Is the cold case finally solved after 20 years?
Back in high school, I vividly remember overhearing my mom and her friend discussing the tragic news of two teenage girls being murdered in a nearby town. It was hard to believe that something like this could happen in our community. The victims were just a year older than me. The whole incident sounded like a storyline straight out of “Unsolved Mysteries,” a show that I loved watching. Ironically, little did I know that this case would later be featured as an episode on the popular show.
J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett: A Tragic Story of Two Friends
J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett, two close friends who were about to become seniors at Northview High School in Dothan, Alabama, embarked on a journey to celebrate J.B.’s 17th birthday in 1999. They got into J.B.’s 1993 black Mazda 929 and drove to Headland, which is around 10 miles north of Dothan. The girls were headed to a “field party,” a popular social activity among Southern youth, at Janna’s house.
Around 10 p.m., they departed from Tracie’s residence, and by 10:30 p.m., they were seen in Headland. However, they soon realized they were lost and pulled over at a gas station. They contacted some friends to obtain better directions to the party they were attending. Unfortunately, Tracie’s curfew was at 11:30 p.m., and they were already running late, so time was of the essence.
About an hour later, the girls unexpectedly arrived at Ozark, which is more than 20 miles northwest of Dothan. They pulled over at the Big Little convenience store on E Broad St, but unfortunately, the store had already closed for the night. While there, they bumped into Marilyn Merritt and her daughter, who had stopped by to grab a drink. The girls inquired about the directions to U.S. Highway 231, which would take them back to Dothan, around 20 miles southeast. Later, Merritt reported to the police that the car was immaculate, the girls were tidy and well-groomed, and there seemed to be nothing suspicious.
After getting lost, Tracie decided to call her mother from a payphone to inform her that they had ended up in Ozark but were on their way back home. According to Tracie’s mother, Carol Roberts, there was nothing unusual about her daughter’s tone of voice during the conversation. Tracie simply expressed her love and let her mother know that they would be home soon.
Despite the hope of making it home, neither she nor J.B. would see their loved ones again. It was a tragic end, and Ms. Merritt would be the final person to see them alive, besides the perpetrator who took their lives.
Lost
Carol Roberts was exhausted from her double shift as a nurse aide at a nursing home when she received a call from her daughter. After falling asleep, she woke up at 5 a.m. to find out that Tracie had not returned home yet. She realized that something was wrong because Tracie was always punctual and never late.
In the early morning of August 1, 1999, Carol contacted the Dothan Police Department. They immediately launched a search operation for any signs of a car accident along the roads. Meanwhile, the Ozark police had already discovered J.B’s black Mazda parked on Herring Avenue, less than a mile away from where Tracie had used the payphone the previous night. The car was parked on a residential street, surrounded by dense woods on both sides, with no houses in sight.
According to the authorities, when they discovered the vehicle, there was no apparent indication of any criminal activity. Although the car was not harmed, it was muddy, and the gas tank was empty, even though it had been filled up the previous day. The driver’s side window was slightly lowered, and the doors were unlocked. The girls’ handbags were still present inside the car, and J.B.’s driving license was on the dashboard. The only item that was missing was the car keys, and it remained unclear why the girls had halted at that location.
After arriving at the scene, a sergeant reached out to Lt. Rex Tipton, the Chief of Detectives in Ozark.
After running the plates, Lt. Tipton instructed the sergeant to remain at the scene with the vehicle. As it turned out, the car was registered in Dothan, prompting Lt. Tipton to reach out to the local police department. However, the response from Dothan police was unsettling – Tracie’s parents had reported her missing. What had started out as a peculiar situation suddenly took a turn for the worse.
The Discovery
The search for the missing girls carried on as the police scoured the area for any signs of their whereabouts. Hours passed without any luck, and around noon, the Dothan police dispatched an investigator to Ozark to retrieve the vehicle and bring it back to Dothan. As they waited for the tow truck to arrive, the investigator discovered that he could open the trunk of the car using an inside lever, rendering the missing keys irrelevant.
Details of the Scene
After investigating the crime scene, the authorities were quick to rule out robbery as the motive. This was due to the fact that J.B.’s key chain was the only item missing from the scene. Surprisingly, the purses, jewelry, money, and credit cards were left untouched inside the car.
The First Suspect
In the evening of July 31, 1999, Johnny William Barrentine, then 28 years old, told his wife that he was heading out to purchase milk for their two-year-old son. Coincidentally, this was around the same time that Tracie made a phone call to her mother from the Big Little store.
According to Barrentine’s wife, he arrived home at 1 a.m. and seemed quite disturbed. When she inquired about the reason, he informed her that a black truck with Dothan tags had collided with his car near Herring Avenue.
A few days after the tragic news of the girls’ murder had been disclosed to the public, he confided to his friends that he had some information regarding the case. They urged him to report it to the authorities, as a reward had been offered.
According to Barrentine’s initial account, he saw a black truck speeding away from the spot where the girls were found on July 31.
During another account, Barrentine informed the officers that the individual in question was his neighbor, who lived just under a mile away from Herring Avenue.
In all of Barrentine’s recollections, there was never a mention of any sexual assault.
Following Barrentine’s narration of the events that transpired that night, he was taken into police custody and charged with two counts of capital murder. However, shortly after his arrest, he retracted his confession and maintained his innocence, stating that he had fabricated the story solely to receive the reward money.
The DNA discovered at the scene did not match Barrentine’s DNA, which led to a judge approving his request for bond. As a result, the grand jury did not indict him in January 2000.
Other Potential Culprits
The investigation into the murders of the two teenagers has honed in on three other individuals who are considered persons of interest by the authorities.
During the time of the girls’ murder, a man from Michigan was present in the area and failed to provide an alibi for a three to four hour timeframe that night. Moreover, he raised suspicions by making questionable statements about the incident. To rule him out as a suspect, law enforcement traveled to Michigan and collected his DNA, which did not match the DNA found at the crime scene.
According to the surveillance footage from The Big Little store, a small white pickup was seen in the parking lot when the girls were there. Unfortunately, neither the driver nor anyone getting out of the truck could be clearly identified. The police released a photo of the truck during the early stages of the investigation, but it proved futile as the driver’s identity remained unknown.
During the investigation of the murders in Ozark, a man from Mississippi who was visiting his relatives in the town left two days after the incident. However, he was later arrested on an outstanding warrant for possessing drug paraphernalia in Ozark. He was extradited from Jones County, MS for further questioning, and his DNA was also tested. Nevertheless, the test results did not match the DNA samples obtained from the crime scene.
Possible Murder Scene
A recent incident has raised concerns of a possible murder scene. The incident in question has left investigators puzzled and the community on edge. The details surrounding the incident are still unclear, but the police have confirmed that it is being treated as a suspicious occurrence. The area has been cordoned off and is under investigation. The authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward and assist in the investigation. The incident has left many wondering about the safety of the community, and the investigation is ongoing.
Before March 2000, the police were unable to determine the location of the main murder scene. However, a resident who lived south of Ozark came forward and reported that she had heard screams and two gunshots on the night of the murders. The reason for her delayed report was that she didn’t want to get involved, despite the extensive media coverage surrounding the girls’ deaths. Ozark Police Chief Spivey confirmed her statement.
It is my sincere hope that the recent events will bring a sense of solace and finality to both the Hawlett and Beasley families.
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