AL AL - J.B. Beasley, 17, & Tracie Hawlett, 17, Ozark, 31 July 1999 #1

[CoolJ]

i will ponder this DBK theory a little, but for me any theory would have to somehow include Barrentine either being involved, knowing someone involved, chance encounter running into perp and victims. He apparently had information that someone uninvolved wouldnt have, and was about to spend a long time in jail before the DNA evidence came to light. I cannot look past that.

 

[killarney rose]

i will ponder this DBK theory a little, but for me any theory would have to somehow include Barrentine either being involved, knowing someone involved, chance encounter running into perp and victims. He apparently had information that someone uninvolved wouldnt have, and was about to spend a long time in jail before the DNA evidence came to light. I cannot look past that.

Until I see concrete evidence exonnerating Barrenitne, I can't either. And LE could have it. But I need to know before I can exclude him from being a suspect.


Forgive me if I missed it, but has Barrentin'e address at the time of the murders been mentioned?

 

[DimeDetective]

Some thoughts on JB & Tracie's killer and DBK being the same person.

(This is pre-coffee )

Where was DBK from 1999-2005?

Was the DNA found on JB compared to the DNA in the Daytona Beach killings?

Is LE aware of the possible Ozark DB connection?

I'm having trouble making the connection between the DBK/trucker theory and Ozark due to the theory of the neighborhood/local connection of JB & Tracie's killer. I know it can be bad to have tunnel vision with regard to a murder investigation however.

It's possible the trucker/killer was traveling through south central AL via hwy 231 and randomly jumped off in Ozark-

however

the trucker theory brings me back to a local spending a few days at home(it being a weekend makes this more likely) off the road. This also gives him access to a smaller vehicle other than his semi to get around in. It would also explain him knowing the areas of Ozark central to the girls case.

Regarding the DBK being an out of towner not from DB- The length of time inbetween the killings there suggests he could be a trucker with a dedicated run that brought him through DB regularly.

How would this tie him to Ozark? Again I go back to Ozark being his home base. If indeed, the girls murder was a crime of opportunity, and probably his first, he likely decided quickly to make future kills away from home as not to get caught. But why always DB? And why did the killings stop?

BBM. Such a good post, KR. And pre-coffee!

You asked, "Was the DNA found on JB compared to the DNA in the Daytona Beach killings?"

This is one of the biggest questions in my mind when it comes to a possible DBK connection. I feel confident that, had the DBK been caught, we could probably rule out the DBK as the same man who shot J.B. and Tracie, as surely the DBK's DNA would be in the system and would not be a match to the DNA found at the Beasley-Hawlett scene. However, I'm not sure if it's common practice for investigators to compare the DNA of one unsub to another unsub. Perhaps if they strongly suspect that the two cases are related. But would that be the only reason they'd check for a match?

This leads right to another of your questions: "Is LE aware of the possible Ozark DB connection?"

I know a few people have recently mentioned submitting tips from our discussion to LE. I'm not sure exactly which tips those might be. Does anyone think it's a good idea for us to work together to compile and organize a list of everything we've brought up so far that could potentially be viable tips to call in?

Wondergirl relayed a great quote to me that a LE Officer once said to her: "Never assume LE knows." I'm all for putting our heads together on such a list of tips to be called in.

KR, regarding your final two questions — "But why always DB? And why did the killings stop?" — I'll definitely be sure to bear these in mind as I continue to research a possible DBK connection.

 

[DimeDetective]

This article was written by Clint Van Zandt, a former FBI profiler.

From NBC News, "Daytona Beach Serial Killer Set to Strike Again?," March 23, 2006:

Evidently the killer made no significant attempt to conceal the bodies. This suggests that he simply wanted to separate himself from his victims, with no well thought-out or previously identified body disposal site that he could use to make identification of the victims more difficult for the authorities. As all three victims were shot, it would appear that the killer felt safe in discharging a firearm, perhaps multiple times, into the victims without being seen or heard. This further suggests that he could have killed the victims in a location different from where their bodies were found.

