GUILTY AL - J.B. Beasley & Tracie Hawlett, both 17, murdered, Ozark, 31 July 1999 *ARREST in 2019* #5

[bessie]

Alabama news links: 11 years later, possible new developments in murder of Wiregrass teens; Elba man dies in wreck

[video=youtube;xinS0wn_Ca4]

Thread #1
Thread #2
Thread #3
Thread #4

 

[Niner]

Thursday, August 8th:
*Arraignment & Motions Hearing (@ 9am ET) – AL – J.B. Hilton Green Beasley (17) & Tracie Jean Hawlett (17) (July 31, 1999, Ozark) - *Coley Lewis McCraney (45/25 @ time of crime) arrested & charged (3/16/19) & indicted (6/10/19) with 2 counts of 1st degree murder, 2 counts of 1st degree murder while in the act of murdering two or more persons & 1 count of 1st degree rape (Beasley). Plead not guilty. Held without bond. DA will seek DP.
Parabon Nanolabs GEDMatch DNA
4/3/19 Update: Dale County judge has found probable cause to bound the murder case against McCraney to a grand jury on 6/6.
5/7/19 Update: Bond hearing on 5/22, but DA will be out of town. Rescheduled for 5/29.
5/29/19 Update: Judge delays bond hearing. Judge denies bond. Next Grand Jury hearing on 6/6. Judge denies motion to strike military records.
6/6/19 Update: A Dale County grand jury has indicted McCraney on all 5 counts. Arraignment hearing set for 8/8.
6/17/19 Update: Prosecutors on Monday asked a judge to block the media & public from attending pretrial hearings in the high-profile case of a man charged in the cold case killings of two teenagers. Saying they are concerned about publicity tainting the jury pool, prosecutors asked a judge to take the unusual step of closing all pretrial proceedings & sealing all case documents from public view until a jury is seated. Defense lawyers are objecting to the request, saying they consider it unconstitutional. Defense lawyers also objected to barring the news media & public from pretrial proceedings, saying that public trials are one of the "safeguards to the due process guaranteed to every citizen." Circuit Judge William Filmore has set a June 27 hearing on the prosecution's request.
6/20/19 Update: WSFA 12 News is joining a number of other media organizations in filing a motion that objects to attempts to limit the public’s access, and thus media access, to a south Alabama double-murder suspect’s pretrial proceedings. Each media outlet involved in the filing has requested to be heard on the motion to control pretrial publicity at a hearing already set for July 12 at 9 a.m. in Ozark.
7/11/19: Gag Order hearing on 7/12 has been postponed until 8/8 with arraignment hearing. 7/26/19: Gag order imposed.

 

[Irishrose70]

BREAKING: McCraney pleads not guilty to Beasley-Hawlett murders

 

[killarney rose]

McCraney obviously has no conscience else he would plead guilty and spare these families the ordeal of a trial.

 

[Falcon500]

McCraney obviously has no conscience else he would plead guilty and spare these families the ordeal of a trial.

No attorney would let his client plead guilty so early in the case. So many things can go wrong and in the defendants favor that it is wise to plead not guilty at this stage.

 

[TedMac]

McCraney obviously has no conscience else he would plead guilty and spare these families the ordeal of a trial.

Knowing that he is facing the death penalty, I doubt he will ever plead guilty to this charge unless some type of plea deal can be reached which eliminates the possibility of him getting the death penalty and I am not even sure if this is possible in a capital murder case. I suppose the murder charges could be reduced from capital to murder to something less, but we will see. I just hope that somewhere along this journey the real truth comes out as to who, what, where, how and most importantly WHY. We have all have our theories as to how all of this went down, but still, I hope all the questions will someday be answered. Probably wishful thinking on my part.

 

[jaejae]

McCraney obviously has no conscience else he would plead guilty and spare these families the ordeal of a trial.

Everyone has a right to plead not guilty and he might have plead not guilty because he is innocent. This man has a right to a fair trial.

 

[Catmommy]

Everyone has a right to plead not guilty and he might have plead not guilty because he is innocent. This man has a right to a fair trial.

We ALL want him to have just that. Should this be a death penalty trial and he be found guilty there will be an automatic appeal. All of us want all the Ts crossed and all the Is dotted. If he is found guilty he has enjoyed a life he took away from others for far too long.

