DEADLY Wrong Turn: Best Friends Murdered On The Way To A Party | J.B. Beasley & Tracie Hawlett

Two High School seniors were spending their last days of summer driving out to a field party to meet up with some friends but sadly they would never make it there this Twisted case tells the tale of how one wrong turn can have deadly consequences hi everyone welcome back to my channel my name is kimberlea if you've never been here before nice to finally meet you and if you have been here before please think about Subscribing if you like my content and hitting that notification Bell so you don't miss out because I am a day late

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say that I love how so many of you share my Love for discovering and learning about new places I also really like when you comment about being from the places I talk about in these cases today I'm taking you to a place that I've never talked about before Ozark Alabama and if you live there or you're from there let me know and if you know someone else that's from there share this video with them in Ozark Alabama life unfolds at a gentle Southern Pace sunny days melt into nights with fireflies twinkling It's a very tight-knit

Community with Oak Lin streets filled with the memories of generations that came before where friendly faces greet you from porch swings swaying in the warm breeze you can smell the hickory smoke from the backyard barbecues mingling with the scent of honeysuckle vines that wrap around weathered fences the mornings start with roosters crow and boots hitting the pavement as neighbors head to their local Diner Where sweet tea refills are endless and the gossip is thicker than the Grits evenings are for Friday Night Football under the stadium lights cheering for the wild cats in Ozark life is

simple and the sense of belonging is warm and comforting because you're not just a resident you're part of the fabric of a town where everyone knows your name and welcomes you with a smile when I think of Alabama I actually think of my cousin Vinnie it's supposed to be in a Fictional town in rural Alabama but Ozark it isn't that rural but parts of it are there's a similar town close by called Doan about 30 minutes away and that is where the first person that I'm going to introduce you to was born her name is

Tracy Jean hollit she was born in Doan Alabama on March 3rd 1982 she's the only child of Karen and Robert hollit who went by Bob he's a Vietnam veteran who served in the Marines and was also well-liked Doan police police Corporal sadly tragedy struck when Tracy was just under 5 years old in January of 1987 just 6 weeks before Tracy's birthday Bob actually drowned on a lake while he was on a fishing trip as you can imagine his Unexpected death would be hard on Tracy and her mother later Carol eventually did remarry a man named

Mike Roberts and they had two sons together Benjamin and Christopher Mike treated Tracy like his own daughter and the family was very active in their Church actually Tracy's life centered around Heritage Baptist Church where she actively participated in their youth group and was involved in their Sunday school program she even went on to teach at Vacation Bible School Tracy was well known for her loving and giving nature she got along well with her parents and especially bonded with her mom even as a teenager she didn't argue with her parents and she willingly spent time with

her younger brothers she would take Them on car rides with the convertible top down and the music blaring Tracy excelled academically she was considered consistently making the honor rooll throughout elementary middle and high school she attended North viiew High School where she was actually a majorette and part of the yearbook staff outside of school Tracy had a passion for pursuing a career as a missionary Doctor After experiencing a life-altering mission trip to Texas While she was participating at church during this experience Tracy realized her true calling was to make a difference in the lives of

others she experienced firsthand the limited access to healthc care and she wanted to help underserved communities but in the meantime Tracy worked at a JC Penny store in the men's department and she took on babysitting jobs for families in her neighborhood growing up Tracy was very close to her two younger brothers As I mentioned and she would be seen walking them to various activities Tracy was also very close with her mother the closest they had a special bond that went beyond the normal parent child relationship she referred to her mom as her best friend Tracy

and Carol's Bond was unique they supported and cheered one another on they laughed together and they were there through thick and thin the mother and daughter love spending time together whether they were just Shopping having a lunch date or just sharing a cup of coffee everywhere Tracy went she stood out for her outgoing and bubbly personality she always seemed to be smiling her really great sense of humor made her very popular and she had a wide circle of friends which included her best friend JB Beasley who was in the same grade as she was Tracy

and JB's classmates noticed that the girl shared a lot of similarities they were in the same church youth group and they were Both known for being friendly hardworking and outgoing they even participated in the Miss Spectrum beauty pageant together both earning spots in the top 10 they were beautiful on the inside and out JB Hilton green Beasley was born in Troy Alabama on July 31st 1982 to her mom Cheryl and father Hilton lanyard Beasley JB's unique name wasn't short for Jessica or Janet it was nothing like that she got her name from a combo of

her dad's name Hilton and her Dad's childhood friend's name which is James Buford green and I thought that was pretty cool that she was named after two guys JB didn't use the name James she just always went by the initials JB she did have an older sister Liv who was actually 7 years her senior but unfortunately her father Hilton and her mother Sheryl's relationship wasn't meant to be eventually they split up and Cheryl married a man named Joseph Bernard beron who by the way has the Same initials as JB actually joub and this was important

at least for Cheryl and Joe because all of their daughters had the initials jbb going forward they went on to have four daughters together in 1988 it was Jamie Brooke in 1989 Jackie Bernice 1991 Joe Beth BRD and in 1994 Jillian be and I tried to find her middle name but I couldn't but it did start with ab and I thought that was so cool how even if these women go on to marry and change Their last name they will all still be JB because they're first and middle names all the girls were close in

age to JB and they grew up in Dothan and if I'm pronouncing that wrong I'm so sorry I do my best I do my best with these pronunciations and I always ask Alexa how to pronounce things but she doesn't always get it right like Tracy JB had experienced a tragic loss in her family at a young age in May of 1994 JB's older sister Liv passed away at only 19 years Old I tried but I could not find out how Liv passed away but she was a graduate of Jeff davus high school and then she

attended Auburn University and was working at an eye doctor's office in McGary Alabama when she died Liv's death made JB the oldest sister and she took that role very seriously she acted as a guardian to her sisters she was always looking out for them JB's cousin Lindsay Turner who whose mother and JB's father lanard are brother and sister and was Four years older than JB recalls her being kind and patient especially with her younger sisters who could get on her nerve sometimes Lindsay said JB loved her sisters more than anything in the world and she

did so much for them she babysat them quite frequently and she would even prepare their lunches in the morning for school Lindsay said JB was literally the best person that she had ever known but she was also the typical teenager growing up in the 1990s she was Passionate about things like country music and idolized artists such as G Brooks Tim McGraw Alan Jackson and the Dixie Chicks her favorite song that held a special place in her heart though was Angel by Sarah mclocklin and you may be able to relate to the next thing that JB

was obsessed with it was definitely a blast from the past she loved Bath and Body Works but her favorite scent of all time was none other than cucumber melon I can still smell it right now she would Always be wearing it and Lindsay remembers that it was a go-to gift everyone would gift it to JB for whatever the occasion JB her sisters and her mom were also models they modeled four department stores like gaers parisians and MC Rays one particular memory they shared together was being on the runway at A Mother's Day fashion show the

sister shared many m able times they loved watching the Jaws movie over and over again and singing Navy songs From the films they loved dancing dressing up and giving full-blown performances JB had an undying passion for dance she excelled in ballet Jazz lyrical and tap and she earned various dance trophies and awards including All-American cheerleader JB's sister Joe Beth said that JB was made to dance she was an angel gliding on the stage and you could feel her passion for it it when she danced Joe Beth remembers being in awe of JB's dancing she would

watch Her sister just dreaming of being like her when she got older JB was so serious about dance that after high school she actually planned to pursue it as a career she wanted to go to Texas Christian University where she dreamed of majoring in dance yet dance wasn't her only Talent she maintained a spot on the honor roll she even received a United States National Honor Roll award and she was a member of the future Business Leaders of America just like Tracy JB took her studies very seriously she was always busy but when she wasn't

in school dancing she was shopping tanning and spending time with friends and family JB also held a job as a file Clerk and a receptionist at Southern Clinic where she was known for actually making friends with all of the patients while JB enjoyed her job her passion would always be dance and at some point in July 1999 she actually landed a job as a dance instructor but sadly she Never got the chance to begin this dream role of hers and I want to take you back to Saturday July 31st 1999 it was JB's 177th birthday