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/11929741/

Remember: LE confirmed from the beginning of their investigation that J.B. and Tracie were killed in one (unknown) location, then moved to where they were found on Herring Avenue.

 

[killarney rose]

Finally made it to Ozark today. I still need to upload the few pics we took.

Dime Detective, your inofrmation and notes are so organized.Thanks for posting Barrentine's address and the location in relation to the other areas of importance.

My DD went with me. We talked at length about the case. I drove her around- Herring Ave, the Big /Little, Depot Ln, and of course American Towing- I'll post that seperately.

When we left Ozark we went to Dothan. Had to drive by where the hostage situation with little Ethan in the bunker was last month. That too was on Hwy 231, just off it on a dirt road. So she wanted to go there. And we did turn off 231 and drive by it.

So we had been talking about the girls murder on the way to Ozark. She was only 10 when it happened but she knew of it from it being in the news all along.


ETA- I think organizing our thoughts before turning them in is an excellent idea!

I pointed out the possible murder site down hwy 123 then we went up Union Ave. I didn't want to tell her my theories, just wanted hers w/o my input. I asked her, if someone killed them out 123, why would they risk coming back to town, drive by the hospital(and Dale County jail she pointed out) to dump them here, on Herring St. Her immediate reply was,"Because they lived close by."

We then went to the Depot Ln location. I showed her the abandoned depot and the ice plant with the piles of ice. There was a front end loader out there today moiving the ice around.

Her thought about that being a possible murder site was why didn't the people living right close by on Jones St hear the gunfire? And how did the killer gain control of them so quickly after leaving the Big/Little.

We had in interesting visit to Ozark and a good mother daughter day too. I'll get those pics uploaded and posted.

 

[killarney rose]

My trip to check out American Towing didn't find the white truck I was hoping to see. But It helped answer a few questions I had. First, the location. It is located on the portion of Andrew Ave that runs from Hwy 231 to the Ft Rucker gate. It is approx. halfway between Hwy 231 and the gate, near the intersection of Campground Rd and Andrews Ave.
They have a back lot area but it is locked, with a high fence around it. DD was going to jump out and take a pic through the crack by the gate till she realized that in order to get to the fence we would have to drive right up out front as they have the side entrance blocked off to prevent people from going back there.I really wanted to see if there might be an abandoned white truck back there that they no longer use.


So about all we did was

Confirm that the location is several miles away from the other points of interest in the case . And in the opposite direction of them.

Confirm that they are still in business.

Confirm as per the red truck they do use a flatbed style truck for their towing and thus could have had an older similar(white mystery truck?)one in the past.

And whether it means anything to the case, Daniels Auto Repair and American Towing are one and the same. The red tow truck has Daniels Auto Repair on it and a part of the eagle logo.

And this is not a very neat/clean shop. The work area looks very greasy and messy from what I could tell.

 

[shadowangel]

It may be totally irrelevant, but the thought came to me anyway... Is it possible this towing company has a contract with the town to tow abandoned/impounded vehicles? Here in this part of NY at least, most towns have a contract with one towing company who store the vehicles (only those directly involved in criminal activity or fatal accidents are stored on police station property).

Has anything ever been stated as to the mechanical condition of the Mazda? Since there were no keys present, no one would have been able to start it (unless the parents had a spare set). Somehow the amount of gas left in the tank was determined, according to posted statements...
Is the car still impounded as evidence?

 

[killarney rose]

Just an FYI regarding the American Towing connection. I have not zeroed in on them as 100% involved. But I did want to continue to check them out as much as possible in order to eliminate or confirm them in my mind.

The conclusions I came to actually do more to elminate them due to the location of the business. Why (if they were in the white truck)would they be all the across town at the B/L store at that time of night? The only reason I come up with would be if they had been on a call to the general area and pulled in after they were finished.

But, does anyone know if they have always been in their present location? Could they have been located nearer the B/L area in 1999?

I'm focused on the American Towing connection with regards to suspects because of the truck at the pumps and the "maybe" eagle logo on the door of the truck. Barrentine working there part time may or may not have anything to do with it.

