AL AL - J.B. Beasley, 17, & Tracie Hawlett, 17, Ozark, 31 July 1999 #3

[SHINED Rabbit]

The way in which you present the timeline really gave me a sense of clarity and helped to confirm some thoughts I had about this case.

The timeline is just so tight.

Where does the Bookie meeting fit into the timeline?

The exchange with Bookie at the Headland gas station was approximately one hour before the phone call to Tracies Mom at the Big Little, 10:30-10:45p

 

[somequestions]

With the film release coming very soon- I will have to leave my personal theory out of this post, thank you for understanding. I can however clear up the timeline and give you a few of my thoughts.

As for their timeline- yes you are correct, they made the call at 11:38 with the plan to meet their 2 guy friends at the shell station in Midland City. Tracie asked her Mom permission to stop, and her Mom agreed it would be ok, just for a few minutes.
But- Tracie also knew her Mom would go to sleep as soon as she hung up the phone- that she would get home not too late but she wouldn’t worry too much because her parents would be asleep. They were trying to reach the boys by midnight, and wanted to get their quickly- thus why they asked Ms Merritt the “quickest way to 231”.
IMO- The girls wouldn’t have stopped at a rest stop, the restroom at the big little store was outside and should have been open at the time they were there, it doesn’t make sense that they would leave without using the bathrooms at the store so they could hurry to Midland City to meet friends- to then stop at a rest stop on the way which is only a 15 mi/ 20 min drive. Also, J.B. was a cautious and street smart girl, I doubt she would feel comfortable stopping a a rest stop in the middle of nowhere at midnight.

The boys waited a while after midnight but left when the girls didn’t show up. They should have made it from the big little to Midland Ciry in 20 mins, logic suggests that they were followed and stopped somehow- as soon as they left the store. How and by who is the major question.

As far as it being random or planned- to me, logically thinking- they left the house for less than 2 hours and were executed. I don’t see how they could have come in contact with so much trouble between 11:38 and midnight that would get them randomly murdered. Especially when they had so much interaction with so many teenagers that night- and no one mentioned they were in fear of their life. Also where their bodies were found was just around the corner from the store- it was arguably the closest dump site, quiet and dark with no traffic.

@CoolJ I have thought of having a screening for you all -for a long time, just couldn’t come up with a way to give you access. I do appreciate all of you and have read everything you all have ever written on this page. I know the families both appreciate your diligence to this case.

I will let you know a release date very soon.

Thank you for the information.

You make some valid points. I did not know the Big Little gas station store had restrooms that were open on the outside. When you find out new information it always changes things. I always got the impression from the Haunting Evidence t.v. show and other articles that the store was closed and that hence, the restrooms would be closed too(even if they were on the outside of the building). Obviously if they used the restroom there, the need to stop at the rest stop on 231 does not make a lot of sense.

Also that is a good point about time since Tracie Hawlett made the phone call at 11:38 pm. Stopping at the rest stop on 231 might have made them late to their midnight meeting with the two boys from Midland City, AL.

I think we both agree that where J.B. Beasley's car was found, on the south end of Herring Avenue, makes the rest stop theory less likely because of the walk that would be involved for the killer. But after I saw the interview with J.B. Beasley's sister Jacqui I became convinced that J.B. Beasley just might not have been lost after all and that she would have known at least from landmarks how to get to U.S. 231. And from there it is a straight shot home. After 19 years I look at the case from hindsight and think police probably looked intently at people that lived in the area where the car was found.

About the only part I disagree with is when you wrote you "don't see how they could have come in contact with so much trouble between 11:38 and midnight that would get them randomly murdered." I think one of the main points of my theory is that sometimes bad things happen to good people. There is no reason why. A person stopping to use the restroom at a rest stop is something that happens every day, and it probably still happens every day at that particular rest stop on 231. As for my theory, I agree it lacks a lot of common sense. But I thought it was a good theory anyway.

Thank you for answering my questions.

 

[CuriousD]

The exchange with Bookie at the Headland gas station was approximately one hour before the phone call to Tracies Mom at the Big Little, 10:30-10:45p

S.R.- In your documentary or in youre research, have you spoke to any LE?

 

[SHINED Rabbit]

S.R.- In your documentary or in youre research, have you spoke to any LE?

Yes. Former LE that worked the case is interviewed in the film.

 

[Bulldog23]

Shined Rabbit, I'm sure you have seen the picture of the white truck sitting at the pump at the gas station. It was there when the girls were there and pulled out right before the girls left. LE said that no one pumped gas or exited the truck. A few years later, Spivey said the truck was a railroad truck that had been located in Delaware, but I'm not sure I believe it. I've spent way too much time staring at the picture of that truck and there is something (a logo or writing) on the side, but we can only see the top part. However, the part I can see is pretty distinctive. I have not found any railroad logos that match up, and believe me, I've been looking. What are your thoughts on the white truck? Can you see a connection between the truck and the girls?

