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

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aegis100 said:
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.
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I went through the earlier threads. I was trying to see if people thought he was a serious suspect. I wondered if he was one of those attention seekers that puts himself as a key witness to a crime. Their murders seem oddly professional and cold blooded for someone their age to commit. You never know I guess. Maybe he knows what happened but didn't actually kill them. Maybe he drove the car or some he knew did it. Posting a video like that it's like you're trying to get someone to ask about the murders. Hopefully if he knows something he'll talk.
 
cherrymeg said:
I went through the earlier threads. I was trying to see if people thought he was a serious suspect. I wondered if he was one of those attention seekers that puts himself as a key witness to a crime. Their murders seem oddly professional and cold blooded for someone their age to commit. You never know I guess. Maybe he knows what happened but didn't actually kill them. Maybe he drove the car or some he knew did it. Posting a video like that it's like you're trying to get someone to ask about the murders. Hopefully if he knows something he'll talk.
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I'm not sure what prompted that. It gives the impression someone asked him to give his recollection from that night and he gave it in a video. I don't see it as attention seeking in that respect. I've not seen many ever question his possible involvement, I guess we'll have to trust they looked into it. If he was seen at the party he speaks of that would give him an alibi to some extent. He also said he went the next day to Traci's I believe and reported seeing them the night before so there's that.
 
LR1 said:
I'm not sure what prompted that. It gives the impression someone asked him to give his recollection from that night and he gave it in a video. I don't see it as attention seeking in that respect. I've not seen many ever question his possible involvement, I guess we'll have to trust they looked into it. If he was seen at the party he speaks of that would give him an alibi to some extent. He also said he went the next day to Traci's I believe and reported seeing them the night before so there's that.
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I watched it again and you are right it seems like he is telling his story for someone that asked about it. It also makes it sound like the girls stopped at several payphones that night. In 1999 I remember people having pagers and it wasn't because of drugs it seemed cool. It was also pain in the *advertiser censored* if your friend got paged and you weren't near a phone you'd have to go find a payphone and call them back. I don't know if either girl owned one. Does anyone remember if you could page someone from a payphone. I was trying to think of how you got in touch with friends before everyone had a cellphone.
 
I don't recall hearing about a pager, I think you could get paged from a phone but don't quote me on that. By 99 they had things like blackberry so pagers were going by the wayside but yeah you looked important or connected in today's terms if you had one strapped to your side back in the day. JB did have a cell if I remember correctly but it was inoperable.
 
LR1 said:
I don't recall hearing about a pager, I think you could get paged from a phone but don't quote me on that. By 99 they had things like blackberry so pagers were going by the wayside but yeah you looked important or connected in today's terms if you had one strapped to your side back in the day. JB did have a cell if I remember correctly but it was inoperable.
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I was 15 in 99. Most kids in my grade didn't have their own cell phone. I remember my friends mom letting her have one of their family plan cells when she would go out. That meant she had to answer it when her mom called. Since most people didn't have cell phones and since it was her mom's technically she couldn't give out the number if we met boys at a dance. Also parents could check the calls made and received. Pagers were definitely on the way out if they were ever really in. Maybe for doctors and drug dealers they were necessary. It would be like, "Omg, my boyfriend paged me we need to find a phone." - A you couldn't have called him before we left your house? I don't know if you could get a call from a payphone? Things were different then. Now everyone has GPS. I don't know if thinking of how things were will help someone solve this.
 
I wonder if they could use the DNA from the semen and add it to one of those genealogy sites. The same way they caught the golden state killer.
 
cherrymeg said:
I was 15 in 99. Most kids in my grade didn't have their own cell phone. I remember my friends mom letting her have one of their family plan cells when she would go out. That meant she had to answer it when her mom called. Since most people didn't have cell phones and since it was her mom's technically she couldn't give out the number if we met boys at a dance. Also parents could check the calls made and received. Pagers were definitely on the way out if they were ever really in. Maybe for doctors and drug dealers they were necessary. It would be like, "Omg, my boyfriend paged me we need to find a phone." - A you couldn't have called him before we left your house? I don't know if you could get a call from a payphone? Things were different then. Now everyone has GPS. I don't know if thinking of how things were will help someone solve this.
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We're certainly in different times but I don't think it hurts to consider those differences when looking at these cases. It's much more convenient these days to keep up with everyone, maybe even too convenient at times. Back then you learned to be self reliant in many ways and I wouldn't trade my teenage years for today's for anything. Ya'll were probably the last generation to remember what it was like before technology dictated the way much of our lives are ran.
 