It's possible they were the on call tow service for the city that night. That could have been what had them in the area at that time.

 

[DimeDetective]

I'm still working on getting video copies of the AMW and Maury shows that featured the case. AMW only has cases from 2003 forward available, so they directed me to FOX Broadcasting, but unfortunately they don't distribute videos (hard copies or digital) of past shows. I checked with Lifetime as well and no luck.

I wonder if any locals might've taped the show when it aired in 2000 or when it re-aired in 2007. I'll keep trying.

Finally made it to Ozark today.

Respectfully snipped for space.

Great sleuthing, KR! Thank you for the photos and for the clarification you provided re: American Towing/Daniels Auto Repair. ITA, the location of the business is important to consider.

Your daughter's thoughts on the case were really illuminating. Her questions about why the people living on Jones Street didn't hear gunfire and how the killer gained control in the very short distance between the B/LS and Depot Lane were good ones, especially in light of the fact that a witness did come forward in March 2000 claiming to have heard screams and gunshots just south of town near 123 that night. If this witness had heard only gunshots, that would be one thing, but the fact that screams and two gunshots were heard points strongly to the 123 location being the murder site.

Here's what The Mobile Register reported on this July 23, 2000:

Since the day police discovered the bodies, they have said that J.B. and Tracie were shot while inside the Mazda's trunk. And, they've said, they believed the actual shooting happened somewhere other than where the car was found.

Yet, months into the investigation, police couldn't say where that somewhere else was.

Then, in March [2000], a woman who lived just south of town reported that she heard screams and what sounded like two gunshots on the night of the murders.

The woman didn't report the information sooner because she "didn't want to get involved," the chief said.

The area, next to what neighbors said is a now-vacant house, is surrounded by trees and has two World War II-era buildings on the property. The spider-web-encrusted buildings - wooden structures that appear to be a barn and a half-collapsed garage - sit about 100 feet off the roadway.

With FBI help, Spivey said, crime scene specialists and investigators combed the area and found a spent 9mm shell casing, the same caliber casing found in the trunk with the bodies.

More on the forensic investigation into this murder site at the link. To the best of my knowledge, no follow-up to these forensic tests was ever reported by MSM.

https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!topic/alt.true-crime/2xaUlpX-bHc

KR, do you think given the description of the area above that it would be possible to figure out exactly where it is?

 

[killarney rose]

DImeDetective, I think it's possible if the half collapsed building haven't been torn down and the debris hauled away.

I have a pretty good idea what they might be. I moved to this area in the late 70s. At that time Ft Rucker was undergoing a lot of building of new barracks and the old ones were available to people to move away. Many were. Some people actually moved them, remodeled them and ended up with nice homes made from them. But mostly what happened was people moved them to a rural piece of land they owned , sat them there and never fixed them up. Because this was written, "world war II era buildings" it sounds like this might be likely what these 2 buildings were, and if so they are very recognizeable.

It will probably be next week befor I can make another trip over, but I'll give it a try. I'd still like to check on the 1999 city directory at the Ozark library.

DH and I did drive a couple miles out 123 but we turned around and went back w/o really looking for the site.

 

[killarney rose]

DD- I just read the article at your link. Have you heard of any updates to the information in it?

 

[DimeDetective]

Here are some more points of interest I've discovered in researching a possible connection between the Daytona Beach Killer and the Beasley-Hawlett murders:

• A television news report on the Daytona Beach killings noted that all four known victims of the DBK were found in the city, but in remote locations. J.B. and Tracie were found in the city of Ozark, but in a remote location.
  
  
• DBK Victim #4 Stacey Gage was last seen driving just before midnight. She had gone out to get some ice at a convenience store. J.B. and Tracie were last seen driving away from a convenience store shortly before midnight.
  
  
• It was noted by Daytona Beach LE that, based on the locations the four bodies were found, the DBK had to have been "very familiar" with Daytona Beach. Similarly, the fact that J.B. and Tracie were found on Herring Avenue led Ozark LE to believe the girls' killer was either a local or someone very familiar with Ozark.
  
