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

[MissUnderstood]

Maybe the girls asked the accused for directions. If he was out walking maybe he flagged them down or they stopped to see if he needed help. I don’t think he is going to give any insight too what actually happened.
MOO

 

[Catmommy]

If there was any way he could have slipped into the back seat of the car at some point, maybe even the store stop, he'd of had the drop on the two girls. He certainly had a gun.

 

[somequestions]

Maybe the girls asked the accused for directions. If he was out walking maybe he flagged them down or they stopped to see if he needed help. I don’t think he is going to give any insight too what actually happened.
MOO

But the girls had already asked directions of Ms. Merritt and her daughter at the Big Little gas station. And if you look at a map you will realize how easy it is to drive down Broad Street to get to 231. So it is strange, but I know there are many explanations like maybe they turned early.

Even the man accused of this crime is strange. Supposedly this guy was going to have his water shut off on 8/18/99. He also missed a paternity test the day of the crime 7/31/99. He also lived at home with his mother. So he had some issues going on his life that seemed to revolve around responsibility and needing money. Yet according to the story none of the valuables or money were missing from the purses when the car was discovered. Just the keys were missing as well as a Boston Red Sox baseball cap.

Unless the DNA testing was flawed I think police have the right man. But the questions surrounding this story are going to persist for a long time.

 

[somequestions]

One thing about this case I wondered about was whether or not the purse or purses had mud on it?

That is one thing that got me to thinking about the rest stop on U.S. 231. If the girls had left the car to go into a store I think they might have taken their purse. The obvious answer is that the murderer got into the car while they were traveling and this is why there was no mud on the purses.

As for why someone who needs money might have skipped taking anything from their purse, I came up with an explanation. Maybe it had already escalated into a double homicide by the time he saw any valuables in the car? At that point maybe it was not worth it to try and take anything because it could leave possible fingerprints. But that would mean that the locations in this case involving crossing paths with the murderer are essentially the same location. They never actually drove the murderer anywhere because they were already dead.

It is a theory.

 

[killarney rose]

Even though it's been rebuilt since the murders, that rest stop is and was desolate. I've always suspected that it might hold the key to what happened. A simple bathroom stop gone bad. It is Five miles from Ozark going toward Dothan.

 

[Blacklist]

There is a major question I had regarding the geographical nature of this case. The man that has been arrested for the crime lived in the southeastern part of town at the time( on Lisenby Drive that runs parallel to Carrol Ave). That makes sense with J.B. Beasley's car being found on Herring Avenue. He could then walk home after parking her car.

But what does not make sense is that if we consider that J.B. Beasley knew her way around Ozark, AL and all she had to do was drive down Broad Street to get to U.S. 231, then how would they have ran into their killer? Putting the route home on a map would illustrate this more clearly. The point I am making is how did the killer end up along "the route home" if he lived in the southeastern part of town? Did he walk to that location? And that is why there is not a logistical problem with taking care of two vehicles? He was just out walking in Ozark, AL, presumably somewhere along Broad Street after 11:30 pm at night? We know the girls were headed to stop to see some boys at a gas station along 231 in Midland City, AL(one report I read) and were going home afterwards. And we know the witness at the Big Little gas station in Ozark clearly saw them pull out of the parking lot onto the road.

I guess one solution would be that after parking J.B. Beasley's car on Herring Avenue, he then walked all the way back to wherever he left his own vehicle. Or he was transported or walked to the original location he crossed paths with J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett to begin with, and this would explain why he did not have a vehicle.

DNA is a powerful piece of evidence, but it would help to understand how the events unfolded. From a locational standpoint, it is hard to make sense of the possible locations in this case.

Thank you. Clarity is a wonderful thing.
This is an overview of why my theory of multiple suspects/offenders/et. al. cannot be discounted. DNA notwithstanding

 

[Blacklist]

If there was any way he could have slipped into the back seat of the car at some point, maybe even the store stop, he'd of had the drop on the two girls. He certainly had a gun.

Somebody had a gun.

 

[Blacklist]

Even though it's been rebuilt since the murders, that rest stop is and was desolate. I've always suspected that it might hold the key to what happened. A simple bathroom stop gone bad. It is Five miles from Ozark going toward Dothan.

I

One thing about this case I wondered about was whether or not the purse or purses had mud on it?