and both she and Tracy were gearing up for their senior year of high school which was set to start in just a few days on August 3rd at this time Cheryl and JB's stepdad Joe had gotten divorced and they shared custody of the children they would go back and forth between the two households and on that particular Weekend the girls were over at Joe's house they would be back over at Cheryl's on Sunday evening to celebrate JB's birthday and Mark The End Of Summer She and Tracy decided to attend a field party that night the

plan was for JB to spend the night at Tracy's and then the next morning they would go to church together before JB had to make it back home in time for her sister Jackie's 10th birthday party JB wouldn't miss her sister's party for anything she knew how Much it meant for her to be there for Jackie it was really cool having a birthday so close together at around 10 p.m. the two 17-year-old friends left Tracy's house in JB's black 1994 Mazda 929 it was a gift from her father they headed out to the field party

in helin which was about 20 mi Northeast of Dothan I'm not sure if being teenagers meant not being able to keep track of time or consider how long it would take to get to their destination then hang Out and go all the way back to Tracy's but she had a longstanding and strict 1130 p.m. curfew back then of course there was no GPS so the girls couldn't simply just plug in the location and know exactly how much time it was going to take to go there and back but I just kept thinking looking at the

map on Google they weren't really going to have that much time to hang out it would have taken them about 17 maybe 20 minutes give or take to get there so technically Te Al they would only have about an hour to hang out until they had to make it back in time for Tracy's curfew I don't think they were planning to make it I think they were going to ask for forgiveness instead of permission however they never made it to that party they got lost on the way through the curving winding roads they didn't have

cell phones so they had to find a pay phone so they could call for help that would have to be nerve-wracking for a Parent not only just not knowing where your kids were but how would anyone know where the girls were if they even found a pay phone to call I'm so glad that we have technology that we do these days just after 11:30 p.m. JB and Tracy see a gas station with an attached convenience store called the big little it was located at 763 East Broad Street in Ozark Alabama that small town that I

told you about with about 15,000 people it's roughly 23 Mi Northwest of their Home and Dothan I don't know how they got this far off track but if you look on this map Ozark is pretty much in the totally opposite direction from Headland where they were supposed to be going when they got to the store they planed to ask someone for directions and just use the pay phone to let Tracy's Mom Carol know they were running late for Tracy's 11:30 curfew when the girls arrived at the welllet store they found out it was closed but

there was a payone So Tracy used it to call her mother Tracy told Carol that they never made it to the party because they got lost however there was a car pulling up at that moment it was a mother and daughter and they were talking to them and trying to get directions back to Dothan from where they were once they knew how to get back to Tracy's she relayed this to her mother and then she asked if on the way back she and JB could quickly stop by her boyfriend Wade's house to see him And

some friends in Midland City on their way home which would have been the halfway mark between Ozark and Dothan so Carol said okay but you can only stay for 5 minutes since that 11:30 curfew had already passed Tracy agreed and she said I love you and hung up with her mom when Tracy hung up she called Wade and they agreed to meet up at the Midland City Gas Station Carol was expecting the girls to arrive back sometime after midnight but when over an hour had Passed she started to get worried she decided to make some

phone calls to find out if she could figure out where the girls were now Carol wasn't that familiar with JB's mother or stepfather and I realize not all parents get too acquainted with one another maybe they know their name their address their phone number the basic information they both had daughters that they trusted and that weekend JB's mother didn't have the kids she was working at a tennis shop at A country club that whole weekend and that night she was actually not just working but in the tennis tournament she finished up around 10: p.m. the

same time the girls would have been heading out of town and unknowingly into Ozark after work Cheryl stopped by a friend's house to feed his dog since he was out of town and then around 10:30 Cheryl decided to stop at a local block party it was held at a popular Restaurant and Pub in downtown Dothan called popler Head she met up with a friend Ma hman and she thought she might actually run into JB and Tracy that night she was hoping she would so that she could say happy birthday to her daughter in person so

all throughout the night Cheryl kept searching the crowd but of course she never saw her since they didn't have cell phones even if Tracy's mom had called Cheryl's house she wouldn't have been home to receive that call the last time she and JB talked was actually Thursday night two nights before her birthday and JB was telling her about two different dates that she had scheduled for Friday night before JB left her mothers her mom had a special special birthday wish for her she said it could be summed up with the song Forever Young by Bob

Dylan Cheryl shared with JB the lyrics of that song that deeply resonated with her and she wanted JB to understand the importance of staying forever young at heart she Believed that J possessed a unique youthful spirit that should never be lost to further Express her wish Cheryl presented JB with a copy of that song she encouraged her to listen to the lyrics and consider the message not only that Cheryl mentioned how JB's dancing skills would be perfect to complement the song and she said you should choreograph a routine to it no one had any idea

what Tracy and JB were going to go through the night of JB's birthday Finally Carol did get a hold of Wade and what he told her made her even more concerned he said the girls never showed up at the Midland City gas station he and his friends waited for at least 30 minutes but when they didn't come by waited and his friends left and later that night he tried calling Tracy at home several times to make sure she made it but she never answered hours were passing with no word from the girls Carol even began

calling hospitals in The area to check if the girls were there but they weren't she was worried and unable to find them so Tracy's stepdad Mike went out and looked for them he searched parking lots roads all around town and Beyond but he didn't find them or JB's car when Mike returned without any news Carol called the do with Police Department to report the girls missing it was now 8:00 a.m. on Sunday morning August 1st Carol gave the police all the information about the Girls when they left the kind of car they were driving and

that she spoke to Tracy around 11:30 p.m. the night before when the girls were at the gas station in Ozark meanwhile Cheryl JB's mom has no idea that anything's wrong it's around 9:15 in the morning she received a phone call from JB's dance teacher and the teacher asked her who was was responsible for JB that weekend Cheryl thought that was kind of an odd question and when she asked her why the teacher Just responded with oh it's nothing this statement left Cheryl unsettled she decided to go on with her day head to the country club

but because of this strange phone call she was preoccupied with thoughts that something may be wrong with her daughter she couldn't help feeling that something was a so as she carried on her duties at the Country Club a family friend came in and approached her and informed her that JB and Tracy had not returned to Tracy's House the night before of course this is even more unsettling but maybe the girls were just having a little too much fun and they decided to stay with friends I know that most of us don't want to think the

worst right away Cheryl spent the next several hours trying to find out where her daughter was having conversations with her friends and then finally the police she was desperate for information information regarding her now missing teenager however no one Seemed to have any knowledge of their whereabouts but hours earlier at 9:00 a.m. a patrol officer out in Ozark who had no idea about Trac and JB was doing his normal rounds and that's when he noticed a black Mazda that appeared to be abandoned on the side of Herring Avenue a narrow road that's often used by

locals as a shortcut through town this area was located less than a mile from the big little store looking at photos I can see that Herring Avenue is Surrounded by dense Woods on both sides and it looks like it would be very dark at night so why would the girls have stopped there did they run out of gas and where were they now the thing is at the time when they found the Mazda the patrol officer didn't know that this car belonged to JB or that it was connected to missing teens so all the officer

did was report the car is abandoned not much else could be done and about 10:30 in the morning they were making the Connection between the girls and the gas station and Ozark So eventually the Ozark PD became aware that the girls had made contact with Carol at that pay phone off East Broad Street at the gas station that's when they reviewed their system and they saw the report of the abandoned vehicle that matched the description of the Mazda that JB was driving here's the exact location where the car had been found and this is how

far it is from the big little gas Station and convenience store where they stopped to call Tracy's mom a mere 2minute drive so officers went out to that location to see if maybe there were any clues as to what had happened the car was locked one of the windows the driver's side was cracked just a little bit and it appeared that the car may have been out of gas it was very muddy and it didn't look like the car had been forced off the road there was no damage to the outside when they looked inside

