AL AL - J.B. Beasley, 17, & Tracie Hawlett, 17, Ozark, 31 July 1999 #2

[watcher9]

What if the killer lived in a secluded place with a body of water such as a stream. His or her intentions may have been to kill them in the water but when the killer didn't have anything to hold them down in the water, the killer(s) change their minds and put them in the trunk of the car and drove them back to a place where he or she knew illegal things went on near by and was hoping it would look like maybe someone from the neighborhood had killed them.

Thanks for your input.
Your theory is just as viable as any others posted.

Hey, I noticed that you have just joined WS.

WELCOME!

 

[TedMac]

What if the killer lived in a secluded place with a body of water such as a stream. His or her intentions may have been to kill them in the water but when the killer didn't have anything to hold them down in the water, the killer(s) change their minds and put them in the trunk of the car and drove them back to a place where he or she knew illegal things went on near by and was hoping it would look like maybe someone from the neighborhood had killed them.

Welcome to Websleuths and a special thanks for following the murders of J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett! :welcome3:

 

[LR1]

I agree he walked at some point and it probably was after he parked the car in its final resting place. That is probably how he got back to his vehicle or his home. LE ruled out robbery as their purses, money and credit cards were found in the vehicle. Now retired Ozark Police Chief Spivey carefully worded his response that the killings were not driven by sexual assault, even though semen was found on J.B. That statement leads me to believe that he either knew the motive or he felt the semen did not come from the killer.

MOO...the motive was revenge for rejection and the semen found on Beasley was the killer's way of humiliating her before killing her.

Can you remind me again where this was said? was it in that last interview with RS news? I can't sit through that again. Too much filibuster. I do remember him saying they still were not sure what the motive was.

 

[TedMac]

Can you remind me again where this was said? was it in that last interview with RS news? I can't sit through that again. Too much filibuster. I do remember him saying they still were not sure what the motive was.

I was thinking it was an interview with the Dothan Eagle, but I can't find it now. I remember us discussing it a bit here in earlier threads, also.

 

[LR1]

I was thinking it was an interview with the Dothan Eagle, but I can't find it now. I remember us discussing it a bit here in earlier threads, also.

No biggie. What about the billboard that was supposed to be put up did that ever happen? I haven't seen anything mentioned.

 

[TedMac]

No biggie. What about the billboard that was supposed to be put up did that ever happen? I haven't seen anything mentioned.

Unfortunately it did not happen-at least not yet.

 

[easongt]

I was in Ozark around lunch time yesterday. I decided to once again drive by the area. I took some pan pictures and I am attaching them.

I learned that driving at a normal pace during light traffic, it takes two and a half minutes to drive from their last KNOWN location to where the vehicle/victims were found. I actually missed a turn and had to back up and make the turn... so it really takes less than that. I am convinced and I mean CONVINCED killer acted alone and fled on foot and KNEW the area well. The only way I will budge on this theory is if there were TWO killers, BUT both of them were on foot.

I still believe something could have been thrown into the woods (ie keys).

Maybe next time I will take some video of the route(s)

 

[Lamima]

I haven't read too much of the threads about this case but I feel like they were stopped by another vehicle with at least 2 perps in it. One to get in their car and hold a gun on them and the other to follow them in the other vehicle. And I feel like they stopped them by pretending to be cops (the ID on the dashboard). All MOO! I wish I hadn't read what I have read about this case. I have twin girls born in 1999, learning to drive now and so this kind of thing worries the heck out of me.

 

[easongt]

My opinion is that if there were more than one vehicle involved then the vehicle would have been driven somewhere else that was more secluded or simply left at the murder site while they drove away. They were not killed where the vehicle was found. WHY risk driving a vehilce with bodies in the trunk if you didn't have to?? Regardless, I am certain the perp(s) knew the area VERY well. I just believe they were abducted/assaulted within half a mile of the gas station. I feel someone got into their vehicle. I feel there would be NO other reason to drive back to a somewhat decently populated area (it's more populated than the pictures appear) other than it was necessary to return to your vehicle/job/home on foot.

 

[TedMac]

I was in Ozark around lunch time yesterday. I decided to once again drive by the area. I took some pan pictures and I am attaching them.

I learned that driving at a normal pace during light traffic, it takes two and a half minutes to drive from their last KNOWN location to where the vehicle/victims were found. I actually missed a turn and had to back up and make the turn... so it really takes less than that. I am convinced and I mean CONVINCED killer acted alone and fled on foot and KNEW the area well. The only way I will budge on this theory is if there were TWO killers, BUT both of them were on foot.

I still believe something could have been thrown into the woods (ie keys).