  
• Below are photographs of the four known victims of the DBK. Based on these photographs it does not appear the DBK has a specific victim type. Also supporting this is the fact that the victims' ages range from 30 to 45 years old. Thus there is nothing to suggest that J.B. and Tracie fall outside a particular appearance type preferred by the DBK, as there is none. And while the girls were only 17 when they were murdered, the DBK himself would've been 6-8 years younger in 1999.
  
  
  
  

  
  Clockwise from top left: Stacey Gage (30), Laquetta
  Gunther (45), Iwana Patton (35), Julie Green (34)​

 

[Bonnie Blue]

According to this the AMW story was only a 5 minute segment. I do wonder what the two "new" tips where that came in?

http://www.southeastsun.com/home/article_5141e9a1-765e-53b8-8a25-2f54bc5717b1.html



Maybe this guy here?

http://www.southeastsun.com/home/article_974de5eb-6a25-537b-bbb3-176413511350.html

 

[DimeDetective]

I'd still like to check on the 1999 city directory at the Ozark library.

This would be really helpful, KR. Thank you for all the legwork you do!

DD- I just read the article at your link. Have you heard of any updates to the information in it?

I haven't. All MSM reports of forensic testing related to the case seem to cease during/after the year 2000, when the last word on any/all testing was invariably "LE are awaiting results." So clearly the results of these tests are not something LE wants to share with the public.

 

[DimeDetective]

The Daytona Beach Killer case has a very odd timeline:

• December 26, 2005: The body of Laquetta Mae Gunther is found in a narrow alley off Beach Street. She had been killed at least 2 days before.
  
  
• January 14, 2006: 19 days later, the body of Julie Ann Green is found in a ditch near a construction site. She had been killed less than 24 hours before.
  
  
• February 24, 2006: 41 days later, the body of Iwana Patton is found on a dirt road. She had been killed less than 24 hours before.
  
  
• March 2006: Following the one-murder-a-month pattern, LE and citizens of Daytona Beach are gripped with fear that the killer will strike again any day.
  
  However, a 21½-month silence ensues.
  
  
• December 11, 2007: 655 days after the Iwana Patton murder, Stacey Charlene Gage is murdered. She was last seen the day before.

DBK TIMELINE QUESTIONS

1. Where was the DBK during the nearly two-year stretch between the third and fourth murders? Where has the DBK been since December 2007?

2. All four of the DBK's known murders took place during winter months (December, January, February, December). Why?

 

[DimeDetective]

Has anything ever been stated as to the mechanical condition of the Mazda?

Respectfully snipped.

As a close follower of the Maura Murray case (in which a car with mechanical issues plays a central role), I've always kept my eyes peeled for a quote from LE or one of J.B.'s family members about the Mazda having had mechanical issues of any kind, but I've never found a single mention of this. Certainly this information coming to light would be a huge revelation that would almost have to change the way we look at the case.

 

[Bonnie Blue]

I wonder if either girls family members would like to join in here? I would think they would be happy that someone is looking at the case?

 

[killarney rose]

The Daytona Beach Killer case has a very odd timeline:

• December 26, 2005: The body of Laquetta Mae Gunther is found in a narrow alley off Beach Street. She had been killed at least 2 days before.
  
  
• January 14, 2006: 19 days later, the body of Julie Ann Green is found in a ditch near a construction site. She had been killed less than 24 hours before.
  
  
• February 24, 2006: 41 days later, the body of Iwana Patton is found on a dirt road. She had been killed less than 24 hours before.
  
  
• March 2006: Following the one-murder-a-month pattern, LE and citizens of Daytona Beach are gripped with fear that the killer will strike again any day.
  
  However, a 21½-month silence ensues.
  
  
• December 11, 2007: 655 days after the Iwana Patton murder, Stacey Charlene Gage is murdered. She was last seen the day before.

DBK TIMELINE QUESTIONS

1. Where was the DBK during the nearly two-year stretch between the third and fourth murders? Where has the DBK been since December 2007?

