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

[somequestions]

F.Y. I. Supposedly when J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett stopped at that Big Little gas station in Ozark, AL on the night of July 31, 1999, they ran into a woman and her daughter who were there to buy sodas. Not only did J.B. Beasley get directions, but she also got "stoplight" directions. The woman, Ms. Meritt I think her name was, told her how many stoplights it would take to get to 231. I think Ms. Meritt was off by one stoplight, telling J.B. one too many or too few stoplights, I cannot remember. There was an interview with J.B. Beasley's sister Jackie that told all this information.

I think theories and opinions change the more information you find out about a case. After seeing the interview with J.B. Beasley's sister, I started to think that maybe J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett were not "lost" once they left the gas station at all. But if they stopped somewhere like a fast food place or any other place, wouldn't a witness have come forward to say, "Yes, I remember seeing two girls who fit the description that night."

So the only theory that makes sense in terms of directions is that J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett stopped the car somewhere willingly on the way home. The rest stop is an example of one place. Maybe the killer used some ruse to get them to trust him. Supposedly Tracie Hawlett had a scratch on her arm and even though it is assumed it came from the mud, water, and brush with briars they walked through, I thought maybe it was a scratch from an animal? Is there a way for investigators to determine the difference between a scratch from a plant versus a scratch from an animal?

But then when you remember that J.B. Beasley's car was parked on Herring Avenue by the killer, that means that unless the killer had an accomplice or drove his own car behind them, the only way to get back to the rest stop would be walking all the way from Herring Avenue. That seems like a long walk. Is it even possible to walk that far and not be seen by a witness?

 

[CoolJ]

So I am glad we are going back and revisiting memories and theories from the other threads. In trying to find the article where the Ozark Police say they cleared the driver of the white truck, I found this article (but they had not found the driver of truck yet). Interesting article, given our recent discussion of DNA and fingerprints on JB's Car. It also mentions the palm print, but again, it's not clear if the palm print is or can be used to clear suspects or be used in databases.

Ozark investigators renew search for white truck

2 Interesting points to me:

- article mentions "fingerprints", plural, found on JB's car have been used by investigators in eliminating suspects, but no matches yet

- 49 suspects have been cleared by matching DNA, but DNA is not the only thing used to clear suspects, but they don't say what else besides fingerprints and DNA they are using to clear. Also, that they realize, if DNA doesn't match, it does not mean they weren't involved in the crime.

Read article for specific statements.

So, I agree with others who have said lately, I think it's time to use the DNA on an open source site, as they did in Golden State Killer case. Since the Golden State Killer arrest, other jurisdictions have done the same and been successful in finding DNA matches too.

TedMac seems pretty confident that the DNA donor has been identified and cleared.

 

[ALMurderMystery]

New to WebSleuths, very interested in this case. Semi-local and would like to discuss theories and information. Contact ALMurdermystery@gmail.com

 

[PlateSpinner]

Is there anyone local that might be interested in helping me take a closer look at this.....the more I dig into this, the more info I find from different sites.

HA! One might meet their own fate. Ozark is a very small town. This is only
one of several suspicious death cases I have followed in Alabama. The others are far more recent.

 

[cherrymeg]

F.Y. I. Supposedly when J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett stopped at that Big Little gas station in Ozark, AL on the night of July 31, 1999, they ran into a woman and her daughter who were there to buy sodas. Not only did J.B. Beasley get directions, but she also got "stoplight" directions. The woman, Ms. Meritt I think her name was, told her how many stoplights it would take to get to 231. I think Ms. Meritt was off by one stoplight, telling J.B. one too many or too few stoplights, I cannot remember. There was an interview with J.B. Beasley's sister Jackie that told all this information.

I think theories and opinions change the more information you find out about a case. After seeing the interview with J.B. Beasley's sister, I started to think that maybe J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett were not "lost" once they left the gas station at all. But if they stopped somewhere like a fast food place or any other place, wouldn't a witness have come forward to say, "Yes, I remember seeing two girls who fit the description that night."

So the only theory that makes sense in terms of directions is that J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett stopped the car somewhere willingly on the way home. The rest stop is an example of one place. Maybe the killer used some ruse to get them to trust him. Supposedly Tracie Hawlett had a scratch on her arm and even though it is assumed it came from the mud, water, and brush with briars they walked through, I thought maybe it was a scratch from an animal? Is there a way for investigators to determine the difference between a scratch from a plant versus a scratch from an animal?

But then when you remember that J.B. Beasley's car was parked on Herring Avenue by the killer, that means that unless the killer had an accomplice or drove his own car behind them, the only way to get back to the rest stop would be walking all the way from Herring Avenue. That seems like a long walk. Is it even possible to walk that far and not be seen by a witness?