 

[SHINED Rabbit]

Shined Rabbit, I'm sure you have seen the picture of the white truck sitting at the pump at the gas station. It was there when the girls were there and pulled out right before the girls left. LE said that no one pumped gas or exited the truck. A few years later, Spivey said the truck was a railroad truck that had been located in Delaware, but I'm not sure I believe it. I've spent way too much time staring at the picture of that truck and there is something (a logo or writing) on the side, but we can only see the top part. However, the part I can see is pretty distinctive. I have not found any railroad logos that match up, and believe me, I've been looking. What are your thoughts on the white truck? Can you see a connection between the truck and the girls?

So hard to say.

I read witness statements from several people outside the store around 11:30-one of them was from a man who worked at Gilland Chevrolet, just got off work and was trying to buy beer- but the store was closed - he drove a truck as well. That truck could have very well been his work truck- but I don’t know. The information Spivey chose to make public was very strange- and not reliable.

IMO they were followed- so it makes sense that one of the vehicles outside the store would be involved, but I couldn’t find hard proof that “the white truck” was or wasn’t cleared. The main problem is the security cameras were inside- and blocked by advertisements on the front windows of the store.

 

[Bulldog23]

"The information Spivey chose to make public was strange- and not reliable."

One thing that I have learned from sleuthing, sometimes that more agencies that are involved, the muddier the waters get. In the Kemberly Ramer (Opp, AL) case, the main suspect (guilty as hell!) was the one who insisted on calling the FBI- and his father was a sheriff's department investigator.

When you have a small town PD who are not used to "who done it" murders as the lead agency, the ball often gets dropped, unfortunately.

 

[Bulldog23]

If any sleuths on this page are interested in Kem's case, listen to the the Unfound Podcast entitled, "Where the Secrets Lead." Shined Rabbit, if I were a filmmaker, I would check that one out! There is a very strong suspect who needs a big helping of justice!

 

[CuriousD]

So hard to say.

I read witness statements from several people outside the store around 11:30-one of them was from a man who worked at Gilland Chevrolet, just got off work and was trying to buy beer- but the store was closed - he drove a truck as well. That truck could have very well been his work truck- but I don’t know. The information Spivey chose to make public was very strange- and not reliable.

IMO they were followed- so it makes sense that one of the vehicles outside the store would be involved, but I couldn’t find hard proof that “the white truck” was or wasn’t cleared. The main problem is the security cameras were inside- and blocked by advertisements on the front windows of the store.

I believe if they were followed then the person or persons following wouldn't pull into a small parking lot with other people around. JMO I would tend to believe that they went somewhere else in Ozark before heading to 231. Didn't Mrs Merritt say that she looked back to see their headlights and lost sight of them? That makes me think they turned to go by somewhere else before heading back. Also, a lot of people have said that they think the car was placed on Herring Ave by the killer or killers and that they couldn't see someone driving a car around town with bodies in the trunk? Either the person or persons were extremely brave taking that chance OR if it was someone with LE then they would know they wouldn't get pulled over. Whoever it was had to know the area in order to know that part of herring ave was so secluded.Also the person or persons responsible is either lucky as hell or planned this sick crime very well. Again this is all just my opinion of it.
Shinned Rabbit- Can you tell us if your documentary points to a suspect or suspects? As you can probably tell, patients is an aspect of mine that i'm still working on.

 

[SHINED Rabbit]

I believe if they were followed then the person or persons following wouldn't pull into a small parking lot with other people around. JMO I would tend to believe that they went somewhere else in Ozark before heading to 231. Didn't Mrs Merritt say that she looked back to see their headlights and lost sight of them? That makes me think they turned to go by somewhere else before heading back. Also, a lot of people have said that they think the car was placed on Herring Ave by the killer or killers and that they couldn't see someone driving a car around town with bodies in the trunk? Either the person or persons were extremely brave taking that chance OR if it was someone with LE then they would know they wouldn't get pulled over. Whoever it was had to know the area in order to know that part of herring ave was so secluded.Also the person or persons responsible is either lucky as hell or planned this sick crime very well. Again this is all just my opinion of it.
Shinned Rabbit- Can you tell us if your documentary points to a suspect or suspects? As you can probably tell, patients is an aspect of mine that i'm still working on.

Why would they go somewhere else in a Ozark at 11:40 when they were meeting their friends at midnight in Midland City- after they asked Merritt the quickest way to 231-

There is no evidence that they went anywhere in Ozark after the phone call at 11:38.


Apologies- I’m not going to discuss the focus of the film.

