AL AL - J.B. Beasley, 17, & Tracie Hawlett, 17, Ozark, 31 July 1999 #4 *ARREST*

[killarney rose]

Please don't get our thread shut down......

 

[TedMac]

Appreciate the input folks

All people posting on threads such as this one are required to follow the TOS. I see by your limited number of posts, that you are new to Websleuths. If you haven’t done so already, please take a few minutes and read them. They are listed on the home page. That should explain how and why posts are deleted and why threads are shut down.

 

[somequestions]

About all you can do in the murder case of J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett is make assumptions about what happened and where they went after leaving the Big Little gas station on the night of July 31, 1999 at around after 11:38pm.

The main assumption in the case is how the crime played out.

1. They stop or are stopped somewhere at a location where they met their killer.
2. The killer then either drives or forces them to drive to a secluded spot, with possibly mud, water, briars, and a possible light source. After forcing them into the trunk he shoots them at this location.
3. The killer then drives J.B. Beasley's car to its eventual location on the south side of Herring Avenue in Ozark, AL where he gets out and leaves it.

What if steps 1 and 2 are actually the same location? In that case checking areas no more than a quarter mile(a guess) from any road might be helpful seeing as how the killer would have them walk to some place with mud, water, briars and a possible light source.

And therein lies the mystery of this case: Where did J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett drive in that car after they left the Big Little gas station in Ozark, AL on the night of July 31, 1999 at approximately 11:38pm?

 

[Blacklist]

All people posting on threads such as this one are required to follow the TOS. I see by your limited number of posts, that you are new to Websleuths. If you haven’t done so already, please take a few minutes and read them. They are listed on the home page. That should explain how and why posts are deleted and why threads are shut down.

Thank you. Done (again).

 

[LR1]

I've listened to the couple discussions about the upcoming podcast series about this case that Morf, John and Gray are about to kick off and I really like what I'm hearing in the run-up to it. These people are genuine and competent and why folks who claim to want answers wouldn't get behind this is beyond me. At the 20 year mark the unwillingness from local law enforcement to participate in even a minimal fashion can be taken only one way. They are in no way concerned about getting justice for these two kids.

It's not an easy case to profile with the minimum facts that are known, many of which are likely inaccurate. A simple run down of the facts and clearing up of rumors is needed from LE. Absent of this I'm skeptical that anything positive will come from the series but that don't mean they shouldn't try.

 

[Blacklist]

I've listened to the couple discussions about the upcoming podcast series about this case that Morf, John and Gray are about to kick off and I really like what I'm hearing in the run-up to it. These people are genuine and competent and why folks who claim to want answers wouldn't get behind this is beyond me. At the 20 year mark the unwillingness from local law enforcement to participate in even a minimal fashion can be taken only one way. They are in no way concerned about getting justice for these two kids.

It's not an easy case to profile with the minimum facts that are known, many of which are likely inaccurate. A simple run down of the facts and clearing up of rumors is needed from LE. Absent of this I'm skeptical that anything positive will come from the series but that don't mean they shouldn't try.

I certainly agree has and will continue to be a difficult case to profile.
It is so easy to get over focused and tunnel vision.
Many seem to focus on the probability of a single actor in this crime ( I personally think that is doubtful).
Also, the killer(s) are always referred to as “he”. Again, a possible over focus of strong possibilities.
It’s easy to go down the “rabbit hole”.

I look forward to hearing more from 3 Men and a mystery . Fresh eyes are a great thing. As well as input from sources that do not or will not post to social media/ boards.

 

[morf13]

I've listened to the couple discussions about the upcoming podcast series about this case that Morf, John and Gray are about to kick off and I really like what I'm hearing in the run-up to it. These people are genuine and competent and why folks who claim to want answers wouldn't get behind this is beyond me. At the 20 year mark the unwillingness from local law enforcement to participate in even a minimal fashion can be taken only one way. They are in no way concerned about getting justice for these two kids.

It's not an easy case to profile with the minimum facts that are known, many of which are likely inaccurate. A simple run down of the facts and clearing up of rumors is needed from LE. Absent of this I'm skeptical that anything positive will come from the series but that don't mean they shouldn't try.