LR1 said:
We're certainly in different times but I don't think it hurts to consider those differences when looking at these cases. It's much more convenient these days to keep up with everyone, maybe even too convenient at times. Back then you learned to be self reliant in many ways and I wouldn't trade my teenage years for today's for anything. Ya'll were probably the last generation to remember what it was like before technology dictated the way much of our lives are ran.
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I wouldn't trade growing up without all the technology. I don't like GPS. I still prefer printed directions from mapquest. lol
 
LR1 said:
That would be the obvious route at this point. At the least I'd like to know if they still consider it part of these murders.
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If it was from a consensual encounter it would nice to know just to rule out sex as a motive. If she had semen on her hand it could easily transfer as she put her bra and underwear on. If it was something like that the people ruled out on DNA could be suspects again.
 
cherrymeg,

Bookie was a freshman at Northview HS, about to be a sophomore and JB and Tracie were about to be seniors. Apparently, JB and Tracie knew Bookie.

On the night in question, JB and Tracie ended up at the BP gas station in Headland, after they gave up trying to find the field party in Haleburg from the hand written map/directions. This is the gas station, where JB called on the pay phone to her friend who was hosting the party, but she did not speak to the friend, but spoke to friend's sister. Bookie ended up at the gas station as well. JB and Tracie told him about the field party and stated they couldn't find it. They gave the map to Bookie. Then JB asked Bookie for directions to get to Midland City from Headland, without going all the way back to Dothan. Bookie gave them these directions and JB and Tracie left in the direction that Bookie had just given them. And Bookie and his friend left to go find the party, which I think they eventually did. A Law Enforcement Officer, I do not recall his jurisdiction, confirmed seeing JB and Tracie at this gas station that night.

My recollection is, that one of JB's sister's asked Bookie about that night, and that is what prompted him to make the video you posted.

Also, I believe the same sister confirmed that JB had a cell phone. However it was either the pre-paid minute plan or her plan had a set # of minutes and she had already used up her minutes. Also, in 1999, some of the places where they were driving that night between cities and rural, would not have had great service, if any service.
 
SavageMarkIII said:
cherrymeg,

Bookie was a freshman at Northview HS, about to be a sophomore and JB and Tracie were about to be seniors. Apparently, JB and Tracie knew Bookie.

On the night in question, JB and Tracie ended up at the BP gas station in Headland, after they gave up trying to find the field party in Haleburg from the hand written map/directions. This is the gas station, where JB called on the pay phone to her friend who was hosting the party, but she did not speak to the friend, but spoke to friend's sister. Bookie ended up at the gas station as well. JB and Tracie told him about the field party and stated they couldn't find it. They gave the map to Bookie. Then JB asked Bookie for directions to get to Midland City from Headland, without going all the way back to Dothan. Bookie gave them these directions and JB and Tracie left in the direction that Bookie had just given them. And Bookie and his friend left to go find the party, which I think they eventually did. A Law Enforcement Officer, I do not recall his jurisdiction, confirmed seeing JB and Tracie at this gas station that night.

My recollection is, that one of JB's sister's asked Bookie about that night, and that is what prompted him to make the video you posted.

Also, I believe the same sister confirmed that JB had a cell phone. However it was either the pre-paid minute plan or her plan had a set # of minutes and she had already used up her minutes. Also, in 1999, some of the places where they were driving that night between cities and rural, would not have had great service, if any service.
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This story makes a lot of sense. My specialty is mapping. When I tried driving the route to Midland City from the Headland gas station, I ended up taking a wrong turn in Headland near the square in town I think if I remember correctly.

So to start you would leave the Headland gas station on 134. Then somewhere in Headland you end up thinking you are still on 134 when you are actually on 173. Next, because it is night and you cannot tell direction(disorientation) you would end up following 173 north all the way to 27. Then you would end up taking 27 south(real direction west) over to Ozark, AL where they ended up at the Big Little gas station and Tracie Hawlett makes the call to her mom about being lost at 11:38 pm. This is all done guessing things like road signs were the same as they were the night of July 31, 1999.

That is why it made me think that maybe J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett stopped at the rest stop on the way home, to get a roadmap and use the restroom. However as far as I have read, police did not find a roadmap in the car. So in conclusion, when Tracie Hawlett told her mother on the phone that they were "lost" and on their way home, I believe she was telling the truth.
 
I concur with somequestions and killarney rose in that they were actually lost, not buying time and trying to get home.

This may have been discussed before too and I apologize if it has but I've always wondered if they turned too early to get on highway 231 south. In the screenshot below is Broad Street headed west to highway 231 the gas station they stopped for directions would be several blocks behind them. The sign indicates 231 south is a left turn but you can also continue straight to 231 in a better illuminated, heavier trafficked route on Andrews Avenue (by McDonald's for those familiar with Ozark).
upload_2018-8-7_9-31-10.png
 
cherrymeg said:
I wouldn't trade growing up without all the technology. I don't like GPS. I still prefer printed directions from mapquest. lol
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Me too. A few years ago my granddaughter and I flew into Dallas and drove to Austin. When I found out as a14 year old she could read charts on the boat but not maps I turned off the cars gps and told her to get the atlas out.