At the time, if someone saw something would the way the girls were murdered act as a warning? If they were getting food at a place that was either busy or that they went to a lot it could have been hard for someone to remember if they saw them that night.It also sounded like there was one or two field parties. I don't know if that would mean there were people walking home at all hours of the night. What kind of animal scratch were you thinking of? The killers' pet?

 

[TedMac]

New to WebSleuths, very interested in this case. Semi-local and would like to discuss theories and information. Contact ALMurdermystery@gmail.com

Welcome to Websleuths!

 

[Irishrose70]

I read over my last post about lost directions and forgot something very important. I did not actually "drive" the route from the Headland, AL gas station to make wrong turn ending up in Ozark, AL at Big Little Store. When I drove the route, I meant I drove it on Google Earth maps. It would actually help to drive it in person, but I am not from Alabama. That is kind of an important detail about my mapping route post. There are many different ways J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett could have gone north to end up on Rt. 27 and then going west into Ozark, AL.

My opinion from driving the route on Google maps is that they made a wrong turn near the Headland downtown square and after that point they had to guess the best route at night which took them north and eventually over to AL 27. This is all speculation. I hope it clears up any confusion.

If anyone ever does try to do the drive in real life, I would be interested in reading about it.

Basically any right turn when driving back way from headland to Midland City will take you to hwy 27. And if they were going to a party in skipperville they would have needed to cross 27

I read over my last post about lost directions and forgot something very important. I did not actually "drive" the route from the Headland, AL gas station to make wrong turn ending up in Ozark, AL at Big Little Store. When I drove the route, I meant I drove it on Google Earth maps. It would actually help to drive it in person, but I am not from Alabama. That is kind of an important detail about my mapping route post. There are many different ways J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett could have gone north to end up on Rt. 27 and then going west into Ozark, AL.

My opinion from driving the route on Google maps is that they made a wrong turn near the Headland downtown square and after that point they had to guess the best route at night which took them north and eventually over to AL 27. This is all speculation. I hope it clears up any

I read over my last post about lost directions and forgot something very important. I did not actually "drive" the route from the Headland, AL gas station to make wrong turn ending up in Ozark, AL at Big Little Store. When I drove the route, I meant I drove it on Google Earth maps. It would actually help to drive it in person, but I am not from Alabama. That is kind of an important detail about my mapping route post. There are many different ways J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett could have gone north to end up on Rt. 27 and then going west into Ozark, AL.

My opinion from driving the route on Google maps is that they made a wrong turn near the Headland downtown square and after that point they had to guess the best route at night which took them north and eventually over to AL 27. This is all speculation. I hope it clears up any confusion.

If anyone ever does try to do the drive in real life, I would be interested in reading about it.

.

If anyone ever does try to do the drive in real life, I would be interested in reading about it


Almost any right turn between headland and Midland City would lead to Hwy 27. But if they were going to a party in skipperville they may have intentionally taken 67 to 36. Or a similar route. It crosses 27, and ends in/near skipperville. It is also the same road as the store they called from in Ozark.

 

[ilovepierre]

I don't think the girls stopped for food anywhere after they stopped at the B/L Store.
It was 11:30 pm...and from what I have read, nothing was open in Ozark at that time.
This was 1999. Things were different back then.

I don't believe the girls were ever truly lost, either. Tracie called her mom to buy more time since curfew was up. IMO, they were in Ozark for another reason...maybe looking for another party to go to...maybe meeting up with a couple of guys...but they had a reason to be in Ozark that night.

Whoever killed them knew the area. Either he lived there or spent enough time there. I have seen pictures of Herring Ave and it's an area that only locals would know of. The car was dumped there because the killer lived/parked close by.

IMO

 

[Irishrose70]

Basically any right turn when driving back way from headland to Midland City will take you to hwy 27. And if they were going to a party in skipperville they would have needed to cross 27

Almost any right turn between headland and Midland City would lead to Hwy 27. But if they were going to a party in skipperville they may have intentionally taken 67 to 36. Or a similar route. It crosses 27, and ends in/near skipperville. It is also the same road as the store they called from in Ozark.

 

[Irishrose70]

My understanding is we know the girls went to and were seen at a field party in Skipperville. If this was the case, they weren't lost. Possibly a little disoriented, but not lost. 105 is the road that goes from Skipperville to Ozark. The store they called from is on 105/27 as you come into Ozark after leaving Skipperville. The first available phone, and a direct route to 231 to get back to Dothan the quickest. They may have asked to verify, but roads were also well marked. There are 3 roads you can turn onto leaving the gas station, 2 of which have visible roads forking or turning off of them. They may have asked directions to be sure they made right turn leaving gas station, but it was impossible to miss 231 if they took the right, as the witnesses at the store stated.

 

[Bulldog23]

I don't have a lot to contribute at this point, but about the DNA, JB's sister Jacqui said as far as she knows the DNA donner has never been identified. TedMac, how reliable was your source?

