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

[DimeDetective]

If it is the same killer in both ses then that means we have a serial killer in the area- a local. Has he stopped?

Your question brings my mind back to that possible military connection. Were these the two times he killed while stationed at Fort Rucker before moving on?

 

[jenstar]

I am not sure if I am allowed to post this: These are blogs I found searching for news articles about the girls. Please let me know if I need to delete this...

http://www.wiregrass.com/Default.aspxTabId=55&afv=post&aff=1&aft=4873&afr=4874 Interesting

http://www.dreamindemon.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-13601.html And the fourth post down on this is VERY interesting and references the first link.

http://www.zoominfo.com/CachedPage/...16T10:07:08&firstName=Tracie&lastName=Hawlett The comments on this page are interesting as well.

http://www.wiregrass.com/WiregrassForums/tabid/55/aft/15277/Default.aspx This has some interesting comments as well.

http://www.topix.com/forum/city/dothan-al/TGEDS92KKMDVSKI9C/p2 And this....lots of rumors...HMMMMM

Hey Lucy, I think the "person in the know" in the Topix web link, has some astounding ideas. But, it's heresay. And if the people he says did it (or know who does) are a pack of liars. That's exactly what it could be. Another lie. I'm skeptical at this point. But they do point out one piece that we were missing in the forum. I also did some research and found:
There was a firsthand account of a woman who re-traced the steps of the investigators in the documentary. They found the spot that identifies where the mud on the girl's shoes came from as "Sandy Creek". Even though it was in a "paranormal" type forum it's still someone who recognized the spot from the video. A first-hand account <although a police confirmation itself would be better> is enough evidence for me.

http://www.ghostsamongus.net/v2/Forums/viewtopic/t=1806.html

 

[killarney rose]

Your question brings my mind back to that possible military connection. Were these the two times he killed while stationed at Fort Rucker before moving on?

But- if it was someone in the army, what would his connectione to Opp be? What led him to Opp to choose Kem? Could they have met?

Did she have a job that might have brought them in contact with each other?

 

[DimeDetective]

One thing that has always stood out to me about this case is that, if anyone was targeted, it was J.B. I could very easily be wrong, but I've always had the feeling that Tracie may have been caught in the middle of something, and died because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The DNA evidence shows that J.B. was very likely forced to undress to some degree while nothing suggests the same about Tracie. Evidence shows that Tracie was in the trunk first, which means that J.B. was out with the killer — perhaps for only a moment, but possibly for an extended period of time, especially if the killer closed Tracie in the trunk. J.B. was the driver of the car; it is J.B. the killer would have likely threatened first. And while it may mean nothing, J.B. was shot in the face while Tracie was shot in the temple.

And then there is the key chain. While it may mean little or nothing, the fact is that the key chain is the only item that was missing from the crime scene. "Hard2Get" — did the killer see this as a challenge before the fact, or did he perhaps notice this after the crime and, finding it amusing considering the events of that night, decide to hang onto it as his own little sick joke? The possibility makes the killer's connection with J.B. more personal, whether he knew her beforehand or not.

Then, recently, I came upon a post on another message board discussion about the case. The poster, a cousin of Tracie's, wondered if anyone has ever looked into a possible connection between the murders and Tracie's biological father, who died when Tracie was 5 years old. According to the poster, Tracie's father was a state police officer who had "put away some important people in his time." The poster then goes on to say that Tracie's father died under mysterious circumstances: he drowned while out fishing with what the poster called his (quotes are poster's) "buddies." How, the poster wonders, does a man drown and the others aboard don't realize he has gone off the boat?

Was Tracie targeted by a parolee who had once been arrested by her biological father?

 

[DimeDetective]

But- if it was someone in the army, what would his connectione to Opp be? What led him to Opp to choose Kem? Could they have met?

Did she have a job that might have brought them in contact with each other?

Here's one possible scenario that echoes one of our stronger theories about the Beasley-Hawlett murders:

Opp is about 35 miles west of Fort Rucker, a drive of approximately 50 minutes. If the killer was looking to distance himself a bit from Fort Rucker in order to keep attention away from his home base, Opp would've been a substantial distance without being too far.

Say the killer is out prowling with his blue light and his gun on the seat next to him, and he drifts into Opp.

One troubling thing about the prevailing Kemberly Ramer timeline on the night she disappeared is that, as several sources state, she "left her boyfriend's house between 11:00 p.m. and 11:45 p.m. and made the five-minute drive home to her father's house. She pulled into the driveway at 12:00 midnight."