They saw that a purse was was on the floor in the front of the passenger seat so because they couldn't get inside they decided to break one of the windows with a baton to gain entry once in the car they found JB's driver's license stuck in between the seat and the center console and the purse had credit cards jewelry and cash still inside it didn't look like they had been robbed or anyone forced themselves into the car the police have been given a description of JB's key ring and I don't know if you remember these

from the '90s but they were little white blocks with black letters one of them had a heart on it and it's spelled out hard to get despite doing a thorough search of the vehicle including underneath the seats the officers could not locate these keys and without the keys they couldn't get into the locked trunk of the Mazda to continue looking for Clues they even used a metal detector in the area but They couldn't find the keys at this point officers from Ozark informed Dothan Police Department that JB's car had been located and a detective came

out to the scene everyone one was concerned about this abandoned vehicle besides it being linked to their disappearance the car had some red flags it was very dirty like it had been taken off-road there was mud on the rear bumper the wheel wells and dry sand and mud inside as well this was concerning Because there were no dirt roads nearby just a foot path that went into the nearby woods they also found smudge marks on one of the back doors that looked like it could be a handprint they really wanted to find a way to

open JB's trunk they were looking for a button inside that would release the hatch if they couldn't figure it out they were going to call a locksmith and while all this was going on in Ozark JB's little sister Jackie was back and Dothan with Her dad waiting to meet up with all of her friends for her birthday at a pool for a swimming party their three cousins had actually flown in from Japan to spend time with them before school started after the summer they were all excited to get to the party but Jackie noticed that

her dad had been in and out of the house all morning and he seemed to be preoccupied she was scared that they were going to be late to her own party but they did eventually get there And they began having a lot of fun but after a while she realized that JB had never shown up and her dad was missing in the action too that was pretty upsetting she also felt that something wasn't right when she finally got back home to her dad's later that afternoon her sisters and her cousins thought to feel like something

was wrong their grandmother was in her room with the door closed and they could hear her talking to someone and it sounded like a Very intense conversation now little 7-year-old Joe Beth could even feel the tension but no one was saying anything however she felt like the adults were acting kind of weird kind of making sure that the girls were staying busy they had no idea that their older sister was missing now back in Ozark the detectives were planning to have this tow truck come and get the vehicle and bring it back to Dothan and

as officers were waiting the detectives finally realized That they can use a button inside the car to Pop the trunk now I was so perplexed by this I actually pulled up a YouTube video of the exact make and model of this car and I was a little confused why they couldn't see that the trunk release button was on the driver's side door right next to the gas tank release button but nevertheless they finally figured it out at this point it was around 2:00 p.m. and when they popped that trunk and the officers Looked inside they

made a devastating Discovery there was both JB and Tracy's lifeless bodies lying right next to each other it's incredibly sad this had now turned from a missing person's case to a homicide investigation because it was clear that both of the girls had been murdered they were fully clothed with mud all over their clothing riger Morse had already reached its peak and it was starting to diminish therefore the bodies were transitioning to the next Phase when bodies go from being stiff too soft again it was difficult for them to figure out approximately when they died it

was super hot that day records show it was around 100° and overnight it hadn't even Di below 81° what happened to JB and Tracy the police wouldn't know for sure until the bodies were removed from the trunk and taken to the medical examiner's office for autopsies while that was being Conducted both families were being notified of this heartbreaking news when Cheryl found out she said that she immediately started to vomit she could not believe that her little girl was killed on her birthday day she just kept imagining JB calling out to her in her last

moments wanting her mom by her side and she couldn't be there to help her the shock and the despair of this entire situation overwhelmed her her whole world was turned upside down in a minute And in the next few hours many of her family and friends would come to be by her side at her home to comfort her it was around 6:00 p.m. when Jackie remembers hearing her grandmother scream inside of her room and she could hear her crying yet still no one had said anything to the kids I want to read you exactly what

Jackie said she remembers about that night when her dad finally drove the girls to their mother's house she said quote as we got close to the House I immediately noticed the slow funeral sign sitting in the yard my dad kept reassuring us that everything was okay but I knew better I asked him if my mom was dead and he said no she's okay my dad walked us all into the house and I see my mother sitting on the floor crying and people all around her she grabbed us all and put her arms around us and

while looking at us all in the face she said JB is dead I couldn't comprehend what she was saying those Words hit me so hard I couldn't even speak all I remember is being silent and walking the house waiting for her to come home any minute the next morning I woke up and I heard the shower going and I got up thinking it was JB and then it hit me that she was never coming back my world had been turned upside down and our family was never going to be the same end quote she said

that her last memory of JB was on Saturday Saturday morning the day before Jackie's birthday JB gave her a big hug and told Jackie that she would see her the next day at her party Jackie remembers JB hugging her for a few seconds and telling her that she loved her she said that was the last time she heard her sweet voice and she will never forget it wow I cannot even begin to imagine that pain JB's family had not experienced one but now two of Cheryl's daughters had had died just years apart and just like

that Jamie Brooke became the oldest sister Just like JB had when Liv passed away and now they became Four Sisters there would be one less sister running through the house and fighting over the bathroom in the morning as they were getting ready for school little job Beth was only seven and she remembers that day that she got the news her older sister was gone she said quote I remember walking into my mom's house and I saw everyone surrounding our mother and crying that's when we got the Most devastating news because I was so young I

didn't quite understand what was going on I couldn't believe that I wouldn't be able to see my sister again it was so hard to understand at that time end quote it would be hard for any of us to understand but especially a young child then there was JB's cousin Lindsay who had been busy at school at Auburn University when the news came in she was so upset that she couldn't be with her family she said quote I wanted To stay at my parents house until we got more news but I had papers due early that

week so my parents insisted that I head back to Auburn and they would keep me updated that afternoon was torture waiting to hear anything but I somehow managed to slap together rough drafts of my papers when I was finished I jumped in the shower and intended to call my parents as soon as I got out I had just gotten dressed and was about to dry my hair when I heard a knock at the door When I looked out the people I saw my brother and sister-in-law and I knew right then what they were about to

tell me opening the door the look on my brother's face was all I needed it was like someone had kicked me in the stomach and the pain would never stop I had experienced numerous terrible days in my life including a head-on collision with an 18-wheeler but the day we lost J is still by far the worst day of my life end quote like I said I can't even Imagine the pain of losing someone like that Tracy's mother Carol and stepfather Mike receiv received the devastating news that JB and Tracy had been found but tragically they

were no longer alive it is the worst news that any parent can get and Cheryl thought it was odd that Carol and her husband had never reached out to grieve with JB's family they had never become close after both their daughters had died together and I was thinking that maybe Carol held some Resentment towards Cheryl because it was JB's birthday and Tracy was more of a follower than a leader she was kind of going along with JB's plans that night in JB's car that night who knows but the two families never connected with one another

through their grief some people do want to be alone in these moments and going back to the officers over in Ozark when they were getting ready to transport the victim's bodies they noticed a 9mm shell casing lying on the Bend of one of Tracy's knees as they carefully looked inside they concluded that Tracy had been stuffed inside the trunk first she had a single gunshot wound to her Temple they could see a cut on her arm and under closer inspection there were Brier Thorns stuck to her pant legs she was still wearing a brand new

pair of new balanced shoes news that her parents said she just purchased the week before for about $95 but now they were covered in a thick Layer of mud it looked as though JB had a gunshot wound to her cheek she also had mud on her shoes and both girls pants were wet from the knees down once the girls bodies were removed from the trunk the police carefully looked inside and concluded that the girls were killed after they were forced inside that trunk but not at that location they came to this conclusion based on a

few reasons there was some sort of indentation in the trunk where Tracy's head had been And a 9mm shell casing was lying where JB's head was positioned as for why they didn't think the car was in that location when the shots were fired was because while looking over the car the police kept hearing a dripping sound coming from below when they checked underneath they found blood that was Dripping and blowback and this signified that a bullet had gone through the trunk and the car had been moving when blood was Dripping there was also dried blood