 

[CoolJ]

Why would they go somewhere else in a Ozark at 11:40 when they were meeting their friends at midnight in Midland City- after they asked Merritt the quickest way to 231-

There is no evidence that they went anywhere in Ozark after the phone call at 11:38.


Apologies- I’m not going to discuss the focus of the film.

What reports have you seen or heard with regards to the gas tank? What we have heard over the years is the gas tank was recently filled up but was empty when found, so there seems to be a lot of driving unaccounted for. What are your thoughts on that?

 

[SHINED Rabbit]

What reports have you seen or heard with regards to the gas tank? What we have heard over the years is the gas tank was recently filled up but was empty when found, so there seems to be a lot of driving unaccounted for. What are your thoughts on that?

Very good question- IMO it’s too difficult to know- the gas tank was filled a few days before, but J.B. drove around a TON that night and the evening before. We don’t know how much gas was in the tank when they left Tracies house, if they had 3/4 or 1/2 a tank at that point it would make sense that it was near empty.

I do believe the perpetrator drove the vehicle based on evidence- front seat pushed back, rear view mirror on the floor- but how much they drove based on the gas tank would be too hard to know.

 

[killarney rose]

I agree. It's entirely possible that most of the gas was used by the girls and that the killer only drove from the site of the murder back to Herring St .

 

[Bulldog23]

I had a thought. In Bookie's video, he said the girls had been given a map to the Haleburg party, but they couldn't find it. While they were looking, they ran into the shirtless stalkers. Bookie says they gave him the map, and he couldn't find it either. I wonder if that map still exists. Maybe the girls' map was not directions to the party. Maybe it was directions to an ambush. Has any sleuths seen the map the girls were given? Who gave them the map? Was it Jana, the girl having the party, or someone else? Was their map any different from anyone else's map? Feel free to chime in if you know anything.

 

[shark315]

From my understanding, JB had been to Jana's house several times before. But that's from previous posts, so I wonder if being unable to find the party was just an excuse not to go since it's been said that neither of the girls really wanted to go out that night. Again all of this is from reading the previous post from others and her sister but I could have misunderstood, so please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[somequestions]

Very good question- IMO it’s too difficult to know- the gas tank was filled a few days before, but J.B. drove around a TON that night and the evening before. We don’t know how much gas was in the tank when they left Tracies house, if they had 3/4 or 1/2 a tank at that point it would make sense that it was near empty.

I do believe the perpetrator drove the vehicle based on evidence- front seat pushed back, rear view mirror on the floor- but how much they drove based on the gas tank would be too hard to know.

What do you think the reason was for the rear view mirror being on the floor? When I read that I thought it was strange. Was that something that had already been loose from J.B. Beasley driving the car previously and it fell off? Or was it something the killer did? It got me to thinking that even after committing a double murder the killer felt the need to adjust the rear view mirror for blind spots? So maybe this person does a lot of driving and travels a lot? This is just speculation I know.

 

[SHINED Rabbit]

@Bulldog23 those are all possibilities- the party maps were given to a ton of people, some people made it to the Jana party (not held at her house), the map could have been different for them- they could have felt uncomfortable and left... I personally don’t have the map or proof of any of that though.

@somequestions I believe there was a possible struggle as they were forced out of the car, maybe it was kicked, knocking the mirror and beads hanging from it off the windshield.

 

[somequestions]

@Bulldog23 those are all possibilities- the party maps were given to a ton of people, some people made it to the Jana party (not held at her house), the map could have been different for them- they could have felt uncomfortable and left... I personally don’t have the map or proof of any of that though.

@somequestions I believe there was a possible struggle as they were forced out of the car, maybe it was kicked, knocking the mirror and beads hanging from it off the windshield.

I thought of that too, but then J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett were shot to death. Not only were they shot, but they were shot in such a way that it does not appear to be a struggle.

My theory is that maybe the killer tried to set the rearview mirror because he was travelling a distance. Maybe he was getting on a four lane road with blind spots and might also have wanted to observe if any police might be behind him. But I agree that does not make a lot of sense because then he would still have to walk back to wherever he started from after he leaves J.B. Beasley's car(if he does not have a helper with another vehicle). Again, it is just speculation.

 

[aegis100]

I guess what I am wondering is something to do with that upcoming proceeding led to a person or persons being hired or recruited to follow, threaten, frighten, accost, or murder J.B. that night.

My question would then be what is the motive for threatening, harassing, even murdering J.B. for a custody hearing? With four sisters the hearing could have involved one or more of the sisters not necessarily J.B. What is to be gained from silencing J.B. in a custody hearing?

 

[killarney rose]

With JB being oldest, there were probably things she could testify to that might cause mom to lose custody of all the girls.