That is one thing that got me to thinking about the rest stop on U.S. 231. If the girls had left the car to go into a store I think they might have taken their purse. The obvious answer is that the murderer got into the car while they were traveling and this is why there was no mud on the purses.

As for why someone who needs money might have skipped taking anything from their purse, I came up with an explanation. Maybe it had already escalated into a double homicide by the time he saw any valuables in the car? At that point maybe it was not worth it to try and take anything because it could leave possible fingerprints. But that would mean that the locations in this case involving crossing paths with the murderer are essentially the same location. They never actually drove the murderer anywhere because they were already dead.

It is a theory.

I have not forgotten about the rest stop. Something about it sticks in my head. Probably because it has been mentioned so much.

I am still not speculating about the mechanics or reasoning of the murders. I still stick to my thought that robbery was never a motive and there are more than one assailant.

Not exposing my working experience or back ground, but it is my belief that the LEO/prosecutors have a bit more to show than just DNA. Even though discovery has to be disclosed to defendant pretrial, it is like pulling dinosaur teeth to get it. In addition, the prosecution can withhold total disclosure pretrial if their investigation includes other parties not yet indicted.

In colloquial terms: we are not playing poker with a deck of 52(3). We are engaged in a venture of Blackjack with multiple decks. In other words, in addition to skill, it’s requiring thinking out of the box to get true justice to all perpetrators in this crime.

 

[somequestions]

Even though it's been rebuilt since the murders, that rest stop is and was desolate. I've always suspected that it might hold the key to what happened. A simple bathroom stop gone bad. It is Five miles from Ozark going toward Dothan.

I thought about the rest stop because I thought, "What place would two teenage girls stop after 11:30 pm at night?" I am not from Alabama so it is hard for me to visualize the area and how populated it was and how late stores stayed open. This is not the only explanation though. Maybe the girls got lost again somehow by making a left turn early and ended up in the southeastern part of town. Then they either pulled into someone's driveway or stopped to discuss or get directions from someone else.

There are a still a few problems with this U.S. 231 rest stop theory.

1. How did the murderer get to the rest stop to begin with? Out of all the places you would expect a person to drive to and not walk, that is it. So what about the other car that the killer arrived in?

2. Most rest stops even late at night have truck drivers and other motorists there. There is usually someone in the parking lot in addition to a possible attendant. Was the U.S. 231 rest stop that desolate back in 1999 that no one would hear gunshots? It would have to be very desolate.

 

[Catmommy]

It is absolutely irrefutable, in my long pondered opinion, that this was a crime of circumstance. Bad dude didn't have plans to kidnap two young white girls ahead of time and after he did he didn't know or think out logically what to do with them. He drove the car to a close walk to his house. He took his mysteries with him and he's not likely to give them up. It was a shameful act that would solidify that he was, is and remains a shameful man. He'll never tell.

 

[cherrymeg]

JB Beasley and Tracie Hawlett were supposed to be going to a field party. If they spent time stopping at pay phones or driving around looking for the party it's possible they would have asked people more their age if they knew where it was. They could have attracted the attention of McCraney just by getting gas or stopping at a light. Rapist don't need much.
Beasley might have been familiar with the area but that doesn't mean she couldn't have gotten lost or turned around. I also thought that Tracie asked her mom if she could stay out later to meet up with other people. The girls didn't head to the party until after one was off from work and it was later. They could have let Coley McCraney in the car thinking there was two of them one of him, or that he seemed perfectly safe, or maybe they knew of him thru mutual friends or family.
There are times you will tell yourself you'd never do something like get in a stranger's car, or let a stranger in your's, but in the moment it isn't usually the way you pictured it. It's not some creepy old man luring you into his van, or someone who makes you uncomfortable or gives you the creeps. Predators can be charming and know how to put people at ease. They seem normal and most of the time when you do something dumb you don't run into a killer or rapist. I would like to know more about what set McCraney off, and was this his only crime?

 

[killarney rose]

I thought about the rest stop because I thought, "What place would two teenage girls stop after 11:30 pm at night?" I am not from Alabama so it is hard for me to visualize the area and how populated it was and how late stores stayed open. This is not the only explanation though. Maybe the girls got lost again somehow by making a left turn early and ended up in the southeastern part of town. Then they either pulled into someone's driveway or stopped to discuss or get directions from someone else.

There are a still a few problems with this U.S. 231 rest stop theory.

1. How did the murderer get to the rest stop to begin with? Out of all the places you would expect a person to drive to and not walk, that is it. So what about the other car that the killer arrived in?