On the ground and somewhat of a trail and then a large puddle which signified to detectives that the car had been sitting there for a while all this evidence led the police to believe the girls were attacked then forced into the trunk and shot somewhere else and then the car was moved to Herring Avenue hours earlier and abandoned the police continued checking out the car and inside they found more mud and sand but they noticed it was only on the driver's Side floor this made them theorize the killer was the one that drove the car

to Herring Avenue and left it there taking JB's keys with them the police also noticed that the rear view mirror was actually on the floor of the passenger side of the car this meant that there was probably a struggle inside of that vehicle it would take quite a lot of force to take a rearview mirror off like that they check for fingerprints but the only ones they found were from the two Officers that had searched the car before knowing that the girls were murdered the Ozark Police realized that they could not investigate these murders by

themselves so the Alabama Bureau of Investigation the FBI and other law enforcement agencies were brought in to assist them meanwhile Dr Gregory Wagner performed autopsies on the girls and he concluded that JB was shot in the face close up and that she died in immediately from a brain stem injury There was Gunpowder stippling on JB's hand which indicated that the gun had been close to her when fired but Dr Wagner couldn't determine the exact distance he noted that JB's shoes and the inside of her jeans were muddy this suggested that her pants had been off

at one point that's how the dirt got inside and this was important because it could go towards a possible sexual motive if her clothes had been removed Dr Wagner concluded that Tracy died from a gunshot Wound to the temple he also found gunpowder stippling on the back of her right hand and determined the gun was about 2 feet away when fired he could tell that Tracy's hand was close to her head it wasn't outstretched when the gun went off her shoes and her jeans were muddy and there was a bit of blood on her shoes

JB and Tracy didn't have drugs or alcohol in their systems but they did have a lot of scratches and abrasions on their arms there were no outward signs Of forced sexual intercourse initially and the reason being they usually look for tear marks or other signs of injuries to the genital region and that was not observed however this was later questioned because they did vaginal swabs JB had seen in her swabs while Tracy did not when they did further testing swabbing the girls' bodies and testing their clothing JB's bra underwear and sweater all had traces of

semen on them and her sweater had blood On it as well so a DNA profile was created with this evidence and sent to cotus and they were waiting to see if they could find a match with the autopsies complete the police focused on figuring out JB and Tracy's last moves they knew the last time anyone heard from the girls was at 11:30 p.m. when they talked to Carol from the big little store in Ozark the girls mentioned that two women had given that directions Home Police want to speak to these two women And they soon

learned they were Marilyn Merritt and her daughter Mariel they'd come forward after word got out about the murders Mariel told police that around 11:30 p.m. on the 31st she and her mom had went to the big little store for a soda when they pulled up they saw one car in the parking lot a black Mazda Mariel walked up to the store but found the doors locked the store had closed for the evening around 11:00 p.m. as she was turning to leave JB approached her Mariel said that her friend was using the pay phone to the

far right of the parking lot and JB said they were lost Mariel gave initial directions to US Highway 231 and then her mom Marilyn added a few landmarks that they should look out for Mariel and Marilyn made sure the girls connected with someone on the phone before they left when the police asked Marilyn and Mariel if the Mazda that the girls were driving was dirty they said no the car was spotless And the girls were perfectly clean nothing seemed wrong except for them getting lost then as the mother and daughter got back into their car

and they were heading out of the parking lot they looked and they saw the girls behind them getting into their vehicle and then they saw them pull to the end of the parking lot and make a right in the direction of the highway like they were told to do other information that was gathered from JB's family is that She just filled up her gas tank on Saturday before the girls left for this trip but it was found near empty when the car was located after speaking to Marilyn and Mariel detectives noted that Herring Avenue where

the Mazda was found which was so close by wasn't on the way back to Dothan so how did the car end up there and on empty it didn't make a lot of sense luckily the big little store did have security cameras so the police got surveillance video from inside the Store and outside the store to verify the girls where they there unfortunately the surveillance system wasn't your typical system that records one area continuously the system would Record 12 seconds inside the store and then switch to 12 seconds in the parking lot and then go back

and forth for hours on end the police sent the tape off to be sliced together so it would only include the area outside and also so they could have it enhanced when the police got the Footage back they saw something it wasn't the best quality even when enhanced they saw that JB and Tracy were there at the time that Mariel and Marilyn recalled seeing them but police noticed something else a poor quality image of what appeared to be a white foreign-made midsize pickup truck that had arrived after Mariel and Marilyn had just pulled in and

Tracy and JB were on that pay phone the truck stayed in one of the gas Pumps for about 3 minutes and then left shortly before JB's car left since the store was closed no one could have entered to pay with cash and there was no no record of a gas purchase at the pump during that period with either a credit card or debit card the video obtained from the surveillance camera did not capture any clear images of the driver leaving the identity of the individual behind the wheel unknown despite the efforts from police they Weren't

able to gather any information regarding this white truck they pleaded with the public to assist them in their investigation but unfortunately no one came forward with any information and I was looking at this picture that they released and honestly to me it looks like a blob I can't even tell what I'm looking at so it's no wonder no one was able to identify anyone or anything in this picture in addition to putting together a timeline For the girls the police searched for the place where the girls had been shot one spot they looked at was

near Highway 123 just west of the big little store someone living in that area said that they heard gunshots around 2:15 in the morning and they reported it to the police when the investigators did go out there they found shell casings on the road but they eventually determined this was not the scene of the murder this was because the shell casings were not a Match they kept searching diligently for weeks trying to find out where JB and Tracy were killed but they just could not determine the spot by August 8th a little after a week

from when the bodies had been found a hotline was set up to take in tips there was a $25,000 reward offered Flyers with pictures of Tracy and JB in the Mazda were plastered everywhere the police had talked to over 150 people and followed lots of leads but the progress was slow the police Worked non-stop to solve this case and by August 18th the reward was over $35,000 and three FBI profilers had actually joined the investigation they hoped that this would help them find a suspect but it didn't it was on September 1st the police released

that surveillance footage I was telling you about of the truck that I couldn't even make out no one ever came forward with any tips but there was about to be a big break in this case a tip came in from a Man named John William barentine let me explain at 11:30 p.m. on the night of July 31st 1999 the same night that JB and Tracy got lost in Ozark and were at the big little store on the phone with Tracy's mom John a 28-year-old part-time mechanic told his wife he was going to go to the

store to get some milk for their 2-year-old old son the thing is according to his wife he didn't come home until close to 1:00 in the morning and when he came through the door he Appeared to be very upset she asked him what happened and he said quote I was hit by a black truck with a dotham tag near Herring Avenue end quote well we know that JB was from dotham and her vehicle was found on Herring Avenue and it was black but it wasn't a truck and there was no damage that would have connected

it to any kind of accident well the next few days John began talking to his friends and family members saying that he thought he might Know something about the two dead girls that was how he referred to them John told one of his friends Leon Jordan that he thought he might know who did it and Leon told him if you know something you should report it especially because there's a reward for any information leading to an arrest so on September 1st Leon was aware that JN was at the police station being questioned well the next

day on September 2nd the Ozark Police shared some big news that everyone had Been waiting for they had made an arrest it may come as a surprise but it was none other than the man they questioned the day before John barentine at first the police didn't tell the public how he was connected during a press conference about the arrest the Ozark Police Chief Tony Spivey said he couldn't give out much information however he was confident that they had the right person he explained that the invest vestigation wasn't over and they were still trying To figure

out a motive the only detail that Chief spyy could share was that John didn't know the girls and that the murder seemed to be a crime of opportunity while Jon's mother and his three sisters were visibly upset they were at this press conference and afterward they criticized the police for not sharing the evidence that allegedly linked him to the murders they claimed he wasn't involved they described John as a little bit strange a bit of a loner But they insisted he was not a killer Jennifer one of John's sisters said the police were setting him

up for someone else's crime Angela another sister of John's mentioned that on the night of the murders John did leave home but not for hours like his wife said it was only for 15 minutes so we could buy milk at the convenience store off of US Highway 231 Angela questioned How Could my brother commit a double murder in such a short amount of time She emphasized that John was soft-hearted he was a man that couldn't even bear to see a woman cry plus he did not own a gun following the news of John's arrest the

media interviewed people that knew him and almost every single one said they were surprised to hear that he was being blamed for the murders of JB and Tracy one neighbor said that Johnny acted a little strange but she never saw a violent side of him he was always really friendly to her she Never would have thought he'd be capable of murder well many people have been fooled before so I'm never sure about that a regular customer at the service station where John work said that he was always really sweet to her she'd never even seen

him upset and she was never scared of him she didn't think he had it in his nature to kill even John's boss said he didn't think he was responsible and everyone in town was saying the same thing he added That he wanted to know what police had against Johnny and why they weren't talking about it days later on September 99th there was still no news about Jon's alleged connection to the murders Chief spyy said he understood the people had questions but it wasn't the right time to give more details since as they always say this

was an ongoing investigation that's reasonable but he assured everyone that he was confident The police had arrested the right guy on September 20th there was a preliminary hearing to figure out if the state had enough evidence to move forward for with the charges against Johan Valentine this was the first time anyone outside the police department had heard the evidence against him during that hearing the police finally shared that a few days after JB and Tracy were killed they got a tip that actually LED them to John this tip came from a clerk working at a