So why did a five-minute drive take anywhere from fifteen minutes to an hour?

Kemberly stopped off somewhere.

Just like J.B. and Tracie.

 

[DimeDetective]

Here's one possible scenario that echoes one of our stronger theories about the Beasley-Hawlett murders:

Opp is about 35 miles west of Fort Rucker, a drive of approximately 50 minutes. If the killer was looking to distance himself a bit from Fort Rucker in order to keep attention away from his home base, Opp would've been a substantial distance without being too far.

Say the killer is out prowling with his blue light and his gun on the seat next to him, and he drifts into Opp.

One troubling thing about the prevailing Kemberly Ramer timeline on the night she disappeared is that, as several sources state, she "left her boyfriend's house between 11:00 p.m. and 11:45 p.m. and made the five-minute drive home to her father's house. She pulled into the driveway at 12:00 midnight."

So why did a five-minute drive take anywhere from fifteen minutes to an hour?

Kemberly stopped off somewhere.

Just like J.B. and Tracie.

I've also seen mentioned in a couple MSM reports (one of which is linked below) that Kemberly didn't just attend a softball game that evening — she played in the game. Could her killer have been among the spectators? Granted, he would've had to follow her from the game and wait outside her boyfriend's house while she socialized that evening, but if he was determined, he could've done so and followed her home after.

http://www.wsfa.com/Global/story.asp?s=5209031

 

[jenstar]

I agree with you @Dimedetective.
There was a quote in one of the forums, forgive me because I went through them all but someone said "the car was next to a baseball field". This could put the girls in the same area. Next question is. Which houses are nearest the baseball field. Maybe this person watches the crowds and picks his victims from there.

 

[LR1]

Reckless and Risky Behavior on the Part of the Killer​

• This crime almost certainly involves several steps: getting the girls to stop their car, abducting the girls, exiting the car with the girls, possibly marching through a wooded/wet/muddy area with the girls, sexual involvement to some degree with the girls or just J.B., ordering the girls into the trunk, shooting the girls, driving J.B.'s car to Herring Avenue, returning to his own vehicle or to his home. The girls' estimated time of death was between 12:30 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. Bottom line: this crime took time. During at least some of these steps the killer risked being spotted by a witness or LE. He had no control over other vehicles suddenly coming upon him during the steps that involved/took place near roadways.
  
  
• No attempt was made to alter, conceal, or destroy evidence. The bodies were left to be discovered. A hasty exit by the killer after the shootings contradicts the above point — that the killer risked capture by committing a multi-part crime over some period of time. If the killer took his time with the girls until the shootings, then wanted to rush away, why the extra step of driving the car/bodies to Herring Avenue? If the shootings took place in a fairly isolated area such as 123 or Depot Lane, why not leave the car and the bodies there? What is it about Herring Avenue that led the killer to risk taking this additional step? Was his car parked near Herring? Did he live near Herring? What advantage does the killer have in leaving the car and bodies at Herring that is worth the risk of leaving the car and bodies at Herring?
  
  
• The killer likely drove J.B.'s car to Herring Avenue. Although it is apparent that no foreign DNA was found in the car (as none has ever been mentioned in MSM reports), how did the killer know for sure he wouldn't leave more DNA behind in the car? Again, as above, why risk leaving more evidence as to his identity behind just to get the car and the bodies moved over to Herring?
  
  
• The killer left a palm print on the trunk lid.
  
  
• The killer left his DNA on the body of one of the victims.
  
  
• The killer used a firearm on a late quiet night in a small town, potentially drawing attention to himself.
  
  
• If local, the killer's choice of Herring Avenue — a little-known back road in Ozark — as a dump site points to his being local.
  
  
• The killer drove J.B.'s car away from the murder site with the bodies in the trunk. Why not shoot the girls and leave them on the ground at the murder site and drive J.B.'s car back, sans bodies, to his car or other place of safety? Why was Herring part of his route of escape?
  
  
• The killer may have left his own vehicle behind for an extended period of time after forcing the girls away from the original point of abduction.
  
  
• If the killer did in fact pose as a police officer in order to lure the girls into his trap, why leave J.B.'s license on the dashboard? He took the keys; why not take J.B.'s license too? Why reveal his means of tricking the girls into stopping? Though this doesn't point directly to his identity, it does reveal something about the killer.

