since the girls were killed. I seem to remember it being smaller then. Not sure if there was or if it now has an attendant.

 

[CoolJ]

Again this is all speculation on my part but if the motive was sexual why is semen only found on her bra and chest? The killer(s) has two young women presumably at gunpoint and only (I apologize if too graphic) ejaculates from either oral sex or masturbation? If the perpetrator(s) had opportunity wouldn't he or they have done more? It's possible that J.B. had some sort of encounter with a male friend before she picked up Tracie and left Dothan. I think LE zeroed in on the semen too soon and other leads/evidence was neglected or forced to fit the DNA angle.

I don’t think LE “zeroed in” on the DNA at all. The most overlooked fact in this case is that it was actually “solved” VERY early on. They had their man! Case was closed. The DNA was what ruined their case. Spivey and Co. were ready to send Barrentine away for life.

Barrentine was supposed to be the patsy.

I want to see that interrogation!

 

[somequestions]

There was another Forensic Files cases called Micro-Clues about a 13 year old boy who was murdered in a creek in Switzerland back in 1993. Scientists used diatoms(small microscopic organisms found in algae, mud, and water) to determine the creek where he had been drowned. I wonder if any of this science has been used to try to determine where J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett went or were near before they died.

As for suspects we can speculate all day. The major problem with any suspects that are not located within 15 minutes(1 mile walking distance) of where the car was found on Herring Ave is the other vehicle. Let's take the rest stop on 231 kidnap place idea as an example. So the kidnapper takes them in their car somewhere, assaults them, kills them in the trunk, and then drives the car to Herring Ave. One question: Where is his vehicle at? And because of this that only leaves a few possibilities:

1. The killer was on foot when he kidnapped J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett.
2. There was more than one killer to manage the vehicles.(This matches up with the first suspect Barrentine's story).
3. The killer kidnapped the girls near to where he left the car and simply drove their vehicle back to that spot and got back into his own car to leave the scene. (Haunting Evidence scenario)
4. J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett stopped at the residence of their killer and that residence is close to where J.B. Beasley's car was found on Herring Ave in Ozark, AL.
5. The killer convinced J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett to either lead or follow him somewhere close to Herring Ave. Then see point #3.
6. The killer does not mind walking long distances, even with possible wet and muddy shoes on.

So the suspect could virtually be anyone.

As for forensic evidence, from what I have seen on the Haunting Evidence episode of Tracie Hawlett's white shoes wherever they went that night it would probably be an open space with possible light, short grass, but also has brush and water, and it would have been open at around 11:30pm on a Saturday night.

 

[aegis100]

I don’t think LE “zeroed in” on the DNA at all. The most overlooked fact in this case is that it was actually “solved” VERY early on. They had their man! Case was closed. The DNA was what ruined their case. Spivey and Co. were ready to send Barrentine away for life.

Barrentine was supposed to be the patsy.

I want to see that interrogation!

I see your point CoolJ. I didn't articulate myself well. Your right, LE had Barrentine on death row as soon as they talked to him. Had the DNA not been found he most likely would have gone to trial with his bizarre confession/unconfession. With the discovery of the DNA I think LE then focused on finding the DNA donor even though the DNA deposit may have happened before J.B. left Dothan that night from a consensual meeting.

 

[SavageMarkIII]

DNA is a double edged sword in many ways. Especially now with all of the advances in Touch DNA. I am a very extroverted southerner, I hug when I meet people and I touch people while talking to them, either to show empathy or emphasize a point. So, if my DNA is found on people does that mean I murdered them? Nope, it doesn't.

For a prosecutor to take a case to court, he now has to explain every bit of DNA and why it does or does not indicate the perpetrator of the crime and why it's there, if it's for some other non-criminal reason. Also, with the proliferation of police/court procedurals, CSI, Law & Order, I'm sure jurors today think they are DNA experts.

In this case, if the police did in fact definitely determine that the DNA on JB was in fact from a consensual act with someone prior to this incident, why would they not go back and take another look at Barrentine and why would they continue to use it to rule out the Michigan Man? And I may have the timing and sequence of events wrong, as to at what point the DNA was discovered.

Because the police keep saying the Michigan Man and Barrentine were ruled out with DNA, it leads me to believe they still don't know who's DNA it is, consensual or otherwise. Unfortunately, we do not have enough information to sort out the DNA and a lot of things related to this case.

Tomorrow is 19 years. Many prayers to their families and friends.

 

[aegis100]

Precisely SavageMarkIII! That's the point I was trying to make. The DNA was used to rule out too many possible suspects with Barrentine and Michigan man being two of the most questionable.

I can't even begin to imagine the grief of losing a loved one and still after 19 years not knowing why or what happened. Prayers for anyone whose life was touched by these young women.

 

[CoolJ]

I see your point CoolJ. I didn't articulate myself well. Your right, LE had Barrentine on death row as soon as they talked to him. Had the DNA not been found he most likely would have gone to trial with his bizarre confession/unconfession. With the discovery of the DNA I think LE then focused on finding the DNA donor even though the DNA deposit may have happened before J.B. left Dothan that night from a consensual meeting.

What you are saying makes perfect sense and I know many others feel the DNA may have been from a consensual encounter earlier in the day.