Video store who told police that he recorded a talk that he had with a man named John John wanted to check his surveillance tapes that's right from the big little store John claimed that a fight had broken out on July 31st and he needed the tape to figure out the exact time because John was inquiring about a video the exact night and the place where the girls were last seen where a murder took place nearby it was really odd to the clerk and that's why he Recorded this conversation the clerk told the police he did

not know John's last name but he knew he had an account under Mary or Barry barentine and the address was 109 young Avenue in Ozark when police went to that location it didn't exist however they were able to locate a Mary barentine at 110 young Avenue and she was married to a man named John so they spoke to her when they asked Mary where her husband was on July 31st that is when she told Them he left around 11:00 p.m. to buy some milk for their son at first Mary did say he was only gone

for 15 minutes but then she changed her story saying it could have been longer she wasn't positive because he had taken her watch with him and I was in there thinking she didn't have a clock and inside her whole home fair enough I guess but then Mary said when John got back she thought it had been at least an hour maybe even two and she asked him why it took so long And that's when he told her that a black truck forced him off the road off of James and herring Avenue which is actually right

where JB's Mazda was found not just on the street but almost the exact location I'm going to show it to you the police then talked to JN at his workplace about this black truck and John said that when he went out to get the milk he took the long way to Grocery Outlet going down James Street he claimed that that black Truck with tinted windows and a 38 car tag came off of Herring and hid his car and then drove onto Matthew street I'm mapping it for you Don told the police that he arrived at

the grocery outlet to buy milk at 11:35 p.m. and on his way home he kept checking to see if the black truck was following him once John was back home he just couldn't sleep so he took a shower and then he watched Rocky 3 until 3:00 a.m. the next day he told police he used a rag to buff out The damage that the black truck had done to his car then he told his friend friends and his family members that he thought there might be a connection between the black truck that hit him and the

murders because of the close proximity before he could come forward with any information the police had already tracked the man down they wanted to see that rag that he used to buff off his car they were hoping that it had traces of black paint on it so they Asked him to bring it down to the station with him when John showed up as requested you think he brought the rag he didn't but he did show the police where he said he got hit one officer experienced an accidents believed there was no damage to Jon's car

and then it had never been hit by a black truck or any vehicle the police then confronted John and said the grocery outlet closed at 9:00 p.m. so what's your story that meant JN couldn't have been there to Purchase milk that night they caught him in a lie and that's when John admitted you're right I lied I just wanted to collect the reward money the police asked John to tell them what really happened on the night of July 31st and that is when this story goes off the rails this man was questioned for 4 hours

in a videotaped interview and his story changed I think at least six times first he told them he was home all night but Mary who was in the police station As well being question contradicted that she insisted no he definitely left for milk John then changed his story again saying he actually went to the BP gas station on US 231 to buy milk and he was there for 20 minutes and he drove home he claimed that on his way home he passed the big little store where he saw JB and Tracy on the pay phone

outside but then John told the police another story in this version he claimed a man with tattoos who worked for his uncle And lived in a White House nearby was the the one that killed Tracy and JB according to John when he left for the store he picked this man up at a four-way stop sign as they passed the big little the man saw JB and Tracy and he suggested to John that they quote get some end quote I think you know what he'd be referring to well of course this pequ the detective's interest since

they already were aware there may be a sexual motive John said he pulled into the Parking lot and the tattooed man went up to talk to the girls then he climbed into the back seat of the Mazda on the driver's side while one of the girls was still on the phone eventually the girls drove off with that man in their car and John followed them thinking that maybe the man's going to need a ride the Mazda stopped on Herring Avenue so John parked on James Street turned his lights off and his engine somehow he could

hear the conversation that the man was having With the girls and according to John this tattooed man and the girl who drove the Mazda got out of the car and that's when he said the girl said I thought you were going to give us directions what are we doing in the woods and the tattoo man replied I will I will but first you got to give me some John said he saw the girl who had been sitting in the passenger side get out and start to run but the tattooed man grabbed her and dragged her

back to the car John told The police the smart one jumped on his back while he was dragging the other girl then John said he watched the man put both of the girls into the trunk and he heard two gunshots then the tattoo man frantically ran to Jon's car and told him to let him get inside he jumped in with the Mazda's keys in one hand and a gun in the other John said they drove around for a while until he let the man out somewhere in Ozark that is quite a story and a lot

of The things he said actually added up how did he know all that well the newspapers were talking about a lot of the facts John was arrested after telling all of these different stories to police even though he said there was another guy there JN put himself at the location where the girls were last seen and he seemed to know way too much information not to be involved so they arrested him and charged him with two counts of capital murder at John's preliminary Hearing the police testified that they investigated Jon's claims about this tattooed man

killing JB and Tracy but they eventually ruled him out as a suspect when three people confirmed that that man was with them on the night of the murders at that point the police were convinced that Jon and a second unknown suspect were actually the ones involved in the murders so the investigation continued after this there was also evidence that after John was Arrested his cellmate came forward there's nothing like a jailhouse snitch and he claimed that John confessed the murders and this only helped solidify their case against John at the preliminary hearing Jon's defense said

there were way too many unanswered questions to take these charges any further there was no motive evidence John didn't own a gun he never found the gun and there was no physical evidence tying Jon to the murders because at this Point the DNA had been analyzed and when it was put into cotus there was no match but they had yet to test it against John's DNA remember the detectives believe that John and what they called another unknown suspect were n the murders well perhaps Jon wasn't the one who engaged in sexual relations the defense mentioned

that JN had since recanted all of his stories he said he went to the police for the money that's it But the prosecution of course countered this statement claiming that Jon didn't go to the police for the reward money the police approached him after hearing from that video store clerk at the end of the hearing judge buddy Matthews found that there was enough evidence to at least keep John behind bars until the case could be referred to the grand jury in January of 2000 by the middle of October John had a court hearing to decide

if he was going to stay in jail Without bail and during this hearing his defense attorney did something unusual they had JN get on the stand so that he could tell the judge that he had nothing to do with JB and Tracy's murders John said he lied about everything he lied about seeing the girls get killed he lied about all those stories and he just wanted money to pay off his bills he claimed that he was tired and confused during that long interview with police and he just said what they wanted to Hear so he

could go home at the end of the hearing the judge decided that John should stay in jail without bail he ordered Jon to provide a DNA sample for testing against the seamen found on JB Jon's friends and family they stood by him his mother fa said he didn't do it he's not capable of doing it he has a 2-year-old son and he's not capable of doing anything to hurt a child in early November John's attorney announced the DNA did not match but the police said This doesn't change their investigation they still firmly believe that JN

and another person were involved but after this news did come out judge mclin lowered Jon's bail to 200,000 and in mid December he somehow posted that bail on January 10 2000 the grand jury decided not to charge John with murder at first the police made it seem like they were going to continue this investigation into JN but soon they said that he was no longer considered a suspect and they Were back at the beginning and the big question was what were they going to do next it seemed like they wasted a lot of time going

after a man who really didn't seem connected a few days later they increased the reward to $45,000 and then a new team of investigators joined the Ozark Police Department to help they kept working hard on this case but the leads were slowing down months had passed and things got even slower after the tragic Murder of JB and Tracy a memorial fund was established in JB's honor at the compass bank and Dothan this fund's objective was to sponsor a free Performing Arts camp for underprivileged children and they would fund a piece of choreography to be set

annually in honor of JB parents and students at the dance school that JB performed at were responsible for this fund and it was their desire to honor her memory by positively impacting the lives of the Children and their community Community the community came together in other ways that I thought were amazing Central Phoenix High School was the Rival to North View High where JB and Tracy went however after their murder at the very first pep rally Central Phoenix High School decided to show their support and send a gift to North View the gift was a

banner that displayed a heartfelt message the banner read Rivals yes but friends nonetheless it was really nice To see everyone come together it's just sad that it had to be under these circumstances and then just a few months into the new year in February of 2000 two teenage girls in Mississippi were found dead shot in the back of the head and left on the side of the road police began investigating a possible connection between these two cases the victims in this new case were Amanda welburn and Kelsey Bullock however after conducting a thorough investigation it