A few thoughts, I was looking at an old article from the Dothan eagle just yesterday and Spivey is quoted saying that heat from the next day prevented officials from declaring a time of death. This link may have been posted but here it is again its from 09. there's also a video with the mothers as well as chief Spivey. how old is the article that gives the 12:30 - 2:00 time frame? if you can remember where you saw it.

http://www.dothaneagle.com/news/article_02c22cbf-dee6-5a21-8207-b17b9cec60c6.html

also regarding why the vehicle would have been brought back with the bodies in it and why herring ave, and what is the forensic evidence that points to the killer being a local. I swear you've been reading my mind again. these questions have been with me for the last couple days.

To me it suggests the the perp didn't want to leave them at the unknown crime scene because its a place he can be tied to. one he's known to frequent, perhaps the property of friends or family maybe even his own. its late its dark he has no tools to hide the bodies low on gas he takes his chances and drives to herring ave. by the looks of it a very isolated spot where once out of the car all he'd have to do is duck into the woods in the event of an approaching vehicle.

I'm unsure what forensic evidence they might have that points to a local. as deca said the perp didn't just happen to roll up on one of the most isolated roads in the area while riding around with bodies in the trunk. It points to the perp being very familiar with the area. They may have some physical evidence but not sure what it could be.

 

[LR1]

Speaking of the military angle this is probably already known to most of you but the sk Robert Yates was stationed at Ft. Rucker at different times starting in the early 80s and also for a time in the 90s. he was convicted of 10 or so murders up in Washington state in 02. he was arrested in April 2000. the prostitutes he killed were shot in the head with a .25 caliber. I'm sure they must have checked this guy out. probably not related but just another strange twist in an already strange case.

 

[DimeDetective]

A few thoughts, I was looking at an old article from the Dothan eagle just yesterday and Spivey is quoted saying that heat from the next day prevented officials from declaring a time of death. This link may have been posted but here it is again its from 09. there's also a video with the mothers as well as chief Spivey. how old is the article that gives the 12:30 - 2:00 time frame? if you can remember where you saw it.

http://www.dothaneagle.com/news/article_02c22cbf-dee6-5a21-8207-b17b9cec60c6.html

also regarding why the vehicle would have been brought back with the bodies in it and why herring ave, and what is the forensic evidence that points to the killer being a local. I swear you've been reading my mind again. these questions have been with me for the last couple days.

To me it suggests the the perp didn't want to leave them at the unknown crime scene because its a place he can be tied to. one he's known to frequent, perhaps the property of friends or family maybe even his own. its late its dark he has no tools to hide the bodies low on gas he takes his chances and drives to herring ave. by the looks of it a very isolated spot where once out of the car all he'd have to do is duck into the woods in the event of an approaching vehicle.

I'm unsure what forensic evidence they might have that points to a local. as deca said the perp didn't just happen to roll up on one of the most isolated roads in the area while riding around with bodies in the trunk. It points to the perp being very familiar with the area. They may have some physical evidence but not sure what it could be.

Excellent post, LR1. Great, solid theories. And sincere thanks for this link &#8212; this is one I'd never come across before, and both the article and the accompanying video were very illuminating.

I was shocked to read in this report that J.B.'s mother was even checked out as a suspect at one point.

And then, speaking further to how thorough this investigation has been, here Chief Spivey directly states that both police officers (often brought up in rumors) and soldiers (a theory we've discussed) have been investigated:

&#8220;We haven&#8217;t generated the leads we wanted, but we&#8217;ve been to a number of states, been in the prison system. I&#8217;d say we&#8217;ve followed basically every lead into soldiers, police officers, states, many of which have turned out with nothing,&#8221; Spivey said.

Regarding your question, LR1, the MSM report I was working from when I stated the time of death being between 12:30 and 2:00 was that lengthy story from The Birmingham News in January 2000 that I've linked to previously, including earlier today ("A Killer Still Walks Free," link below). This 2000 article does not attribute that T.O.D. to Chief Spivey, so you're right, I would definitely consider your 2009 article &#8212; more recent and with Chief Spivey himself saying no T.O.D. could be determined &#8212; to be the authority on this.

https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!topic/alt.true-crime/p4SW7h5_jjQ

ETA: The MSM report linked directly above states that "preliminary autopsy results placed the girls' time of death at 12:30 a.m. to 2:00 a.m."

