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

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The thing that makes me believe that Barrentine saw something is that he was reportedly so shook up when he got home. I don't think a fender bender would've caused such an extreme reaction.

If he was as shook up as much as was reported, it would seem to me that he witnessed the murders. I don't believe that to be the case, therefore i assume the story about him being freaked out when he got home that night was either a gross exaggeration or a total fabrication.

However, i don't rule out anything in this case, and that includes the theory that Barrentine was a total patsy and his confession was coerced.
 
If he was as shook up as much as was reported, it would seem to me that he witnessed the murders. I don't believe that to be the case, therefore i assume the story about him being freaked out when he got home that night was either a gross exaggeration or a total fabrication.

However, i don't rule out anything in this case, and that includes the theory that Barrentine was a total patsy and his confession was coerced.
I know my question is off discussion but does anyone know who is actually in-charge if the FBI is investigating, and the Sheriff's Office is wanting people to contact them about a city case? Customarily it's seen where there are joint press releases, with one primary spokesperson; if anyone knows, just out of curiosity.
 
I agree, KR. If Mary Barrentine was telling the truth about that night, then I think Johnny Barrentine saw or heard the murders occurring. If he came home shaken up, he had a really good reason. Johnny was sort of rough and tumble. I think I remember him having a couple of assault charges, one for striking his sister, I think. If he came home that upset, he saw something significant that night.

I think if Johnny Barrentine had seen the murders or could somehow identify the murderers, he would have been found in the trunk of J.B.'s car along with the girls with a bullet in his head too.

You are correct about him having some assault charges.
 
I don't think he necessarily saw the murders, but maybe he saw the girls with the killer(s) before it happened. Then maybe saw them after the girls had been disposed of, and threatened by the killer(s).i know there is a chance it wasn't, but I've always believed this was a crime of opportunity and the murder wasn't premeditated.
 
I don't think he necessarily saw the murders, but maybe he saw the girls with the killer(s) before it happened. Then maybe saw them after the girls had been disposed of, and threatened by the killer(s).i know there is a chance it wasn't, but I've always believed this was a crime of opportunity and the murder wasn't premeditated.

Maybe, but I think the killer(s) was taking no chances and leaving no witnesses. If Johnny B had seen the killer and the killer was aware, he would have hunted him down and killed him. I also think that sometime between the murders and prior to his death, Johnny B would have told someone what he saw.
 
I don't think he necessarily saw the murders, but maybe he saw the girls with the killer(s) before it happened. Then maybe saw them after the girls had been disposed of, and threatened by the killer(s).i know there is a chance it wasn't, but I've always believed this was a crime of opportunity and the murder wasn't premeditated.

This has probably been asked before, but was Johnny B drunk or on any drugs? I think he saw or heard something, but if he was intoxicated it could have made him question the reality of it. If the killer or killers weren't from the area, or strangers they might not have had to worry about being recognized.
 
I think if Johnny Barrentine had seen the murders or could somehow identify the murderers, he would have been found in the trunk of J.B.'s car along with the girls with a bullet in his head too.

You are correct about him having some assault charges.
The murders were cold. They almost seemed like executions. It's possible JB and Tracie didn't know the person or persons. That could apply to Barrentine too, if he witnessed something but didn't recognize anyone, he wouldn't have been a threat.
 
I think if Johnny Barrentine had seen the murders or could somehow identify the murderers, he would have been found in the trunk of J.B.'s car along with the girls with a bullet in his head too.
You are correct about him having some assault charges.

The murders were cold. They almost seemed like executions. It's possible JB and Tracie didn't know the person or persons. That could apply to Barrentine too, if he witnessed something but didn't recognize anyone, he wouldn't have been a threat.
 
The murders were cold. They almost seemed like executions. It's possible JB and Tracie didn't know the person or persons. That could apply to Barrentine too, if he witnessed something but didn't recognize anyone, he wouldn't have been a threat.