They have been burned by others in the past and are being cautious. By the end, I think you'll see that we do have help & people connected to the case talking with us

 

[somequestions]

The rumor that I would like to see cleared up is whether or not J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett intended to go to a party in Skipperville, AL that night. Supposedly some people saw them at a party in this location.

But then why when Tracie called home to her mother that night did she say the girls were "lost"(according to the Haunting Evidence episode)?

1. Did the girls intend to go to that party in Skipperville, AL? or
2. Were they trying to go to Midland City, AL and made a wrong turn somewhere along the way that sent them north into the area where they met their killer? That would be tragic since in my opinion in terms of mapping it would mean that a driving mistake that any 17 year old could make led them on a path that led to their murders.

I agree that we really cannot even conclude whether the killer is male or female although if it was a female she would probably have to be a very tomboyish woman to be carrying a gun to shoot two girls. Or maybe it was a couple? It is hard not to make assumptions when you have no clue what happened. Knowing what information is true and what is false is one of the hardest parts about answering questions in any case.

 

[SavageMarkIII]

MOO, the only time they were lost was when they were looking for the Haleburg Field Party.

Again MOO, the ultimate goal was to meet the 2 boys in Midland City. Due to cell service being sketchy back then and JB knowing she had already used her minutes, they pre-planned the time and place to meet the 2 boys. So the Skipperville party was to kill time before going to Midland City. JB & Tracie then go to Ozark to call Tracie’s Mom to buy more time and get permission to stop to meet the 2 boys in MC.

MOO, the “lost” in Ozark story was just to make an excuse for being late for curfew and then getting her Mom to agree to the MC stop. They knew before going out that night that they were never going to make curfew because of the pre-arranged plan to meet the 2 boys.

 

[somequestions]

That is a good point. How did the boys in Midland City, AL know when to meet J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett at the gas station if J.B. and Tracie did not have a cell phone? Did they call the boys from a payphone at the Big Little gas station in Ozark, AL too?

If the girls did go north to Skipperville to waste time, then they must have wasted too much time if they went past the actual curfew time of 11:30pm before they decided to meet the boys? If they knew earlier on at what time they planned to meet the boys wouldn't they have asked Tracie's mom earlier at home if they could stay out later? Or better yet, wouldn't they have told the guys that if they wanted to meet up it had to be an earlier time? And looking at the roads from Headland north to Skipperville it is surprising they could navigate those roads and know where they were going and not be able to navigate the roads to the original Haleburg party?

Also, I re-watched the Haunting Evidence episode and Mrs. Hawlett only said the girls did not understand the directions to the party so they never went to the party. She never said they were "lost". I simply assumed they were lost from the girls not being able to "understand directions".

In terms of information this case is very confusing.

 

[killarney rose]

It's very easy over the years for the phrase ," the girls were lost" to have replaced the correct phrase,"they couldn't find the party". I can be riding around looking for a place yet not be lost.
However it's possible they might've been turned around, or even lost after looking for the party. They then decided to head to Midland City to meet the boys, took a wrong turn and ended up in Ozark. Then they were lost in a way, considering they ended up in Ozark rather than Midland City. JB could've been familiar with Ozark from dance yet not sure how to get to Midland City from there. Especially considering they had been driving around on dark, country roads.

 

[TJtennispro]

I had a pager and that could be used to spell out a specific location. I had one in 1997, 1998, 1999. Very common in the south for teenagers during this time period.

That is a good point. How did the boys in Midland City, AL know when to meet J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett at the gas station if J.B. and Tracie did not have a cell phone? Did they call the boys from a payphone at the Big Little gas station in Ozark, AL too?

If the girls did go north to Skipperville to waste time, then they must have wasted too much time if they went past the actual curfew time of 11:30pm before they decided to meet the boys? If they knew earlier on at what time they planned to meet the boys wouldn't they have asked Tracie's mom earlier at home if they could stay out later? Or better yet, wouldn't they have told the guys that if they wanted to meet up it had to be an earlier time? And looking at the roads from Headland north to Skipperville it is surprising they could navigate those roads and know where they were going and not be able to navigate the roads to the original Haleburg party?