 

[LR1]

Regarding your question, LR1, the MSM report I was working from when I stated the time of death being between 12:30 and 2:00 was that lengthy story from The Birmingham News in January 2000 that I've linked to previously, including earlier today ("A Killer Still Walks Free," link below). This 2000 article does not attribute that T.O.D. to Chief Spivey, so you're right, I would definitely consider your 2009 article — more recent and with Chief Spivey himself saying no T.O.D. could be determined — to be the authority on this.

https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!topic/alt.true-crime/p4SW7h5_jjQ

ETA: The MSM report linked directly above states that "preliminary autopsy results placed the girls' time of death at 12:30 a.m. to 2:00 a.m."

thanks, the reason I brought it up is because I thought they might have relied on the sighting at three am in their conclusion about the TOD and pretty sure I remember that the 3am sighting was shot down or at least they weren't sure of the credibility of that sighting. but it does state that the autopsy was the source of that time frame so I would think its somewhat credible.

 

[jenstar]

Just a speculation but look what I came across. I wonder what the findings are?

http://www.wvasfm.org/post/south-alabama-town-targeted-serial-rapist

 

[DimeDetective]

thanks, the reason I brought it up is because I thought they might have relied on the sighting at three am in their conclusion about the TOD and pretty sure I remember that the 3am sighting was shot down or at least they weren't sure of the credibility of that sighting. but it does state that the autopsy was the source of that time frame so I would think its somewhat credible.

I recently read that the 3:00 a.m. sighting of the car on Herring was questionable, too.

Maybe someone can help us out with this: It's stated in the '00 article that the preliminary autopsy results placed the time of death between 12:30 and 2:00. I'm not sure how accurate preliminary autopsy results are. I'm thinking perhaps in the end they were not actually able to determine a time of death, thus Spivey's statement in the '09 article.

 

[jenstar]

more background into local rapes in dothan.

http://dothan.wsfa.com/search/results?page=1&s=rape

 

[LucyOso]

We don't know for sure he did. He could have tossed them into woods.
If he did keep them, one of two possible reasons.........souvenir, or to prevent someone else coming by from driving off in it......Better question why remove the keys from the ignition......To make it appear it was abandon, appear broken down perhaps.

Were the doors locked?......I don't remember reading that part.

All that driving, I was surprised her license was found on the dash and not the floor.
If she was pulled over, and placed her id on the dash, or was told to place it on the dash.

BBM...there is a possibility one of the girls fought back enough the keys were bloody or the keys many fingerprints on them. The license can be a red herring as well. It may have been placed there to simply confuse the situation. Are there other cases in the past with this type of situation (MO)? Or, it is possible the license was in a pants pocket, was dropped in the struggle, and tossed back into the car by the perp. It by chance landed on the dashboard.

But- if it was someone in the army, what would his connectione to Opp be? What led him to Opp to choose Kem? Could they have met?

Did she have a job that might have brought them in contact with each other?

Kem could have been chosen due to her sports involvement. Tracie could have very easily been a target as she worked in the JC Penny's menswear department. Due to her job, she was required to be "nice" and a socially inept person could take this as her being interested or her being something so negative (if he had an issue with women) that he chose her. But, what seems interesting is that I could not find other similar cases in the area. Perhaps, someones 2 year military duty in that area was up. If this perp also killed Kem, perhaps leaving the victims in the open this time was more exciting. In a missing persons case, the media fizzles after awhile.

The only thing I can come up with as far as LE thinking the person is local:
they believe the crime scene is in a secluded place that only locals know how to access in the dark or there are some sort of shoeprints leading away from the crime- the perp walked back into town/ back to a house without getting into a car (leading LE to believe that he lived in the area). Those are my best guesses.

That is the impression we get, however, it is not hard for someone focused on killing people to easily scope out an area in a short time. What I do find fascinating is that of all the places to leave the vehicle in the area the perp chose Herring. I know many people from military backgrounds who figure out the layout of towns where ever they go. it is part of the training. Look at IK, and how well he planned things and knew areas that only locals seemed to know.

I think in this situation the perp was smart enough to derail or mislead the investigation.


:twocents:

 

[jenstar]

Come to think of it. If I were being "attacked" you bet that I'd be gouging someones eyes out with my keys. What if at the point where JB was told to exit the car, she went after her attacker with the keys (possibly scratched him up really good) and that's when he took them from her.

