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

[CharlesRedding]

That is why I am not going to read or listen to any of her comments, as it really angers me when this type of defence is used in situations where not warranted. I realize there are many situations and incidents where people of colour do experience unfair treatment, but as I mentioned before, NOT THIS ONE. If I was a wife in her unfortunate situation, I would try to bite my tongue in any public statements, and just express sympathy for the real victims even if I felt it was an 'unfair' trial which is rubbish!

So true. I realized I had to take breaks reading these stories as its not only making me angry but its quite also depressing.

 

[CharlesRedding]

That is why I am not going to read or listen to any of her comments, as it really angers me when this type of defence is used in situations where not warranted. I realize there are many situations and incidents where people of colour do experience unfair treatment, but as I mentioned before, NOT THIS ONE. If I was a wife in her unfortunate situation, I would try to bite my tongue in any public statements, and just express sympathy for the real victims even if I felt it was an 'unfair' trial which is rubbish!

I would have total respect for her if she just stayed out of it yet she walks around with "Coley Strong" T shirts and talks about what a great pastor he is. Yea...right (Eye roll)

 

[Niner]

Thursday, June 15th:
*Sentencing Hearing (@ 9am CT) – AL – J.B. Hilton Green Beasley (17) & Tracie Jean Hawlett (17) (reported missing July 31, 1999, Ozark & found August 2, 1999 in trunk of car) - *Coley Lewis McCraney (25 @ time of crime/45/now 49) arrested (3/15/19), charged (3/16/19) & indicted (6/6/19) 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. Denied bond request 11/15/22. DA will seek DP.
Parabon Nanolabs GEDMatch DNA.
Trial began on 4/17/23 with jury selection & ended on 4/18/23. 12 jurors & 2 alternates. (7 men & 7 women/2 men alternates). Juror dismissed (4/20/23). Now 12 jurors & 1 alternate (6 men & 6 women/1 man alternate). Jury started deliberations on 4/25/23 & ended on 4/26/23 with a total deliberations: 7 hours. Guilty of all charges. Sentencing phase (4/26-4/27/23): took 15 minutes for verdict of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Trial began with opening statements began on 4/19/23. State rested their case on 4/21/23. Defense rested their case on 4/25/23.
Court information from 4/3/19 thru 4/13/23 & Jury Selection Day 1-2 (4/17-4/18/23) & Trial Day 1-6 (4/19-4/26/23) & Jury Deliberations Day 1-2 (4/25-4/26/23) reference post #895 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...17-ozark-31-july-1999-5-arrest.465871/page-43
4/27/23 Thursday, Trial Day 7/Sentencing Phase Day 2: Attorney General Steve Marshall & Defense attorney Andrew Scarborough addressed the jury. Impact Statements: Carol Roberts, Tracie’s mother. Cheryl Burgoon, JB’s mother. James Fuller, cousin of McCraney. Sharla Godwin, friend of the McCraney family. Chancy Smith, friend of the McCraney family. Randy Saffold, friend of McCraney. Sidney Miller, neighbor of McCraney. Pamela Williams, McCraney’s aunt. Boyd Fuller, McCraney’s cousin. Harvey McCloud, supervisor at Dale County Jail. Mitchell Barnhill, jailer at Dale County Jail. Cody Kelly, former inmate with McCraney. Jeanette McCraney, McCraney’s wife. Alicia McCraney, McCraney’s daughter.
Closing arguments by both sides.
After 15 minutes of deliberations, jurors came back with life in prison without the possibility of parole. Sentencing hearing 6/15/23.
for more info see posts #859 & 860 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...ed-ozark-31-july-1999-5-arrest.465871/page-43
4/28/23 Update: Defense attorneys allege possible juror misconduct during McCraney’s murder trial that ended on Thursday. “We believe there were some jurors that may or may not have been posting on social media during deliberations & maybe during the trial,” David Harrison told reporters. He & Counsel Andrew Scarborough said they are investigating further & will include the allegations in their motion for a new trial. They provided no additional information including the content of posts. Harrison & Scarborough plan to file for a new trial in a few weeks & if the judge denies that motion, they will take the case to state appeals courts.
5/24/23 Update: Motion for a new trial filed by defense attorneys Andrew J. Scarborough & David J. Harrison. There is a list of exhibits filed. It mostly consisted of screenshots from social media allegedly made by a juror or jurors during the trial. The Court has set a hearing date of 7/17/23 for a hearing on these motions. His sentencing date is 6/15/23.