I recently listened to a interview with Veronica Silver, the film-maker who produced "Shined Rabbit." She said that in her last phone call to her mother, Tracie asked if they could stop and see two boys that they were "double dating." Her mother gave her permission to stop for about 5 minutes to speak with the boys. I think these are the same 2 boys that the PI (Cambron) said that the police never interviewed. If that is true, it is mind blowing to me.

That interview can be found in the podcast "Fear based Life" by Mel Stevens... it is available from Apple podcasts.

 

[killarney rose]

If what you are saying is indeed true then it's a perfect example of shoddy police work and why OPD can't solve the case.

 

[ilovepierre]

Shoddy police work, indeed...

 

[TedMac]

I don't have a lot to contribute at this point, but about the DNA, JB's sister Jacqui said as far as she knows the DNA donner has never been identified. TedMac, how reliable was your source?

I recently listened to a interview with Veronica Silver, the film-maker who produced "Shined Rabbit." She said that in her last phone call to her mother, Tracie asked if they could stop and see two boys that they were "double dating." Her mother gave her permission to stop for about 5 minutes to speak with the boys. I think these are the same 2 boys that the PI (Cambron) said that the police never interviewed. If that is true, it is mind blowing to me.

That interview can be found in the podcast "Fear based Life" by Mel Stevens... it is available from Apple podcasts.

My sources are reliable. I will PM you later tonight. BTW...glad you are back from the dead! LOL We hadn't heard anything from you in a while.

 

[Irishrose70]

I truly do not think the girls were lost from the time they chose to go to the skipperville party (while in headland, speaking on the phone and being seen by an officer, and speaking with "Bookie"). I think they asked about directions to clarify they were going the right way, particularly after looking out from the parking lot and seeing multiple options for leaving it.

The mother knowing they were stopping again is new to me.... And also opens other options of what happened, since the PI said they never met with the boys .... where were they to meet? Did the girls just not show up? Were plans cancelled after the phone call to mom?

The bp station on the corner of 231/Andrews (same road as 105/original gas station) used to be 24 hours. Pretty sure it was then. Theres a curved entrance off Andrews right across from McDonalds where a payphone was, kind of away from the store, mostly in the dark. Im wondering if it was ever checked for outgoing calls that night. Coffee Kettle would have also been open, as well as 2-3 clubs. (One at old holiday inn, one at old best western, and possibly one across from or near Aviation college)

Car jacking? Crime? Wasn't happening here, or we didn't know. We all knew not to go to the "block" which was a right off Andrews on most roads.

Whispering Lakes near rest area I a trailer park, and was then. They keep pretty close track of people coming and going and trying to access "their lake".

The whole place (Ozark/Dale County was run by a few families with powerful positions. Basically still is. Corruption was and is existing. It's about who you know and how much money you have. Like most small places.

 

[CoolJ]

My sources are reliable. I will PM you later tonight. BTW...glad you are back from the dead! LOL We hadn't heard anything from you in a while.

I respect your opinions tremendously TedMac, but I have a hard time believing your source. Every report we have seen including chief Spivey in 2015 and including close family members is that the DNA is still a part of this investigation.
Maybe your source is misleading you, or maybe your source has been misled. There seems to be a lot of that in this case.

 

[CoolJ]

I don't have a lot to contribute at this point, but about the DNA, JB's sister Jacqui said as far as she knows the DNA donner has never been identified. TedMac, how reliable was your source?

I recently listened to a interview with Veronica Silver, the film-maker who produced "Shined Rabbit." She said that in her last phone call to her mother, Tracie asked if they could stop and see two boys that they were "double dating." Her mother gave her permission to stop for about 5 minutes to speak with the boys. I think these are the same 2 boys that the PI (Cambron) said that the police never interviewed. If that is true, it is mind blowing to me.

That interview can be found in the podcast "Fear based Life" by Mel Stevens... it is available from Apple podcasts.

Has anyone seen this damn documentary yet?

 

[killarney rose]

Anyone know HOW to view it online?

 

[Irishrose70]

Anyone know HOW to view it online?

My understanding is it isn't available for public viewing yet, except for film festivals. I only know of one it has appeared in so far, in Florida.

 

[somequestions]

At the time, if someone saw something would the way the girls were murdered act as a warning? If they were getting food at a place that was either busy or that they went to a lot it could have been hard for someone to remember if they saw them that night.It also sounded like there was one or two field parties. I don't know if that would mean there were people walking home at all hours of the night. What kind of animal scratch were you thinking of? The killers' pet?

Yes, I meant maybe the killer had a pet as a way of creating conversation. It does not make a lot of sense because what would the killer do with the pet while he is committing his crime and driving around in J.B. Beasley's car? Then that would mean there were pet hairs in her car too. So that theory lacks a lot of common sense.