Was determined that there was no connection between the two cases two men were were eventually arrested for the murder of Amanda and Kelce their names were Paul Evans Jr and Nathan Townsen both of the men were convicted and sentenced and there were other leads other suspects so to speak one was from Battle Creek Michigan police did not disclose the person's name but they noted that he was at a party the night of the murders right near where JB's car Was found and then he left town within days of the murder in order to further investigate

the possible connection they interviewed the suspect and they traveled all the way to Michigan on several occasions this man was unable to account for 3 or 4 hours on the night of the murders and he made statements that were suspicious to police however his DNA failed to match the DNA discovered at the crime scene eventually the police had to move on and focus their attention Elsewhere at the one year mark the case was going cold Cheryl wanted to keep the girls in the news and in the public she had an idea of play placing the

girls photos on utility bills as well as having their pictures on the envelopes until the murder investigation was solved Cheryl also wanted the girls pictures to be displayed in public places like sports complexes Cheryl asked the city to please donate the Civic Center to host a charity ball in Honor of the girls with the proceeds going towards funding things like Billboards meanwhile Tracy's parents Mike and Carol Roberts they made a memorial in the spot where JB and Tracy's bodies were found two white crosses they put them there at the anniversary of their murders and by

August of 200000 Mike had to put the crosses up for a third time the first two times they were stolen who would even do that however The third time Mike installed the crosses using quick dry cement which made it harder for the thieves to steal Mike robberts told the media that he vowed to get Justice for his stepdaughter Tracy even if he had to take his last breath on Earth doing it I saw a bumper sticker on the back of his truck that read someone I loved was murdered that same month August 2000 America's Most

Wanted filmed this special on this case the host John Walsh Traveled all the way to Dothan Alabama to film a reenactment of the murders of JB and Tracy the purpose of this episode was to generate new and relevant information about the case and it focused heavily on that white pickup truck seen in the big little parking lot on the same time the girls were making that phone call however at the time Cheryl was not aware that they were going to depict a reenactment of her daughter's murder Cheryl told the media That watching that episode was

going to be really scary for her police ended up with many tips after the segment aired but nothing was relevant in December of 2000 a tip was received at Crim Stoppers it was said that a weapon bin that was used in the murder of JB and Tracy could be located in a Creek in Northern Dale County the tip stated that the gun was submerged 6 to 8 ft underwater so they sent divers down there to search by hand they devoted several days scouring this Creek but unfortunately there were no weapons found I feel like there

were so many potential leads that led them literally nowhere so JB's mother Cheryl was invited to do a segment on the Mari poit show I don't know if you remember this it was actually called I need to solve my child's murder the episode went on air in January of 2001 Cheryl sat with four other parents of murdered children and they shared their stories and their hope of Seeking Justice for Their loved ones the decision to appear on this show was not easy for Cheryl she had to fly to New York to film this episode and

she knew that it would require immense emotional strength and courage however she felt that it was one of her last opportunities to do something significant and find answers about who murdered her daughter she knew that they had to keep attention on this case there were other suspects that were in question but each one of them were Totally investigated and after years that went by the murders still remained unsolved Tracy and JB's friends and family were still holding on to hope that they would get Justice every year on the anniversary of their tragic deaths their loved

ones would gather at that site where the car was discovered and they would honor them years later 16 years later in 2015 the Thursday review published two writeups about JB and Tracy's case they interviewed JB's Sisters Joe Beth Jackie and her mom Cheryl and her cousin Lindsay that is where I got a lot of the information about who JB was and how everything unfolded on that faithful day the family was notified back in 1999 it had been 16 long years with no answers the article included a picture of 20-year-old Jillian 23-year-old Joe Beth 26-year-old Jackie

and 27-year-old Jamie posing with a portrait of their late sister JB Beasley who would have been 33 years old That year they said they would never give up hope that her killer would be found Jackie said that she thought of JB every time the clock hit 1111 because JB used to stop and say make a wish when asked if Jackie thought JB knew her killer she said that she thought it could be someone they knew or possibly an authority figure she didn't think her sister would have pulled over for anyone else especially at that time

of night when asked what they do to keep This case alive Jackie said they created a Facebook group for JB and Tracy and they had almost 4,000 members they said they were selling vinyl stickers that said Justice for BJ and Tracy on them and they were using that money to help raise awareness for the case they also planned things like a car wash and a 5k to raise money they said they would never stop searching for answers when Cheryl was interviewed she told the reporter that after 16 years she still Lived in the same area

in 2006 she actually graduated from Troy University with a bachelor's of Science in criminal justice and that the murder of JB has left her relationship with her other daughters very strained she loved them so much but it was really hard for her to remain close Especially since one of them looks strikingly similar to JB and that's really tough for her and that is actually very sad that this murder has so many Ripple effects well I want to Fast forward to the 20year anniversary of JB and Tracy's unsolved murders the Ozark Police Department was desperate to

solve this case and willing to try anything and that's when they decided to bring in a laboratory not just any laboratory paraban Nano labs and they wanted to use genetic genealogy to solve this case remember they still had that DNA this lab uses Advanced genetic sequencing techniques and their expertise in this field has been Instrumental in solving cold cases and they do this by identifying potential suspects through DNA databases and matching them to family trees I am sure if you've been watching this channel before we've talked about it or if you have been keeping up

with the Idaho case where Brian koberger has been charged you might have learned about genetic genealogy but it lets the police identify a potential suspect by looking at DNA from family members who are Willing to share that DNA in a genealogy database this helps investigators create a bigger family tree than before so this lab narrowed down the results to only five people and when Ozark Chief Marlos Walker saw the list one name stood out Coy Lewis mccraine him and the chief had actually gone to high school together in Dothan he looked back through the files

and found out that Coy who had only been 23 at the time time of the murders was never questioned and never considered a Suspect he didn't have a criminal record so his DNA wouldn't have been in codus so they wouldn't have gotten a match anyway but police checked into CO's background and learned he was born in 1974 in Quincy Florida and then his family moved to Ozark Alabama when he was 3 or 4 years old Coley grew up with his three older sisters his dad was a carpenter his mother worked at a nursing home while

he was a junior at Carol High School Coy started dating a woman named Zaffre they had a child before Coy graduated in 1992 he and zaf remarried in that same year they welcomed another child Coy then joined the Air Force and he supported his family while he was stationed out in Mississippi interestingly police noted that Coy had registered a high. 9mm pistol that he had received during that military service and that was the same type of gun that was used to kill JB and Tracy in 1994 Coley and zaffre divorced and Coy No no longer

wanted to be in the military so he left receiving a general discharge he stayed in the Ocean Spring area and worked at a casino and then a fire department it wasn't long before he started dating a woman named Cindy they also welcomed a child together and then he moved all the way to New York but that relationship didn't last so Coley returned to Ozark and he moved in with his mama he worked a jobs before going into the semi-truck industry he went to School in 1997 and he started dating a woman named Diana who he