 

[William N]

I find it odd his wife called it a 'Modern day lynching" when he was given the benefit of the doubt with great a defense team and fair jury trial. How can she arise top such a conclusion and how insulting is this to the victims families as if they are in the wrong...

As mentioned, I am a trial junkie going back to Manson. I've heard this before. O.J. Simpson's supporters sometimes called it a "lynching" after he was arrested.

 

[Niner]

9:30am - any news from Alabama?

 

[CharlesRedding]

Thursday, June 15th:
*Sentencing Hearing (@ 9am CT) – AL – J.B. Hilton Green Beasley (17) & Tracie Jean Hawlett (17) (reported missing July 31, 1999, Ozark & found August 2, 1999 in trunk of car) - *Coley Lewis McCraney (25 @ time of crime/45/now 49) arrested (3/15/19), charged (3/16/19) & indicted (6/6/19) 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. Denied bond request 11/15/22. DA will seek DP.
Parabon Nanolabs GEDMatch DNA.
Trial began on 4/17/23 with jury selection & ended on 4/18/23. 12 jurors & 2 alternates. (7 men & 7 women/2 men alternates). Juror dismissed (4/20/23). Now 12 jurors & 1 alternate (6 men & 6 women/1 man alternate). Jury started deliberations on 4/25/23 & ended on 4/26/23 with a total deliberations: 7 hours. Guilty of all charges. Sentencing phase (4/26-4/27/23): took 15 minutes for verdict of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Trial began with opening statements began on 4/19/23. State rested their case on 4/21/23. Defense rested their case on 4/25/23.
Court information from 4/3/19 thru 4/13/23 & Jury Selection Day 1-2 (4/17-4/18/23) & Trial Day 1-6 (4/19-4/26/23) & Jury Deliberations Day 1-2 (4/25-4/26/23) reference post #895 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...17-ozark-31-july-1999-5-arrest.465871/page-43
4/27/23 Thursday, Trial Day 7/Sentencing Phase Day 2: Attorney General Steve Marshall & Defense attorney Andrew Scarborough addressed the jury. Impact Statements: Carol Roberts, Tracie’s mother. Cheryl Burgoon, JB’s mother. James Fuller, cousin of McCraney. Sharla Godwin, friend of the McCraney family. Chancy Smith, friend of the McCraney family. Randy Saffold, friend of McCraney. Sidney Miller, neighbor of McCraney. Pamela Williams, McCraney’s aunt. Boyd Fuller, McCraney’s cousin. Harvey McCloud, supervisor at Dale County Jail. Mitchell Barnhill, jailer at Dale County Jail. Cody Kelly, former inmate with McCraney. Jeanette McCraney, McCraney’s wife. Alicia McCraney, McCraney’s daughter.
Closing arguments by both sides.
After 15 minutes of deliberations, jurors came back with life in prison without the possibility of parole. Sentencing hearing 6/15/23.
for more info see posts #859 & 860 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...ed-ozark-31-july-1999-5-arrest.465871/page-43
4/28/23 Update: Defense attorneys allege possible juror misconduct during McCraney’s murder trial that ended on Thursday. “We believe there were some jurors that may or may not have been posting on social media during deliberations & maybe during the trial,” David Harrison told reporters. He & Counsel Andrew Scarborough said they are investigating further & will include the allegations in their motion for a new trial. They provided no additional information including the content of posts. Harrison & Scarborough plan to file for a new trial in a few weeks & if the judge denies that motion, they will take the case to state appeals courts.
5/24/23 Update: Motion for a new trial filed by defense attorneys Andrew J. Scarborough & David J. Harrison. There is a list of exhibits filed. It mostly consisted of screenshots from social media allegedly made by a juror or jurors during the trial. The Court has set a hearing date of 7/17/23 for a hearing on these motions. His sentencing date is 6/15/23.

Wow what a great find. I couldnt ever do this and find it. Great work thank you

 

[CharlesRedding]

As mentioned, I am a trial junkie going back to Manson. I've heard this before. O.J. Simpson's supporters sometimes called it a "lynching" after he was arrested.

