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

[Kittybunny]

I only became aware of this case from the 20/20 special. And despite the show's best efforts to give the defense a platform and keep us in suspense about the trial, it came across as total BS in my opinion and I have no doubts the right man is exactly where he belongs.

The advent of genetic genealogy has brought to light a lot of resolution in these kinds of cases, and the really frightening thing is that we want to believe that a murderer who commits this kind of crime inevitably was or will be a serial killer who has to repeat these events, when in reality, it seems that these killers can go on to lead perfectly ordinary lives and completely fool everyone around them. It's possible that he had some remorse about what he did which may be why he never did it again (that we know of), but if he was truly repentant, he would have admitted his guilt and spared the family a trial.

DNA doesn't lie, but murderers do.

 

[William N]

I only became aware of this case from the 20/20 special. And despite the show's best efforts to give the defense a platform and keep us in suspense about the trial, it came across as total BS in my opinion and I have no doubts the right man is exactly where he belongs.

The advent of genetic genealogy has brought to light a lot of resolution in these kinds of cases, and the really frightening thing is that we want to believe that a murderer who commits this kind of crime inevitably was or will be a serial killer who has to repeat these events, when in reality, it seems that these killers can go on to lead perfectly ordinary lives and completely fool everyone around them. It's possible that he had some remorse about what he did which may be why he never did it again (that we know of), but if he was truly repentant, he would have admitted his guilt and spared the family a trial.

DNA doesn't lie, but murderers do.

It's been common ever since fingerprint and DNA data bases came into being for perpetrators found by print and DNA hits to have good jobs and live as normal citizens.

Has anybody ever seen a 20/20 show in which there was as much pro-defense screen time? Especially one with DNA evidence?

 

[William N]

I watched the 20/20 show again tonight. I took notes this time.

At one hour in, the aptly named Rena Crumb appeared to declare a cop told her he did it. Crumb had told her story in 2015 to a blogger. Crumb named the cop. and said he was "having an affair" with JB. The cop sued the blogger who declared bankruptcy whereupon the suit was dropped.

It was claimed Crumb was a police officer herself but she wasn't, although she supposedly "dreamed" of being one.

And concerning one Mark Kessler who claimed to be a "Journalist." He 's not a true crime writer but from the internet he's a novelist and short story writer. Kessler appears to be writing a book on the case.

He said, "A lot of locals said this is a black man who's been railroaded by the police. This is To Kill a Mockingbird 2.0." Later Kessler said, "There's a lot of doubt in the community. A lot of locals thought here's another black man being set up by the police."

Someone on the prosecution team noted: "This isn't someone you would set up for the crime."

McCraney wasn't "set up." He was arrested because his DNA was found on JB Beasley. And by the way, In 1999 MCCraney lived less than a mile (easy walking distance) from where the car with the dead girls in the trunk was found.

There were three black jurors. There were six men and six women. It's normal for half a jury panel to be ones the prosecution wanted and half what the defense wanted.

At an hour and 40 minutes in the program, Tracie's mother in her exact words said, "If you had known these girls you'd know there's no way this story happened the way he said it did. Well, to start with, Tracie wouldn't have sat there. She'd have got out and went inside and got a phone and called her Daddy to come git her. And JB would not have left her in that car."

MCCraney claimed he and JB went to a truck stop where his truck was parked and had sex inside the truck.

Most of the rest of the show was "Coley is innocent." It needs an appeal and new trial. Kessler said, "It's very fair to play this trial over again and say what if Coley were a white male at that time. I think it would have seemed more reasonable to the jury that it was consensual sex. Rape was the elephant in the room nobody wanted to talk about."

If Coley McCraney was white, with the same DNA evidence and claiming "consensual sex," the jury would have found him guilty. He would have been found guilty had he been a white man and told the same nonsensical story.

 

[Catmommy]

Because I'm just up the road a piece, this story is one I've followed from the girls' discovery to now. After so many years I was doubtful we'd ever get an answer to what happened much less Justice for J.B. and Tracie. Not only am I HAPPY I was wrong, I have absolutely no doubt at all that our Justice system got it right. Controversy sells ads and subsequently television programs but that doesn't mean any intelligent person has to buy into it. McCraney is where he has always needed to be and he ain't gettin out. Unfortunately, that does nothing to bring J.B. and Tracie back.