2. Most rest stops even late at night have truck drivers and other motorists there. There is usually someone in the parking lot in addition to a possible attendant. Was the U.S. 231 rest stop that desolate back in 1999 that no one would hear gunshots? It would have to be very desolate.

The next time I'm over that way, I'll take some photos and post them. It's small. Not your typical interstate rest area. It's way back off the road. There's nothing around it. I'd think anyone stopping there at night would have to be desperate for a bathroom.

 

[TedMac]

JB Beasley and Tracie Hawlett were supposed to be going to a field party. If they spent time stopping at pay phones or driving around looking for the party it's possible they would have asked people more their age if they knew where it was. They could have attracted the attention of McCraney just by getting gas or stopping at a light. Rapist don't need much.
Beasley might have been familiar with the area but that doesn't mean she couldn't have gotten lost or turned around. I also thought that Tracie asked her mom if she could stay out later to meet up with other people. The girls didn't head to the party until after one was off from work and it was later. They could have let Coley McCraney in the car thinking there was two of them one of him, or that he seemed perfectly safe, or maybe they knew of him thru mutual friends or family.
There are times you will tell yourself you'd never do something like get in a stranger's car, or let a stranger in your's, but in the moment it isn't usually the way you pictured it. It's not some creepy old man luring you into his van, or someone who makes you uncomfortable or gives you the creeps. Predators can be charming and know how to put people at ease. They seem normal and most of the time when you do something dumb you don't run into a killer or rapist. I would like to know more about what set McCraney off, and was this his only crime?

You make good points and ask some very good questions.

Yes, Tracie had to work that evening and did not get off until 9:00 pm. She went home afterwards and changed clothes. She and J.B. left from her house and set out to find a certain field party. They were unable to locate it after driving around a good deal of the evening. They ended up at another field party where they put stopped for a while before leaving there and going to the Big/Little Store to make their phone calls. Tracie did ask her mom could she say out a little later past her curfew as she and J.B. were trying to meet up with a couple of boys. Her mother gave her permission and went to bed being tired from working a double shift. My guess is J.B. had called the boys from either the aforementioned party or from the Big/Little Store telling them they couldn't locate them earlier but could meet them in a few minutes in Midland. They never made it to Midland, probably because they were intercepted by their killer(s) along the way.

You are correct about J.B. being somewhat familiar with Ozark having gone there a few times with her dance team. But, it is easy to get turned around, especially when darkness limits your visibility.

You are correct about killers and rapists being charming at times. Ted Bundy was extremely charming when he needed to be. Like you, I have wondered how McCraney was able to gain control of J.B. & Tracie. He may have seen them at the Big/Little store and slipped into the back seat of their car when they were out on the phone and speaking with Ms. Merritt. Or, he may have seen them at the store from afar and stopped their car by simply stepping out in the road after they drove off and out of sight from Ms. Merritt. Also, I have wondered if maybe he was at the party they attended and struck up a conversation with them. Then, when they saw him walking stopped and picked him up?

As for what set him off...no one really knows. There a lot of possibilities. Maybe after he finished doing what he did to J.B., she cursed him or threatened to go to LE and he decided to shut him up? Or maybe the girls running from him (remember the briers in Tracie's pants and mud on her shoes) angered him to the point of murder? Since his arrest, I have always said that I wished the entire story of what happened that night would come to light-specifically, did he have an accomplice, how he captured them, why he chose them as his victims and most importantly why he killed them?

Whether he had done this sort of thing before or since is another good question. I am certain LE has revisited any unsolved murders and rapes around that time and in the past 20 years.

 

[somequestions]

The next time I'm over that way, I'll take some photos and post them. It's small. Not your typical interstate rest area. It's way back off the road. There's nothing around it. I'd think anyone stopping there at night would have to be desperate for a bathroom.

Ok, thanks. I would be interested in seeing what the rest stop looks like. Also, are there any bodies of water around that could be illuminated by light? I know there is a small lake a little bit south on the other side of the highway. But are there any bodies of water on the actual rest stop property or close by or behind it that have enough light? I am just curious.

Nobody actually knows where J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett ran into their killer, but it is worth discussing.