He would have been a threat as he could have picked the killer out of a line-up or possibly a mug shot (if the killer had been previously arrested and photographed). If he had done what any ordinary person would have done after witnessing a double homicide and called 911, LE would have taken his statement and shown him photographs of local arrestees. They also would have used his discription of the killer to make a composite drawing. I realize he is a bit slow, but if he had witnessed anything of any significance, he didn't react the way a normal person would have acted if they had justed witnessed a murder.
 
He would have been a threat as he could have picked the killer out of a line-up or possibly a mug shot (if the killer had been previously arrested and photographed). If he had done what any ordinary person would have done after witnessing a double homicide and called 911, LE would have taken his statement and shown him photographs of local arrestees. They also would have used his discription of the killer to make a composite drawing. I realize he is a bit slow, but if he had witnessed anything of any significance, he didn't react the way a normal person would have acted if they had justed witnessed a murder.

That would be how someone should act. It's possible he didn't see it maybe he just heard something, like gunshots or people talking about it.
 
I don't believe he witnessed the actual murders. More like he saw the girls with the killers at some point.
 
I don't believe he witnessed the actual murders. More like he saw the girls with the killers at some point.

Maybe, but wouldn't he have identified the killers if he could and collected the reward money? After all, the reward was money was what he was after and if he had really seen the girls with the killers, he would have told LE what he saw instead of going to them 30 days after the murders with a made up story. I can't help but believe he simply saw the girls somehere that night and was able to ID their clothes.
 
Perhaps, but due to his lower IQ maybe he figured he could give enough info to get the reward without revealing their identity. And it didn't work. I've always felt he was so shook up when he arrived at home mainly due to being in fear of his life,after being threatened by the killers.
 
From Dime Detective’s post about the murders,

“At 11:30 p.m. on the night of July 31, 1999, at the same time Tracie Hawlett called her mother from the Big/Little Store pay phone, 28-year-old part-time mechanic Johnny William Barrentine told his young wife that he was headed out to buy milk for the couple’s 2-year-old son.

Barrentine didn’t return home until shortly before 1:00 a.m., and, according to his wife, when he came in he was visibly upset. When asked, he told her his car had been “hit by a black truck with a Dothan tag near Herring Avenue.””

I’m guessing Dime got that information from investigators. It’s written as though it is fact. I have some questions about this, though. How many days after the murders did investigators speak with Mary Barrentine? Did they believe her? Did she or Johnny take a polygraph? Anyone know?
 
he was so shook up when he arrived at home

Unfortunately the only people who could make statements about Johnny's demeanor when he came home are Johnny and his wife and both of them are known to have given multiple stories and recants.

I tend to believe he saw the girls that night, maybe saw some vehicles nearby, heard some scuttlebutt around town after the murders and as the reward amount increased decided to go to the police and claim the award.
 
Unfortunately the only people who could make statements about Johnny's demeanor when he came home are Johnny and his wife and both of them are known to have given multiple stories and recants.

I tend to believe he saw the girls that night, maybe saw some vehicles nearby, heard some scuttlebutt around town after the murders and as the reward amount increased decided to go to the police and claim the award.
Officials have had all along the above store's outside security camera's video tape, obviously revealing parking lot activities during these times, to include all persons and vehicle descriptions witnessed by others than OPD. Other video is smoke and mirrors implying blurred vehicle obscurity without individuals.
 
Officials have had all along the above store's outside security camera's video tape, obviously revealing parking lot activities during these times, to include all persons and vehicle descriptions witnessed by others than OPD. Other video is smoke and mirrors implying blurred vehicle obscurity without individuals.

Do you know this for sure, Jack? It does make sense that there would be outside cameras on the pumps and parking lot, but the implication has been that the one photo of white truck from inside store is the only video/ picture evidence that exists.
 
Do you know this for sure, Jack? It does make sense that there would be outside cameras on the pumps and parking lot, but the implication has been that the one photo of white truck from inside store is the only video/ picture evidence that exists.
Yes, spoke directly to corp. and former employees, plus others officially tied to case; not true, I am a retired thirty year veteran national skip-tracer. I ask who was in-charge, without an answer, since having worked in Alabama before this happening looked over previous conversations and saw enough to begin making inquiries. It is all a matter of documented evidences.
 
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