Maybe next time I will take some video of the route(s)

View attachment 82732View attachment 82733View attachment 82734View attachment 82735

Thanks for the pictures. I am in total agreement with you. I believe the killer acted alone and was not in a vehicle. It could have been two or maybe even more, but either way they didn't have a vehicle. I also believe they were probably captured or some how cleverly tricked into allowing the killer into their vehicle and it probably didn't happen too far from Herring Ave.

 

[easongt]

Ok... I hate to be so darn simple minded on this... BUT... lol. I'm starting to like the original suspect all over again. Almost everything about him fits my scenario. 13 minutes walking distance back to his house.

X = Residence
Y = Last Known Location of Victims
Z = Victim/Vehicle Discovery

 

[TedMac]

My opinion is that if there were more than one vehicle involved then the vehicle would have been driven somewhere else that was more secluded or simply left at the murder site while they drove away. They were not killed where the vehicle was found. WHY risk driving a vehilce with bodies in the trunk if you didn't have to?? Regardless, I am certain the perp(s) knew the area VERY well. I just believe they were abducted/assaulted within half a mile of the gas station. I feel someone got into their vehicle. I feel there would be NO other reason to drive back to a somewhat decently populated area (it's more populated than the pictures appear) other than it was necessary to return to your vehicle/job/home on foot.

Exactly. It would have been incredibly risky-not to mention stupid for the killer to drive the car containing two dead bodies around town. If he had other transportation at the scene of the killing, he would have left them there.

 

[TedMac]

No biggie. What about the billboard that was supposed to be put up did that ever happen? I haven't seen anything mentioned.

It is being reported on the "Justice for J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett" Facebook page that the billboard is still in the works. Evidently they had/continue to have some delays in getting it finalized.

 

[easongt]

I'm starting to think the DNA is unrelated. Unless it was found on the outside of clothing. Being on undergarments leads to doubt it somewhat. I think too much was placed on a DNA match maybe.

Have a good weekend.

 

[Lamima]

People drive dead bodies around all the time. I don't think 2 dumb criminals (maybe all drugged up) would worry too much about driving a couple miles late at night in a rural area with 2 bodies in the trunk. JMO. I just don't know why they'd stop their car for some creep on foot. I guess they could have still needed clarity on directions and saw some guy walking but that seems more implausible than a guy driving a car with 2 bodies in the trunk.

I also like the original POI for this. He left by car "to get milk". Maybe he left to party with some friend(s) in a car. They stopped the girls somehow (maybe had a siren on the car).

 

[CoolJ]

I don't know if I "like" Johnny B. For this crime but I definitely think he saw something. My theory involves the girls stopping by some local Ozark teen hangout type of place and I believe this place would be between where Johnny lived and the store where he went for milk. Maybe the hangout is the store idk.
I really really would love to see that initial four hour interview/interrogation .
JMO.

 

[TedMac]

I'm starting to think the DNA is unrelated. Unless it was found on the outside of clothing. Being on undergarments leads to doubt it somewhat. I think too much was placed on a DNA match maybe.

Have a good weekend.

BBM It could be unrelated. It has been speculation by some on here that she may have had a consensual encounter earlier that evening. The police report indicated it was on her panties, bra and on her skin. Something I have never understood is how Chief Spivey (Ozark PD) cautioned against putting too much emphasis on the DNA, but yet they used it to clear defendants. For example, they were quick to note that Barrentine's (the guy originally charged with the murders) DNA didn't match that found on the body, but yet they stated that the "Man from Michigan" also didn't match, but yet he remains a suspect. It is almost like they are trying to have it both ways. It makes me think that they may know something that isn't being released to the public.

 

[somequestions]

I tend to think the DNA evidence in this case is related to the crime because the only way it would not be related would be if the person J.B. Beasley was with was completely unknown to family and friends. The only motive seems to be sexually related if it was not robbery. Even if police cannot determine if the DNA belongs to the murder suspect they can try to determine who it does not belong to.

It is a unique aspect of the case that you have two victims. Contradicting my own point, why if it was a sex crime, did the suspect choose two victims? You only need one for a sex crime. And if they are both going to end up dead, does that not seem unnecessary? This makes me think that J.B. and Tracy happened upon this person and that the person was not searching them out.

It really is a crime of contradictions. How could they not make it back to 231 S since the directions seem so easy? Why if someone stopped them while driving would they leave their vehicle on a main road(if we assume they were not lost)?

My theory is a guess, but my guess is for whatever reason they never made it out of town and ended up driving around in some type of circle within Ozark. Then they either stopped to ask someone for directions who just happened to be carrying a gun OR they ended up stopping at someone's residence. Then I think why would they actually stop? Whether they were turning around or going down streets and driving wherever I think they would stop somewhere at like a gas station where you would feel safe. The only other possibility is that they could not drive any further. Are there any dead end streets in Ozark?