 

[Catmommy]

This is supposed to be a man of faith so he knows that God hates the sin but not the sinner. I don't think this man is what he professes to be. It is possible that he has sought redemption as he aged and began to understand the evil he'd committed. For him not to admit and repent now speaks of the self preservation instinct to cover one's even when one is fair caught. Do your penance. And give the loved one's the answers only you can. Anything else is a cowardly lie. (My opinion : the DNA evidence convicts him in my mind)

 

[somequestions]

You make good points and ask some very good questions.

Yes, Tracie had to work that evening and did not get off until 9:00 pm. She went home afterwards and changed clothes. She and J.B. left from her house and set out to find a certain field party. They were unable to locate it after driving around a good deal of the evening. They ended up at another field party where they put stopped for a while before leaving there and going to the Big/Little Store to make their phone calls. Tracie did ask her mom could she say out a little later past her curfew as she and J.B. were trying to meet up with a couple of boys. Her mother gave her permission and went to bed being tired from working a double shift. My guess is J.B. had called the boys from either the aforementioned party or from the Big/Little Store telling them they couldn't locate them earlier but could meet them in a few minutes in Midland. They never made it to Midland, probably because they were intercepted by their killer(s) along the way.

You are correct about J.B. being somewhat familiar with Ozark having gone there a few times with her dance team. But, it is easy to get turned around, especially when darkness limits your visibility.

You are correct about killers and rapists being charming at times. Ted Bundy was extremely charming when he needed to be. Like you, I have wondered how McCraney was able to gain control of J.B. & Tracie. He may have seen them at the Big/Little store and slipped into the back seat of their car when they were out on the phone and speaking with Ms. Merritt. Or, he may have seen them at the store from afar and stopped their car by simply stepping out in the road after they drove off and out of sight from Ms. Merritt. Also, I have wondered if maybe he was at the party they attended and struck up a conversation with them. Then, when they saw him walking stopped and picked him up?

As for what set him off...no one really knows. There a lot of possibilities. Maybe after he finished doing what he did to J.B., she cursed him or threatened to go to LE and he decided to shut him up? Or maybe the girls running from him (remember the briers in Tracie's pants and mud on her shoes) angered him to the point of murder? Since his arrest, I have always said that I wished the entire story of what happened that night would come to light-specifically, did he have an accomplice, how he captured them, why he chose them as his victims and most importantly why he killed them?

Whether he had done this sort of thing before or since is another good question. I am certain LE has revisited any unsolved murders and rapes around that time and in the past 20 years.

I follow this case on and off now, but I recently watched the last episode of the "Three Men and a Mystery" podcast(July 31, 2019). In that podcast they wanted to clear up some misinformation. One piece of misinformation was relayed to the podcasters by Tracie Hawlett's mother. She said she never gave Tracie permission to stay out any later and she felt it was important to clear up that confusion. According to the podcast that is all she said. Refer to the podcast if somehow I heard or interpreted the information from Mrs. Hawlett the wrong way. The part where they clear up some confusion is at the beginning of this last episode.

 

[cherrymeg]

McCraney was about 25 in 1999? Are there any pictures of him around that time? Teenagers are more likely to trust someone around their age. Coley McCraney would have been older, but not by that much. He possible seemed younger or he wasn't some creepy old man hitting on them. He would have been old enough to buy alcohol but still know people around their ages in a social way. Again it wouldn't be creepy to talk or give him a ride or even agree to go somewhere with him or his friends.

 

[cherrymeg]

This is supposed to be a man of faith so he knows that God hates the sin but not the sinner. I don't think this man is what he professes to be. It is possible that he has sought redemption as he aged and began to understand the evil he'd committed. For him not to admit and repent now speaks of the self preservation instinct to cover one's even when one is fair caught. Do your penance. And give the loved one's the answers only you can. Anything else is a cowardly lie. (My opinion : the DNA evidence convicts him in my mind)

If he when asked recently about his interactions with JB and Tracie, if he had been forthcoming and honest it would make him seem less guilty. Not coming forward after two girls are found shot in the trunk of their car near your home you might not want to involve yourself. Even more so as a black man who could end up incarcerated for much less. Once you know DNA is linking you or a family member to the crime it's arrogant to just lie about it. He probably is a narcissistic sociopath that will lie, lie and lie some more, hoping people will question his guilt.

 

[Niner]

I looked on the court site which goes thru 5/5. He was supposed to go to trial on 5/4 and there is nothing there for him.

I'll keep an eye out. The court site only gives like 5 days ahead of time.

 

[killarney rose]

Most of our courthouses are still shut down at this time due to the pandemic. It will probably be postponed.