For the next week we did everything via atlas and the city of Austin city map. They don’t teach maps in school but I thought she needed to learn.

And Alaska was 7-10 years behind cell phone tech as well. We didn’t have them. And still to this day there is as if 2013 about 89-94% if the land mass without coverage. Some villages in western and northern Alaska have no internet in2018. Life was quieter without it.
 
somequestions said:
This story makes a lot of sense. My specialty is mapping. When I tried driving the route to Midland City from the Headland gas station, I ended up taking a wrong turn in Headland near the square in town I think if I remember correctly.

So to start you would leave the Headland gas station on 134. Then somewhere in Headland you end up thinking you are still on 134 when you are actually on 173. Next, because it is night and you cannot tell direction(disorientation) you would end up following 173 north all the way to 27. Then you would end up taking 27 south(real direction west) over to Ozark, AL where they ended up at the Big Little gas station and Tracie Hawlett makes the call to her mom about being lost at 11:38 pm. This is all done guessing things like road signs were the same as they were the night of July 31, 1999.

That is why it made me think that maybe J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett stopped at the rest stop on the way home, to get a roadmap and use the restroom. However as far as I have read, police did not find a roadmap in the car. So in conclusion, when Tracie Hawlett told her mother on the phone that they were "lost" and on their way home, I believe she was telling the truth.
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There has been confirmation that they were trying to meet up with 2 boys in Midland City that night. I don't think anyone has ever definitively confirmed the nature of their relationship, with these 2 boys or how they knew them, to the public. I may be wrong, but I believe the Police knew of them and their identity.

I don't know if we have access to the Thread #3 anymore. But there was a poster, who posted some documents and statements on Thread #3 before it was shut down, which cleared some things up, if what was posted was true (the following is all from my recollection of the posts in Thread #3 and I can't remember the poster's handle/screenname):

- There was another party near Skipperville, which Tracie and JB stopped at before Ozark; supposedly, there were confirmations from people at this party, that JB and Tracie were in fact at this party for a short time - like 15 min; so this indicated to me, they did not go to Midland City prior to Ozark

- In Ozark, the phone call to Tracie's mom was to ease her mom's worrying and buy more time, they were not lost; Tracie asked if they could stop in Midland City to meet the 2 boys at a gas station; Tracie's mom agreed but that was only stop and they were not to stay long
 
Aegis100, I believe there was some discussion of them turning too soon on the earlier threads, maybe #1. It's certainly possible as it was night time and they were already somewhat confused and turned around in their direction finding.
At that time, about halfway down that road on the left was another Big/Little store. the possibility of them pulling of there was also discussed.
 
SavageMarkIII said:
There has been confirmation that they were trying to meet up with 2 boys in Midland City that night. I don't think anyone has ever definitively confirmed the nature of their relationship, with these 2 boys or how they knew them, to the public. I may be wrong, but I believe the Police knew of them and their identity.

I don't know if we have access to the Thread #3 anymore. But there was a poster, who posted some documents and statements on Thread #3 before it was shut down, which cleared some things up, if what was posted was true (the following is all from my recollection of the posts in Thread #3 and I can't remember the poster's handle/screenname):

- There was another party near Skipperville, which Tracie and JB stopped at before Ozark; supposedly, there were confirmations from people at this party, that JB and Tracie were in fact at this party for a short time - like 15 min; so this indicated to me, they did not go to Midland City prior to Ozark

- In Ozark, the phone call to Tracie's mom was to ease her mom's worrying and buy more time, they were not lost; Tracie asked if they could stop in Midland City to meet the 2 boys at a gas station; Tracie's mom agreed but that was only stop and they were not to stay long
Click to expand...

I believe the two boys were someone they had not known very long. I do not know how or when or under what circumstances they met them. Actually, the Police never interviewed them (another mistake). They were interviewed by the private investigator who was able to confirm the girls never met up with them that night.

There were several parties in the area that night-the field party, the one in Skipperville & one in Ozark.
 
TedMac said:
I believe the two boys were someone they had not known very long. I do not know how or when or under what circumstances they met them. Actually, the Police never interviewed them (another mistake). They were interviewed by the private investigator who was able to confirm the girls never met up with them that night.

There were several parties in the area that night-the field party, the one in Skipperville & one in Ozark.
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When did the p.i interview the two boys?
LE failing to interview them immediately after the murders is much more nefarious than than simple incompetence IMO
 
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