 

[Irishrose70]

I'm not sure what Alabama laws are about pleading guilty to a capital murder case. That being said from what I've read (accuracy not guaranteed) every person that has been arrested on these type DNA test matches has accepted a plea deal for life in prison instead of facing a jury and the death penalty. Most of the cases I've read were similar in that the DNA was the only link in a cold case. We have no idea what additional evidence there is or if there is any.
IMO he threw away his only chance of being assumed completely innocent when he claimed he didn't know them. It would have been too easy to say he did, intimately. There would probably still have been a trial back then, but because he didn't come forward years ago (and would have definitely heard about the case at some point over the last 20 years) it makes him appear even guiltier than he would have.

 

[cherrymeg]

I'm not sure what Alabama laws are about pleading guilty to a capital murder case. That being said from what I've read (accuracy not guaranteed) every person that has been arrested on these type DNA test matches has accepted a plea deal for life in prison instead of facing a jury and the death penalty. Most of the cases I've read were similar in that the DNA was the only link in a cold case. We have no idea what additional evidence there is or if there is any.
IMO he threw away his only chance of being assumed completely innocent when he claimed he didn't know them. It would have been too easy to say he did, intimately. There would probably still have been a trial back then, but because he didn't come forward years ago (and would have definitely heard about the case at some point over the last 20 years) it makes him appear even guiltier than he would have.

I can understand not coming forward in 99'. Wrongful conviction is a real thing. There is also the guilty as sin thing. When he denied knowing them and his semen was present on or in one of the girls that's a straight up lie. I hope he takes a plea so maybe he can give everyone answers. I still wonder if they are the only victims.

 

[jaejae]

We ALL want him to have just that. Should this be a death penalty trial and he be found guilty there will be an automatic appeal. All of us want all the Ts crossed and all the Is dotted. If he is found guilty he has enjoyed a life he took away from others for far too long.

I agree with you and I want to see killers punished. At the moment I doubt if his life is that great. All I am saying is that he might have plead not guilty because he is saying he did not commit the crimes. Anyway we will see with the court case.

 

[Irishrose70]

Knowing that he is facing the death penalty, I doubt he will ever plead guilty to this charge unless some type of plea deal can be reached which eliminates the possibility of him getting the death penalty and I am not even sure if this is possible in a capital murder case. I suppose the murder charges could be reduced from capital to murder to something less, but we will see. I just hope that somewhere along this journey the real truth comes out as to who, what, where, how and most importantly WHY. We have all have our theories as to how all of this went down, but still, I hope all the questions will someday be answered. Probably wishful thinking on my part.

Hopefully they'll make him answer those questions as a condition of a plea deal if one is available and he's guilty and decides to go that route. No realistic answers, no deal.

 

[TJtennispro]

I still don’t think he did it and I’m not the only one.

McCraney obviously has no conscience else he would plead guilty and spare these families the ordeal of a trial.

 

[Crazy Mama]

L

I still don’t think he did it and I’m not the only one.

Like I said before, DNA matches and from the area....and he didn’t know them, he’s only going to get off on a technicality.

 

[cherrymeg]

I still don’t think he did it and I’m not the only one.

Can I ask why you think that? I'm not trying to be smart or confrontational I'm just curious about both sides of the story.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

News outlets report that Coley McCraney entered a plea of not guilty to capital murder charges during a court appearance this week.

Police said they identified McCraney as a possible suspect after using genetic genealogy techniques on crime scene DNA. They said subsequent testing indicated McCraney’s DNA was a match.
Man pleads innocent to ‘99 cold case slayings

 

[bill5766]

The autopsy report reveals a spent round not fired from the weapon that was used to kill these girls. Does anybody have any thoughts on this mystery shell casing?

 

[imstilla.grandma]

For the record
https://ago.alabama.gov/documents/news/AG Marshall Statement on Hawlett-Beasley Murder Case.pdf

 

[Blacklist]

Can I ask why you think that? I'm not trying to be smart or confrontational I'm just curious about both sides of the story.

I agree. TJTennispro I would like to hear your thoughts on it. I am not completely convinced yet as him being the sole perpetrator if he is at all. But the DNA (validated) does give a time connection at a minimum.

BTW ... It’s been a bit of time, even before the McCraney arrest, what ever came out from your girls (tennis?) / friends from AU that allegedly knew something?

 

[Blacklist]

No attorney would let his client plead guilty so early in the case. So many things can go wrong and in the defendants favor that it is wise to plead not guilty at this stage.

You are very correct. It will be a while no matter trial/plea/ or otherwise.
Spot on Falcon