had another child with a year later Coy finished school and became a long haul trucker he worked for three or four weeks on and then he came home for a few days he moved into a home on lindby Drive in none other than the town of Ozark and this home was about a half a mile away from both the big little store and Herring Avenue where JB's car was found this meant that Cy lived with an a short Walk of where JB and Tracy were last seen and where their bodies were found there were a

lot of connections here with the most important being his DNA which was a match to the DNA found inside JB's body about a year before the murders in March of 1998 Coley had began dating a woman named Janette and she moved into Cole's house just a few months later in June Coley and Janette then bought some land next to CO's mom's house but before they could move in to a Trailer on that land Coy had to clean it all out he did this when he wasn't driving his semi-rs well Coy wasn't faithful to Janette and

in September of 1998 a woman claimed that he was the father of her child a judge ordered a DNA test on July 30th 1999 just one day before the murders of JB and Tracy but despite being ordered to take this test Coley never showed up instead he just decided to pay the child support without providing his DNA I wonder why over the Next few years there were many petitions for child support accusing him of not even paying and in mid August of 1999 Coy and Janette moved onto that land that they had bought and on

June 25th 2001 they got married they welcomed two children and Coy kept working as a trucker but I want you to fast forward to late 2018 Coy and Janette they married they're now living in Dothan their daughter's a high school senior their son is in college and he's still a Trucker but now he also runs a religious nonprofit called spirit and Truth Lifeline Ministries he's a bishop and a preacher at a local church he seems like he's on the straight and narrow so could he have been involved with the murders in order to find out

Chief Walker got in touch with 45-year-old Coley in January of 2019 and he asked him if he would help him out by giving him his DNA to build out a family tree for a case he was working on Coy asked his wife what he should do and she said you have nothing to hide so he decided to go give a sample of his DNA when his DNA was compared to the seen evidence from JB's body and clothing in late February that match was made the odds of the seen coming from anyone else was extremely rare

I'm talking one in 122 non Millions that's 122 followed by 30 zeros yeah this proved that K had sexual relations with JB but it didn't prove that he murdered anyone but when Police looked for any connection between Coy JB and Tracy there was none there would be no reason for his DNA to be on JB's clothes or body they weren't dating they didn't have any friends in common so something wasn't adding up Coy was under police watch until they could make an arrest and on March 15th CI was finally arrested and taken to the station

for questioning detective's first question was if he knew about JB and Tracy's murder he acknowledged that He heard about it through town but claimed he didn't know them he had never met them before really well that's when the detectives told him his DNA matched the DNA found in the murder Coley took a deep breath he turned his face away from detectives and he muttered this can't be happening the detective suggested going back to the beginning and discussing his background so that's what I just explained to you and that's what he did when walking Through what

he had done through his life detectives again said they had DNA and they knew he killed the girls that's when Coy asked for an attorney detective Michael Bryan responded by saying let me explain exp something to you there's no lawyer that can change any facts of this case coy coy kept asking where his lawyer was at and Brian kept saying we haven't called a lawyer Coy asked if he could call one himself and the detective replied Coy alls I want from you just Listen to me just listen to me for a second listen to me

what I want from you is the complete truth you know what look and that's when he grabbed a folder he shuffled through printed photos and he said said let me show you again Coy asked if he could get a lawyer and Brian said absolutely but he didn't end the interview instead he put a photo of CO's family on the table in front of him and then he added a second photo of JB and then of Tracy during their Autopsies Coy asked him so we're not going to do the lawyer and Brian responded we can do

the lawyer if you want a lawyer absolutely absolutely I never denied that you could have a lawyer so I don't want that to get misconstrued all I want you to be aware of what the facts are of this case and the facts are that Coley Lewis mccrae's DNA matches the DNA found on the murdered body of JB Beasley Ryan told Coley that he was going to tell the District attorney's office that Coy was a Savage individual who kidnapped the girls viciously attacked them and forced one of them to have sex with him and then intentionally

executed both of that Brian removed the photos from the table and Coy asked are you putting that on me and Brian said Coy you're the only one that can give the truth Coy continued asking for an attorney and in response Brian put more photos on the table in front of him Coley said he didn't have To do that and then the detectives left him alone for 10 minutes then the detectives told Coley that they weren't going to ask any more questions but they wanted to inform him that he was going to be charged with 5

count of capital murder and a sex crime in the first degree Coley just replied come on man but Brian continued trying to get him to talk at one point Coy started to cry and he said he never heard anyone ever the interview finally ended and Coley stayed In police custody CO's wife Janette was also questioned and she was asked what she knew about the murders of JB and Tracy she said that she'd heard about them but she didn't have any knowledge of what happened detectives then told Janette that Coley's DNA was a match for the

seamen found on JB Janette said all that proved was that Coley had sexual relations with JB it didn't mean he was a murderer Janette didn't think Coy was guilty and she remained Faithfully by His side surprisingly many people who knew Coy thought he was innocent Janette defended him during the news conferences she said that she wanted to let people know that he didn't force himself on anyone and he didn't murder anybody she described coy as a family man who pushed his children to succeed academically and even quizzed her on Bible History Chief Walker himself that

knew Coy said he was very surprised when CO's name was a match of the DNA remember they went to High school together he said every person I talked to said the same thing but DNA doesn't lie of course there are many people who were thankful that Coy had been arrested and the case had been seemingly solved Tracy's mom and stepfather Carol and Mike spoke to the media Mike said quote we've been through pure hell for the last 20 years I know we're going to have to go through a lot more because we're going to have

to relive it again and I'm ready to relive It I'm going to put somebody Behind Bars get them prosecuted and get this over with maybe we can sleep at night then end quote Mike and Carol added they'd like to see Coy get the death penalty Carol said quote I sat down and read Exodus where it says that if you take a person's life you should have to give up your life that's the law and I honestly believe that should be what happen end quote they were both all for the death penalty because Coley had lived

for 20 Years in Freedom and he shouldn't live a day more on this Earth they thought that it needed to be done quickly now JB's mom didn't speak to the media following the news of CO's arrest but I think it's safe to assume that she was also grateful that the case had been solved and an arrest had been made but on the other hand JB's biological father Hilton he was skeptical he didn't know if the police actually had the right guy he told reporters that his legal adviser Told him it would have been difficult for

just one person to have committed such a heinous double murder Hilton said quote this is not the work of a single person we may be wrong but my attitude is I just have to wait and evaluate end quote after Coy was charged the defense geared up for trial and they considered two possible other suspects to present to the jury remember good old John barentine that's one and also a former Ozark police officer was suspect to the Defense wanted to suggest that John barentine who had passed away might have been the killer but the prosecution argued

there was no evidence to support that claim the judge sided with the prosecution and barred the defense from bringing up John but like I said they also explored the idea that a former police officer might be responsible this officer came to the defense's attention through a blog post in 2015 it alleged that a woman named Marina Crum knew what Happened to JB and Tracy she claimed a former officer in a drunken State confessed he was involved in the murders she said it was to conceal cassette tapes revealing local cops involvement in the drug trade there's

so many weird twists in this case but after the blog was published this former police officer filed a defamation lawsuit reena's allegations gained a lot of public attention I mean of course a police police officer involved in a murder of Two teenagers and many people believe she was going to be a crucial witness for the defense but during the evidentiary hearings she admitted it was all a lie so the defense would no longer be able to use her as a witness and they lost all their alternative suspects now they had to come up with a

totally different tactic and I have to say what they came up with was pretty wild finally just this year on April 19th 2023 the trial for 49-year-old Coy Mccraine began it was led by Alabama attorney general Steve Marshall the prosecution told the jury all about JB and Tracy how they were both extremely friendly how they had their whole lives ahead of them and so much more the prosecution explained that on July 31st 1999 JB and Tracy got lost on their way to a party they asked for directions at the big little store in Ozark then