 

[Hoosier952]

Beasley and Hawlett were spotted in Headland at about 10:30 p.m. by Officer Tony Smith of the Headland Police Department. Officer Smith saw Beasley's car twice in Headland that night. In 2014, he contacted me because he wanted to clear up an important discrepancy in information released by the media, and he was also willing to tell me about the two Headland sightings:

1)“The witness [Marilyn Merritt] that stated the car was spotless in Ozark, that was not true. The car was dirty, that's one thing that stuck out with me. I thought to myself, that's a nice car to be dirty. I turned beside them at a red light on the square in Headland. Just wanted to clear that part, the car was dirty just like police photo shows, was not spotless.

2)“I saw them twice, once at BP talking with someone in a tan truck, side by side, and when I turned beside them at red light.

“When I saw them it was just them two [in the car], they appeared to be headed out of Headland. The car looked exactly the same as it did from police photo. No one was following them because I turned into the parking lot right behind their car to speak with kids on the square.


One hour later, just after 11:30 p.m., Beasley and Hawlett turned up in Ozark — more than 20 miles northwest of Dothan — at the Big/Little convenience store-Chevron station located at 763 East Broad Street. The store had closed for the evening.

1)There Beasley and Hawlett encountered a woman, Marilyn Merritt, and her daughter, who had stopped to buy a soda; Beasley asked for and was provided directions to U.S. Highway 231, which would take them the 20 miles southeast to Dothan. According to media reports, Merritt and her daughter later told police that Beasley’s car was spotless, conflicting with the information given by Officer Smith of Headland PD. Merritt and her daughter also stated that the girls were clean and that nothing seemed awry.


3)Though undamaged, the car was muddy and almost out of gas despite a fill-up the day before. When police found the car, the driver's side window was rolled down and the door was unlocked. Beasley’s driver's license was on the dashboard. The girls' purses were inside the car. The car keys were among items missing from the car.


3)The only item confirmed by police as missing from the car was Beasley’s key chain, which held the car’s keys. It was described as having white blocks with black letters that had a heart on one and spelled out “HARD2GET.”

1)Is it possible they stopped at a car wash at some point between Headland and Ozark? Most small car washes are open 24 hours around here (small town Midwest). Sometimes they lock up the back garage doors when the attendants leave so you're forced to back out, but are still able to wash the car. That situation would leave them possibly trapped with no good escape route. Even if the doors weren't locked, someone could have easily spotted them. It's also quite possible that washing the car would have left them wet and muddy from the knee down. My pants are always soaked at the bottoms after I manually wash my car and there's usually no shortage of mud on the weekends due to the "mudding" that most rural kids do. It doesn't explain the briars, but you can pick up briars anywhere. It would explain why LE in Headland spotted a dirty car and Mrs. Merritt spotted a clean car.

2)Who was in the tan truck? Do we know? I'm not sure if I've got the time today to read through every post. The only truck I specifically remember is the truck from the surveillance footage.

3)Do we have only one confirmed item (keys) missing? Do we have multiple items missing and LE aren't willing to discuss that evidence? Is it possible that something could have possibly been missing but there is no way to know if the girls' had that item/those items with them?

 

[TedMac]

1)Is it possible they stopped at a car wash at some point between Headland and Ozark? Most small car washes are open 24 hours around here (small town Midwest). Sometimes they lock up the back garage doors when the attendants leave so you're forced to back out, but are still able to wash the car. That situation would leave them possibly trapped with no good escape route. Even if the doors weren't locked, someone could have easily spotted them. It's also quite possible that washing the car would have left them wet and muddy from the knee down. My pants are always soaked at the bottoms after I manually wash my car and there's usually no shortage of mud on the weekends due to the "mudding" that most rural kids do. It doesn't explain the briars, but you can pick up briars anywhere. It would explain why LE in Headland spotted a dirty car and Mrs. Merritt spotted a clean car.

2)Who was in the tan truck? Do we know? I'm not sure if I've got the time today to read through every post. The only truck I specifically remember is the truck from the surveillance footage.

3)Do we have only one confirmed item (keys) missing? Do we have multiple items missing and LE aren't willing to discuss that evidence? Is it possible that something could have possibly been missing but there is no way to know if the girls' had that item/those items with them?

(1) It is possible and yes that would explain the clean car/dirty car difference. The briers were probably from being in the woods/forest and Tracie also had a scratch on her arm that may have come from the woods.

(2) I assume you are speaking of the truck in the surveillance camera? If so, LE reported that the truck had been located and the driver cleared. As far as I know, the driver has not been publicly identified. I also am not aware why he was there as the store was closed and had been closed for almost 1/2 hour.

(3) The only item LE has reported as missing was the keys. Beasley's sister reported that there also was a Boston Red Sox hat that she (Beasley) kept in the car that was missing. It certainly possible there were other items taken that no one may be aware of.

Thank you for following this case. We need more people here and the case needs more national exposure.