2. All four of the DBK's known murders took place during winter months (December, January, February, December). Why?

We discussed DBK possibly being a trucker and having a dedicated run through the area. That is possible. His run might have been changed to a completely different area, or DB might have been dropped from it.

Then there is the military connection. There are 3 military bases within easy driving distance of DB. Camp Blanding-Army (Starke), Patrick AFB inbetween Cocoa Beach and Satellite Beach, and the Navy Air Warfare training Center in Orlando. There could be your tie in to Ft Rucker. I have seen Air force soldiers at Ft Rucker when they were going through a school there. Then you have the naval air training center- again related to pilots and a possible link to Ft Rucker.

 

[Wondergirl]

The Beasley-Hawlett Murders — The Daytona Beach Killer:
Connected?

_____​

Were the Beasley-Hawlett murders the work of an early serial killer? Did the girls cross paths that night with the man now known as The Daytona Beach Killer?

I've been researching unsolved homicides that could possibly be connected to the Beasley-Hawlett murders. While some of us feel that whoever killed J.B. and Tracie may have done it before, I think many of us feel that whoever killed the girls very likely did not stop there. And, as no similar crimes have been committed in southeast Alabama in the years since, the killer must have moved on.

The Daytona Beach Killer first caught my eye as a possible connection based simply on geography and timeframe. From there I discovered many more points of interest that strengthened the theory that J.B. and Tracie could have been murdered by the DBK. Here's what I've found so far; points of interest to the Beasley-Hawlett murders are bolded:

THE DAYTONA BEACH KILLER: FOUR MURDERS

Between December 2005 and December 2007, four women were found murdered in Daytona Beach, Florida:

1. Laquetta Gunther, 45, was found in an alley on December 26, 2005. She had been shot once in the head, execution-style. The killer's DNA was recovered from the scene. No attempt was made by the killer to conceal the body.

2. Julie Green, 34, was found on January 14, 2006. She had been shot once in the head, execution-style. Though no DNA was found at the scene, no attempt was made to conceal the body. Tire tracks belonging to a 2003 Ford Taurus or Mercury Sable were found at the scene. LE later located the exact tires that had left the tracks.

3. Iwana Patton, 35, was found on a dirt road on February 24, 2006. She had been shot once and it appears she may have struggled with her killer. No attempt was made to conceal the body. DNA was recovered from the scene and was later found to be a match to the DNA recovered from the scene of the Laquetta Gunther murder. A shell casing was recovered from the scene that allowed LE to identify the make and model of pistol used. Ballistics linked the weapon to the Gunther and Green murders.

Although a 9mm was used in the Beasley-Hawlett murders and the weapon used in these three murders was found to be a .40-caliber Smith & Wesson Sigma Series VE, this discovery immediately led LE to wonder if the murders had been committed by a police officer or a former police officer. (More on this below.)

4. Stacey Charlene Gage, 30, was found January 2, 2008. LE believed she had been killed about three weeks earlier, on December 11, 2007. She had been shot once in the head, execution-style. Immediately LE noticed that circumstances surrounding the Gage murder were "eerily similar" to the unsolved Gunther-Green-Patton homicides. A year later, on January 23, 2008, LE formally announced that Stacey Charlene Gage had indeed been murdered by the same man who killed Gunther, Green, and Patton.

Gunther, Green, and Patton were believed by LE to have worked as prostitutes in the Daytona Beach area. The discovery of a link between the Gage murder and those of Gunther, Green, and Patton brought LE to a new conclusion: because Gage had no criminal record involving prostitution but she did have a history of drug problems, LE now believed that what linked the victims was more than likely the fact that they all voluntarily accompanied their killer, possibly in a vehicle. (For more on this, see killer's profile below.)

THE I-10 CONNECTION

The four linked murders detailed above are among 28 unsolved homicides in Florida alone that have been connected to serial killings by the FBI. The Bureau suspects that many or all of these murders may have been committed by long-haul truckers. An astounding 19 of these murders occurred along Interstate 4 between Tampa and Daytona Beach, a distance of only 140 miles.

