MURDERED: J.B. Beasley & Tracie Hawlett
Two 17-year old girls set off one summer night in 1999 for a high school field party, excited to mark the end of summer with friends. But when they never make it to the party…or back home…the search is on.
For our friends in the Deaf and Signing community, you can view an ASL version of this episode.
We’d love to speak with you and see how we can support.
If you’re a law enforcement agency or family member of one of the people we mentioned in this episode, or if you’re looking for more coverage on a case, please reach out. You can email us at:
Episode Source Material
- YouTube: WTVY News4: JB and Tracie: The Teen Murders.
- The Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, AL): Ozark authorities look for link in double murders of teens via Newspapers.com.
- The Dothan Eagle (Dothan, AL): Murder trial begins after two-hour delay by Michelle Mann.
- The Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, AL): Slayings of teens rock Wiregrass community by Alvin Benn via Newspapers.com.
- The Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, AL): Autopsy shows girls wet from waist down by Alvin Benn via Newspapers.com.
- WTVY (Dothan, AL): Here’s what’s happening at the McCraney trial by Cassidy Lee.
- The Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, AL): Family mourns slain teens by Lance Griffin via Newspapers.com.
- WDHN (Dothan, AL): Investigator who found murdered teens recounts fateful day, jury shown disturbing crime scene photos by Richard Everett and Aaron Dixon.
- WDHN (Dothan, AL): Updates: Witness testimonies continue in McCraney Murder Trial by Richard Everett and Aaron Dixon.
- The Selma Times-Journal (Selma, AL): Two missing teens found dead in car trunk via Newspapers.com.
- WTVY (Dothan, AL): Officer testimony differs in McCraney murder trial by Ken Curtis.
- ATF: Fact Sheet – National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN).
- The Dothan Eagle (Dothan, AL): Wife of Coley McCraney in 1994 claimed he assaulted and confined her.
- Court Reporter’s Index of Trial Exhibits
- WDHN (Dothan, AL): NEW INFORMATION: WDHN breaks down autopsy reports in Beasley-Hawlett case by Nathaniel Rodriguez and Sarah Drake.
- The Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, AL): No one saw girls at party via Newspapers.com.
- The Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, AL): Suspect arrested in slaying of teens via Newspapers.com.
- The Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, AL): Grand jury gets double-killing case via Newspapers.com.
- The News-Courier (Athens, AL): Suspect takes stand to deny involvement via NewspaperArchive.com.
- Birmingham Post-Herald (Birmingham, AL): Man charged in deaths of girls via Newspapers.com.
- The Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, AL): DNA on clothing isn’t suspect’s by Ashley Estes via Newspapers.com.
- The Anniston Star (Anniston, AL): Suspect’s DNA doesn’t match that found on victim’s clothing by Ashley Estes via Newspapers.com.
- The Dothan Eagle (Dothan, AL): Timeline: Significant dates in murder cases of J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett.
- The Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, AL): New investigators to study slayings via Newspapers.com.
- Birmingham Post-Herald (Birmingham, AL): Police await evidence in Dothan slayings via Newspapers.com.
- The Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, AL): Police question man in slaying of teens via Newspapers.com.
- The Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, AL): Slayings unrelated, police say via Newspapers.com.
- The Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, AL): Unsolved slayings featured on TV show via Newspapers.com.
- The Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, AL): Link to Ozark slayings possible by Alvin Benn via Newspapers.com.
- The Anniston Star (Ozark, AL): A year after teens’ murders, police, families not giving up via Newspapers.com.
- The Dothan Eagle (Dothan, AL): 18 years later, questions still unanswered in Beasley, Hawlett murders by Michele W. Forehand.
- The Dothan Eagle (Dothan, AL): Court hears final motions before murder trial starts Monday by Michelle Mann.
- ABCNews WDHN (Ozark, Alabama): Ozark City Council votes for Police Chief Marlos Walker’s resignation, by Cody Giles.
- ABC News (New York, NY): DNA links suspect to 1999 cold case murders of 2 Alabama teenage girls, police say by Julia Jacobo and Benjamin Stein.
- The Dothan Eagle (Dothan, AL): New crime solving technique may have led to arrest in 1999 murder case of J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett by Lance Griffin.
- WDHN (Dothan, AL): NEW INFORMATION: WDHN breaks down autopsy reports in Beasley-Hawlett case by Nathaniel Rodriguez and Sarah Drake.
- The Dothan Eagle (Dothan, AL): Ozark Police Chief: ‘DNA doesn’t lie’ in arrest of Coley McCraney by Michele Forehand.
- The Dothan Eagle (Dothan, AL): McCraney’s wife takes the stand, former OPD Chief tells what led to McCraney’s arrest by Michelle Mann.
- WDHN (Dothan, AL): UPDATE: Man charged with rape, murder in Beasley-Hawlett case by Nathaniel Rodriguez and Ben Stanfield.
- WSFA (Montgomery, AL): Murder case of Dothan teens bound over to grand jury.
- WDHN (Dothan, AL): Updates: Witness testimonies continue in McCraney Murder Trial by Richard Everett and Aaron Dixon.
- WDHN (Dothan, AL): BREAKING: McCraney pleads not guilty to Beasley-Hawlett murders by Sarah Drake.
- CBS 42 / WIAT (Birmingham, AL): Man indicted on 5 capital charges in slayings.
- The Dothan Eagle (Dothan, AL): Hearing continued; McCraney says he’s ready for trial by Michele Forehand.
- WDHN (Dothan, AL): McCraney trial one step closer as the final motions hearing ends by Aaron Dixon.
- WDHN (Dothan, AL): WATCH: McCraney murder trial pushed to next year by Aaron Dixon and Devin Dudley.
- WSFA (Montgomery, AL): Coley McCraney demands life be spared without unanimous jury vote by Ken Curtis.
- WDHN (Dothan, AL): Dale Co. judge rules on proposed motions ahead of Coley McCraney’s capital murder trial by Aaron Dixon.
- The Dothan Eagle (Dothan, AL): McCraney double-murder trial in notorious cold case set for Monday by Michelle Mann.
- The Dothan Eagle (Dothan, AL): McCraney takes the witness stand by Michelle Mann.
- The Dothan Eagle (Dothan, AL): Coley McCraney, charged in deaths of J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett, stayed in Ozark, Dothan since slayings by Lance Griffin.
- Alabama Attorney General (Montgomery, AL): Convicted Capital Murderer Coley McCraney Sentenced in 1999 Murders of J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett.
- WSFA (Montgomery, AL): Decades later, Coley McCraney found guilty in Beasley, Hawlett murders.
- The Dothan Eagle (Dothan, AL): McCraney sentenced to life without parole by Michelle Mann.
Suggested Episodes
WANTED: Justice for MMIP
May is Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Month, and we want to highlight some of the many cases involving members of Native American communities that so often go underreported and underserved, and thus unsolved.
WANTED: Justice for David Carter
Ohio State Highway Patrol were identifying unknown remains along the side of a highway in northern Ohio at the same time a man in Michigan was being reported missing.
WANTED: Justice for Arnold Archambeau and Ruby Bruguier
When a young South Dakota couple goes missing from the scene of a car accident in 1992, local police launch a large-scale investigation that ultimately ends in tragedy.
Join our Fan Club to listen to this episode and more!
Unlock all of the exclusive benefits and dynamic listening experience as a Crime Junkie Fan Club member.
Join the Fan Club now to reap the rewards!