Also, I re-watched the Haunting Evidence episode and Mrs. Hawlett only said the girls did not understand the directions to the party so they never went to the party. She never said they were "lost". I simply assumed they were lost from the girls not being able to "understand directions".

In terms of information this case is very confusing.

 

[TJtennispro]

I was always using the pay phone in Brentwood, Tennessee at McDonalds to return phone calls.

Maybe those boys had pagers.

Phone calls at Big Little.

 

[TedMac]

The rumor that I would like to see cleared up is whether or not J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett intended to go to a party in Skipperville, AL that night. Supposedly some people saw them at a party in this location.

But then why when Tracie called home to her mother that night did she say the girls were "lost"(according to the Haunting Evidence episode)?

1. Did the girls intend to go to that party in Skipperville, AL? or
2. Were they trying to go to Midland City, AL and made a wrong turn somewhere along the way that sent them north into the area where they met their killer? That would be tragic since in my opinion in terms of mapping it would mean that a driving mistake that any 17 year old could make led them on a path that led to their murders.

I agree that we really cannot even conclude whether the killer is male or female although if it was a female she would probably have to be a very tomboyish woman to be carrying a gun to shoot two girls. Or maybe it was a couple? It is hard not to make assumptions when you have no clue what happened. Knowing what information is true and what is false is one of the hardest parts about answering questions in any case.

BBM...Not necessarily "Tomboyish" if she had planned to shoot the two girls that night. She would have carried a gun with her. I think it is a very good possibility there was more than one person involved.

 

[somequestions]

BBM...Not necessarily "Tomboyish" if she had planned to shoot the two girls that night. She would have carried a gun with her. I think it is a very good possibility there was more than one person involved.

I do not think there is a very good possibility there was more than one person involved in the murders of J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett. The reason is the logistics of the vehicles.

If the girls were in an area where the killer felt comfortable enough to use a gun to shoot them in the trunk, why would the killer not just close the trunk, leave the car, and hop into the vehicle of the accomplice?

At the crime scene on Herring Avenue were there other tire tracks nearby besides those of J.B. Beasely's vehicle? Why did the killer drive J.B. Beasley's car to the location where it was found on Herring Avenue in Ozark, AL?

 

[LR1]

You've hit on one of the most perplexing questions sq. Why was the car left there with no attempt made to hide the murders.

Not only was the car left in the country town instead of out in the country but it had the bodies inside. It was left knowing that in a matter of hours, if not minutes, the murders would be discovered. I wouldn't expect the car to be found where it was if multiple people were involved but without a clear motive you couldn't rule that out.

If killed out of town driving back in town with bodies in the trunk would be incredibly foolish. As would driving them for any further than a very short distance. Did they choose that spot because a short amount of travel posed the least risk or was it because they live nowhere near?

They had obviously lost their mind in doing what they did so its tough to draw assumptions based on their post crime behavior but sometimes that's all you have to work with.

 

[killarney rose]

It's possible that the car was not left on the property where the murders took place because doing so would have drawn attention to the owners of the property who might've been related to the killers and it would have led back to the killers.

 

[Bulldog23]

I've always thought that IF the murders took place at the house/ barn on 123, that the killers probably had a connection to that property. Nowadays, there is a large field located behind the house and barn. I thought of farm hands or boys that helped load hay. The police investigated that area, but never said for sure whether the murders happened there, and that was the site the reluctant witness heard screams and shots.

 

[killarney rose]

That is the site I had in mind when I wrote my previous reply.

 

[LR1]

If the reporting is correct they were forced into the trunk and shot but not at the place the car was found. Hauling them back in town after shooting them instead of dragging them off in the woods somewhere is a little baffling to me.

Equally baffling is parking the car down the road from where you just shot them. Yes it would provide a quick and easy way of distancing yourself from the crime but would only work if you are certain your neighbor didn't hear gunshots.