With this I-4 fact in mind, I wanted to check for any popular trucking routes that might lead a trucker to the Dothan/Ozark area. The most obvious link was Interstate 10, the southernmost transcontinental highway in the U.S., stretching from Jacksonville, FL to Santa Monica, CA.

The first interesting fact I discovered is that most of I-10 in Florida travels through some of the least-populated areas in the state. This led me to think that perhaps a long-haul trucker/serial killer might really favor this particular stretch of I-10, which would be long on remote, isolated spots.

That's when I noticed that, traveling along I-10, exactly between Marianna, FL and Chipley, FL, I-10 is intersected by U.S. 231, the same route J.B. and Tracie left the Big/Little Store in search of on the night of July 31, 1999. Roughly 40 minutes north of the intersection of I-10 and U.S. 231 lies Dothan, Alabama — hometown of J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett. Continue following 231 north for another 20 minutes and you will find yourself in a rural, isolated area with a low population: Ozark.

THE KILLER'S PROFILE

According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the profile of the suspect, as generated by profiler Tom Davis, is as follows (all points of interest to the Beasley-Hawlett case bolded):

• Probably in a dysfunctional relationship with a woman.
  
  
• Has little control over the relationship, which may be the catalyst for his attacks.
  
  
• Victims were chosen at random.
  
  
• Victims are a substitute for a close female interest.
  
  
• Most likely clean-cut man who is employed.
  
  
• Articulate and well-groomed.
  
  
• May seem "normal."
  
  
• Good social and verbal skills.
  
  
• May also have a volatile temper.
  
  
• Average guy from an average neighborhood.
  
  
• The killer is said to seek out "substitute victims" in order to relive his rage. He seeks out women from whom he can easily gain confidence. These are women from "high-risk" lifestyles. The murderer made no apparent attempt to hide the bodies, suggesting that he did not plan the disposal of his victim, opting instead to leave them in the area of his attacks.

SUSPECTS

Among several specific one-time persons of interest who have since been ruled out, I found two parties included on lists of potential suspects in the Daytona Beach killings especially alarming in light of the details of the Beasley-Hawlett case:

• Law Enforcement Impersonators.
  
  
• Man in a Truck. Reporters from WESH 2 News spoke to a woman who said she was walking down the street in January of 2006 when a truck pulled up next to her. "He pulled over. I thought he was going to ask a question, but he pulled a gun on me and says, 'Get in,'" Nelita Ramos said. She said that she was taken to an alley on Beach Street where the man put the gun to her head. The man reportedly told Ramos she was going to die. After a few hours, during which she begged for her life, Ramos was let go.

THEORIES

Two strong theories held by LE in the case of the DBK are of particular interest when looking for connections to the Beasley-Hawlett murders:

• The killer is LE or former LE. The Daytona Beach News Journal ran a story on March 22, 2006, in reference to the (at that time) three unsolved murders. The story included the following:
  
  
  
  On April 22, 2006, local police confirmed that police officers were questioned in the slayings.
  
  Many of the area law enforcement agencies issue a .40 caliber weapon to their officers.
  
  
• The killer is an out-of-towner. Iwana Patton, the third victim, was killed on February 24th, 2006. Stacey Gage was killed approximately (according to pathologists) December 11, 2007. That is nearly two years between the third and fourth victims. Could the killer have been a visitor to Daytona Beach?

Ozark-Daytona Beach: Did a serial killer roaming the Southeastern U.S. cross paths with J.B. and Tracie?​

I'll continue to research and post any items of interest related to a possible DBK connection.

Outstanding, articulate post, thank-you DD.

I only have one comment - why do they say "former" LE? Why not simply LE?

 

[Wondergirl]

There is a whole bunch of information in the 2 articles beneath the ultra-creepy case summary by "Joe" here. There is more detailed info regarding the timeline that I haven't read here yet.

https://groups.google.com/forum/?fr...asley/alt.true-crime/BEG0n2XHfyA/QJmYq1kRcDcJ