I remember being in college and all the Black professors and students were jumping with joy when OJ was determined to be innocent of a brutal double murder. It reminded me like a sports team fan base celebrating as if their team just won the super bowl while the White people were stunned, angry and disgusted at the verdict and the reaction of them. Frankly I was shocked by it and was very confused as to how people didnt care about actual justice rather a "Victory" against the oppressors.

 

[CharlesRedding]

CeCe Moore admits their racial loyalties are more important then justice.

‘Genealogical brick wall’



"Often cases that involve a Black person’s DNA are harder to work than white or European samples, said Moore at Parabon. That’s because there are fewer Black participants who have uploaded their genome sequences on GEDMatch and FamilyTreeDNA. And, there’s even fewer Black participants who allow law enforcement to search their information. In fact, said Moore, many who did have their information logged in open databases took it down following the racial reckoning racism in recent years"

 

[CharlesRedding]

People deserve justice for the sake of what's truly right

 

[Blacklist]

Here you go. Today’s Court summation. Just a formality.
Hearing next month for a new trial. That will probably be a quick hearing also. I do not see any changes coming at this Judicial level.

Justice on my friends!!!

Judge affirms McCraney’s life without parole sentence

 

[Blacklist]

Oh yes….. I totally forgot to mention
He was fined $1000 also.

Ya got to love some Alabama justice

Justice on my friends!!!

 

[William N]

A few months ago I observed that McCraney must have posed as a Good Samaritan. But it all boils down to something very sinister.

McCraney saw the two girls alone, nobody else present. He then decided to kill them.

 

[Dhighsmith]

I’ve RE-read Trial posts but still may have missed comments- was the shell casing found in trunk introduced in a way as possibly being connected to the gun he possessed during DV charge while in Military?

 

[Dhighsmith]

There is something I do not understand about this case. I always thought one of the undisputable facts of this case was that at the Big Little gas station, while Tracie Hawlett was calling her mother, J.B. Beasley was talking to Ms. Merrit and her daughter who gave the girls directions.

Then Ms. Merrit said she saw their car turn right out of the gas station parking lot. This would make sense as going right out of the Big Little parking lot would lead back to 231.

But according to the trial testimony, McCraney ran into the girls at the Big Little gas station.

Does this mean that the entire time the story about Ms. Merrit seeing J.B. Beasley's car turn right out of the gas station was wrong? Ms. Merrit and her daughter left first while the girls remained at the gas station? Wouldn't Ms. Merrit and her daughter have said something if they had seen Coley McCraney show up at the gas station?

This is another example how when coming to conclusions you have to have good information. This whole time I thought J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett were abducted after they left the Big Little gas station in J.B. Beasley's car.

I don’t doubt his guilt but also confusing is initially reports stated a white truck was captured on video from convenience store area (investigated and cleared) so why wasn’t the Cadillac, which he claimed to have alternator problems with captured on video?

 

[killarney rose]

Perhaps he was out of the range of the camera?

 

[Dhighsmith]

Perhaps he was out of the range of the camera?

That’s most likely the case. If only the wife would be honest and forthcoming regarding timeline then maybe that would help provide answers- no chance of that happening.

 

[killarney rose]

Yes. The lot the store sits on is an odd shape. Rather than being square, it’s like a stretched out triangle with the store sitting on the wide base.

 

[Dhighsmith]

Sorry for

Yes. The lot the store sits on is an odd shape. Rather than being square, it’s like a stretched out triangle with the store sitting on the wide base.

all the questions but was the pay phone connected to the store or freestanding closer to road? I can no longer rely on my memory, following case since the very beginning so my brain is overloaded with info including misinformation. I always related to their situation because it never failed that I would get lost/turned around when traveling to that area of Alabama, no problem anywhere else.

 

[killarney rose]

It was outside of the front of the store.

 

[Blacklist]

In Re: July 17th Post-Trial hearing.

12 Subpoenas were filed/requested late yesterday by the Defense Counsel. I will not post the actual subpoenas or names out of WS and personal policy. However I can state that all persons subpoenaed were not any of those that were subpoenaed or publicly connected to the original trial.

It is an obvious assumption that these potential witnesses are connected to the allegations of juror misconduct. Social media or otherwise.

Stay tuned folks.
Justice On Friends!!!