 

[LR1]

I'm wondering about the lack of other security video in the town that might have showed the car. With all the businesses down 123 including the courthouse it seems there would at least be one along that road that would have shown the car if it went that way. even the longer route on 27 that goes to 231 has several businesses. Its likely LE would have let it be known if some other photos/video were found showing the car going that way, or the truck for that matter for clearer ident purposes. This might suggest they didn't get that far and perhaps LE thinks depot lane is where the two parties might have met up, and were looking for evidence of an altercation/abduction, certain footprint impressions or that the truck might have been left there.

 

[LR1]

Come to think of it. If I were being "attacked" you bet that I'd be gouging someones eyes out with my keys. What if at the point where JB was told to exit the car, she went after her attacker with the keys (possibly scratched him up really good) and that's when he took them from her.

It crossed my mind that one of the girls might have very well injured him and this is what set him off. And for the sake of leaving no stone unturned LE should have checked local hospitals and doctors in the days that followed for someone coming in with injuries that might be related. such as severe bite mark in certain places that would require stitches etc.

 

[DimeDetective]

I agree with you @Dimedetective.
There was a quote in one of the forums, forgive me because I went through them all but someone said "the car was next to a baseball field". This could put the girls in the same area. Next question is. Which houses are nearest the baseball field. Maybe this person watches the crowds and picks his victims from there.

Sharp eyes, jenstar. I remember seeing that same forum post about Herring being near baseball fields.

Just a speculation but look what I came across. I wonder what the findings are?

http://www.wvasfm.org/post/south-alabama-town-targeted-serial-rapist

more background into local rapes in dothan.

http://dothan.wsfa.com/search/results?page=1&s=rape

Good find. Definitely worth looking into whether they ever caught the serial rapist. It's good, too, that you're looking into Dothan crimes, jenstar. Dothan is the largest town in the area and is, of course, where J.B. and Tracie were from, but we haven't really discussed Dothan much to this point.

 

[DimeDetective]

BBM...there is a possibility one of the girls fought back enough the keys were bloody or the keys many fingerprints on them. The license can be a red herring as well. It may have been placed there to simply confuse the situation. Are there other cases in the past with this type of situation (MO)? Or, it is possible the license was in a pants pocket, was dropped in the struggle, and tossed back into the car by the perp. It by chance landed on the dashboard.

I've often wondered if perhaps J.B. was a little on the disorganized side, and if maybe she had taken her license out in the days prior for some mundane reason and then never got around to putting it back in her purse. If this was the case, along with what someone brought up about her window being down when the car was found due to the simple fact that it was summer in Alabama (hot, humid), the whole theory that the perpetrator was, or posed as, a police officer could so very easily amount to nothing.

Tracie could have very easily been a target as she worked in the JC Penny's menswear department. Due to her job, she was required to be "nice" and a socially inept person could take this as her being interested or her being something so negative (if he had an issue with women) that he chose her.

Excellent point, Lucy. Great work, zeroing in on the fact that Tracie didn't just work at JC Penney, but the menswear department in particular. You're absolutely right, she likely came into regular contact with strange men due to her job.

This brings to mind the horrific 2007 home invasion in Cheshire, Connecticut. Jennifer Petit and her daughter simply went to the local grocery store to pick up food for dinner that evening when they were observed and "picked out" by Joshua Komisarjevsky in the parking lot. He then followed them home and planned to return later that night with his accomplice Steven Hayes to rob them by home invasion. The fact that a quick run to the store led to the nightmare of rape and murder that followed that night for this family is so chilling; by contrast, Tracie worked her job in the same store week after week and could so easily have been targeted by someone who similarly settled on her.

On the other hand, the facts that a) it was J.B.'s car, not Tracie's, that was driven the night of the murders, and b) the evidence shows that J.B. was definitely sexually assaulted to some degree while no evidence exists that Tracie was as well, leads me to think that if anyone was specifically targeted, it seems to have been J.B.

But, what seems interesting is that I could not find other similar cases in the area. Perhaps, someones 2 year military duty in that area was up. If this perp also killed Kem, perhaps leaving the victims in the open this time was more exciting. In a missing persons case, the media fizzles after awhile.

That is the impression we get, however, it is not hard for someone focused on killing people to easily scope out an area in a short time. What I do find fascinating is that of all the places to leave the vehicle in the area the perp chose Herring. I know many people from military backgrounds who figure out the layout of towns where ever they go. it is part of the training. Look at IK, and how well he planned things and knew areas that only locals seemed to know.

Good observations!