I don’t believe that to be the case because I would think LE would have been able to track down an innocent sexual partner. Indeed, they would have been motivated to do that because it would have made the DNA unrelated and they could have proceeded with their case against Barrentine.

Surely Spivey and Co. would have aggressively investigated. And surely they would have been able to track down this (innocent) person.

Anyone ever know a young man who kept his innocent sexual encounters to himself?

 

[CoolJ]

I should also add that I am not saying the DNA deposit came from a non-consensual act. It may have been consensual. But it was not innocent.

 

[TedMac]

What you are saying makes perfect sense and I know many others feel the DNA may have been from a consensual encounter earlier in the day.

I don’t believe that to be the case because I would think LE would have been able to track down an innocent sexual partner. Indeed, they would have been motivated to do that because it would have made the DNA unrelated and they could have proceeded with their case against Barrentine.

Surely Spivey and Co. would have aggressively investigated. And surely they would have been able to track down this (innocent) person.

Anyone ever know a young man who kept his innocent sexual encounters to himself?

I must respectively disagree. I believe not only did the DNA come from a consenual act, but after talking with some people I know, I feel that the donor came forward and admitted to LE that it was his. I don't know if LE tested it to be sure, but I would certainly hope they did. Also, the person came forward after Barrentine was tried, after the "Michigan Man" was interviewed 3 separate times and after the AL inmate was interviewed and tested. LE first said that if they knew where the DNA came from, they would know the killer. Have you noticed now how they don't mention it now?

 

[CoolJ]

I must respectively disagree. I believe not only did the DNA come from a consenual act, but after talking with some people I know, I feel that the donor came forward and admitted to LE that it was his. I don't know if LE tested it to be sure, but I would certainly hope they did. Also, the person came forward after Barrentine was tried, after the "Michigan Man" was interviewed 3 separate times and after the AL inmate was interviewed and tested. LE first said that if they knew where the DNA came from, they would know the killer. Have you noticed now how they don't mention it now?

Well they don’t mention anything now. But if the donor actually came forward then it would make sense that the DNA is irrelevant.

Why then is this still a cold case?
Why then didn’t they go ahead with the case against Barrentine?
When did the donor come forward? Must have been recently, cause Spivey was talking about the DNA up until a few years ago.

Why would an innocent donor wait 15+ yrs to come forward? This would mean he went all this time without saying anything when he had information that Barrentine was still culpable.

 

[somequestions]

One thing I wondered just out of curiousity was how long it would take to drive from the Big Little Store in Ozark, AL to the 231 rest stop? According to the trailer for the Shined Rabbit documentary Tracie Hawlett called her mom at 11:38pm. Driving on google says it should take about 12 minutes, but that is taking the short cut on 123 through town. Going all the way to 231 before turning would take longer.

If the killer was a younger guy like the police profile of him said, maybe that is how he started a conversation with them? Maybe he overheard them talking? At least up until midnight it would still be J.B. Beasley's birthday. Obviously it is very difficult to guess the conversations they may have had that night. It is just a random thought I wanted to put out there with the 19th anniversary right around the corner.

 

[TedMac]

Well they don’t mention anything now. But if the donor actually came forward then it would make sense that the DNA is irrelevant.

Why then is this still a cold case?
Why then didn’t they go ahead with the case against Barrentine?
When did the donor come forward? Must have been recently, cause Spivey was talking about the DNA up until a few years ago.

Why would an innocent donor wait 15+ yrs to come forward? This would mean he went all this time without saying anything when he had information that Barrentine was still culpable.

Why still is this still a cold case? I guess because they don't know who the killer is and they have no leads.
Why then didn't they go ahead with the case against Barrentine? They did. They had a preliminary hearing and the grand jury didn't indict him.
When did the donor come forward? I don't know exactly, but it was after Barrentine was charged. I don't think it was as long as 15 years. It was probably soon after Barrentine wasn't indicted, after the "Michigan Man" was interviewed 3 tmes and after the inmate was interviewed in prison. But, I don't know exactly when. I also have no idea why Spivey said what he did. Perhaps tryng to cover earlier missteps in the investigation?

 

[SavageMarkIII]

Today and tomorrow must be tough days for the families and friends. I have no idea how they get through this 19 years later with no outcome or resolution.

Prayers to the families and friends

Prayers to anyone who is still trying to solve this case

Prayers that someone, somewhere knows something and will come forward

Prayers to everyone on this board who still cares that these 2 girls were tragically taken way too soon

 

[aegis100]

News article from yesterday. Sadly no new updates.

19 years pass since double-murder of teen girls in south AL

 

[SavageMarkIII]

And the articles are getting fewer and shorter on the anniversaries. We can't let this be forgotten.

 

[cherrymeg]

Hopefully this okay to post. I was wondering if this guy was for real

 

[aegis100]

cherrymeg, if I recall correctly he has been questioned several times and he associated with others that have been questioned regarding the murders as well. I don't recall hearing that he encountered the girls in Headland, I always assumed it was in Ozark but again I don't recall the specifics just the name Bookie. You can go through the earlier threads and there is lengthy discussion about Bookie and the others.

If I am mistaken please correct me this is all from my recollection.