used a pay phone to call Tracy's mom the prosecution theorized that after the Call Coley confronted the girls at gunpoint ordered them into JB's car and made her drive to a marshy area there he commanded JB to undress made her of sex with him and then when he was finished he forced both girls into the trunk Coy shot JB and Tracy at close range he later drove the car to Herring Avenue and walked home to his house that was close by the prosecution argued that even though neither one of the girls autopsies revealed signs of

vaginal Injuries that wasn't necessary to classify this as forced injuries weren't always present and the forensic Pathologists who conducted the autopsies said you could have consensual or non-consensual intercourse and both can or cannot produce injuries the Attorney General ordered Janette to testify a trial now she hadn't been married to Coy at the time of the murders so she did not have any marital privileges Janette talked about what happened on July 30th 31st and and August 1st she said Coley returned from a long haul trucking job on the 30th the next day Janette went to work

while Coy went to their land to clear it out according to Janette she arrived home from work around 8:00 p.m. and Coy came home shortly afterward at 8:20 he was sweaty from working outside so he took a shower 2 hours later close to 10:30 p.m. she said Coy left to visit his mom's house he hadn't seen his family in weeks so he decided to pay Them a visit Janette said she remember that Coy returned home right before 1:00 a.m. she knew this because they had a rule that after 11:30 p.m. the chain had to go

on the door so she locked the chain lock on the door at that point and went to the couch to watch TV when Coley came home Janette was still awake and the chain was on the door so she had to get up and open the door for Coy she recalls the time she said CO's clothes were completely clean there was no signs Of blood or mud and he told Janette that that his car had been broken down at the big little store forcing him to walk back home he asked her to come with him and

jump his car so Janette actually left the house drove with Coy to the store and they were able to jump his car before returning home they got back at 1:20 a.m. they slept for a few hours and then later that morning they got up they went to Walmart they bought some supplies for his car and for the road Cuz Coy had to leave that very next evening and they didn't talk for the next three or 4 days which was typical because Coy didn't have a cell phone just to page her Janette testified that a few

days after the murders occurred her mom told her what happened Janette thought about reaching out to the police since she and Coley had been to that same big little store on the same night but in the end she didn't contact them because she'd only seen CO's broken down Car at the store no one else and no other vehicle there was nothing suspicious in her mind Janette said she never heard anything that would indicate that Coy met or had sex or killed JB and Tracy but let's face it Janette puts Cole's car in the exact same

parking lot where the girls were on the same night and his DNA was found on JB still the defense argued the wrong person was arrested they claimed that JB had consensual sex with Coley on the night She was killed according to the defense on July 31st colee then a 23-year-old player that's what they called him encountered JB and Tracy at the big little store he gave them directions and then he hopped in JB's car and continue talking eventually they decided to have consensual sex when they were done the girls dropped Coy off at his house

the defense said someone else then killed JB and Tracy what first of all Tracy already got directions for Marilyn and Mariel they were on a mission to get back to Tracy's but even had plans to stop and meet Tracy's boyfriend Wade they even called him and said they were on their way so why would they entertain this random guy and Tracy just stand by while her friend has sex with him real fast then coincidentally they get killed by someone else it just seems way too far-fetched but the defense emphasized there was no evidence proving Coy

was the killer the only evidence tying Coy To the girls was seen and that came from consensual sex not forced the defense also told the jury that in 2019 during Cole's arrest the police treated him horribly they used tactics that he compared to noty Germany and like I told you it is true the defense pointed out that Coy requested a lawyer eight times but wasn't provided one he then spent 25 hours in that interrogation room sleeping on a mat on the ground but that doesn't change his DNA being present Chief Walker was called to testify

and he said they delayed booking Coley into jail to wait for a search warrant and to tie up loose end the chief argued that Coley was fine he was moved into a conference room he was given meals they talked about other things besides the murder like high school basketball and football and during the trial the defense only called a few Witnesses including a newspaper delivery person a man who lived on Broad Street the same Street as the big little store and Coy mccrany himself testified the newspaper delivery person his name is Dan sh that he

was delivering newspapers in Ozark around 2:15 in the morning on August 1st and he noticed a Mazda with emergency lights on at James Street and Herring Avenue Dan said he saw the car several times during his deliveries that morning on a second sighting a Mercury Grand Marquee was parked behind the Mazda with two people and a juvenile inside he said He thought it was an undercover police car due to the strobe lights Dan mentioned seeing the Mazda again around 2:45 this time with an Ozark Police Police Department car nearby later around 7:00 a.m. the Mazda

had been moved to Herring Avenue it wasn't until Dan saw the news article about JB and Tracy's murders that had a picture of the car that he realized the significance he contacted the police and shared what he had seen the defense also Called a man named Jimmy who lived on Broad Street in 1999 to testify he said that around 11:20 p.m. on July 31st he was cleaning his balcony when you noticed a white truck and a Mazda driving down the road intersecting with Broad Street the cars were moving at a moderate Speed without being aggressive

and they entered the parking lot and turned off their lights Jimmy then heard a noise and after 15 minutes both cars drove towards the big little store Jimmy Could see the silhouette of a man in the truck but couldn't identify anyone that was in the Mazda initially he didn't think much of it until he saw the picture of the Mazda in the newspaper finally Coy mccraine himself took the stand in his defense it was obvious the man was nervous and his testimony was shaky he claimed he already knew JB that's right the two of them

met in June of 1999 in the mall and Dothan where he dropped off his girlfriend Janette at Work he said he stopped at Radio Shack and JB happened to be nearby so they talked and JB introduced herself as Jennifer Coley said that's how he knew her he never knew her name was JB well that's a nice try but everyone who truly knew JB strongly disagreed with the statement throughout her entire life she made sure people knew that her name was JB it didn't stand for Jennifer we know it actually stands for James which Coley would

have never guessed but Coy went on To tell the jury he gave this girl Jennifer as he's calling her his mom's home phone number instead of his own he didn't have a cell phone and he didn't want JB to call his house while his girlfriend was around Coy said J called him at his mom's house on the same day they met and then again in July they had plans to meet up when whenever they could however they didn't actually get to see each other until July 31st the night she was murdered it's so Interesting that

she happened to get lost right near his house that she'd never been to but anyway Coley said he returned home from the long hul trucking job on July 30th and parked his truck at the truck stop on County Road 18 he explained his semi was too big to park at home so we had to park it at the truck stop then he said on July 31st he worked on the land that he and Janette owned next to his mom's place around 3:00 p.m. that's when JB happened to Call him at his mom's and they plan

to meet at his old high school in Ozark at 10: p.m. now remember the girls were lost in Ozark they had no idea where they were and they were headed to a party and a totally different direction so this made no sense but Coley still tried to make it make sense he said later that night he drove to the big little store waiting for JB until 10: p.m. it was never explained why he claimed to have waited at the store Instead of the high school this man had his story all over the place but again

we know the girls pulled into the first place they saw that was open or they thought was open but Coy said when JB didn't show up around 10: or 10:30 he returned to his mom's house since that was the only way that JB was going to be able to contact him but she never called so he just spent time with his family before leaving around 11:45 p.m. on the way home his car started to act up and Then it broke down but somehow he coasted right into the big little parking lot what a coincidence he

expects us to believe that at the same time that the girls happened to get lost he went to the same spot and broke down good good thing his car made it he said after breaking down he looks over and he notices oh my gosh Jennifer she's at the pay phone I can't help but just roll my eyes of the story cuz it's pathetic Coley then said he went up and talked to The girls and JB mentioned you know she was running a little late to get home Coley told her he knew a shortcut back to

Dothan and he asked if they could drop him off on their way since his car was clearly out of commission the girls agreed and he sat in the back passenger seat of the Mazda now this is the part I think has some truth to it he said at 11:45 p.m. they left the big little and during that drive Coy chatted with JB while Tracy seemed lost in her own Thoughts about 8 minutes later they were near the truck stop where Coley parked so he suggested they stop take a look at his truck they pull over

JB and Coy get out they get in the front seat of his semi TR while Tracy stayed in the Mazda Coy said one thing led to another and they ended up having sex in a bed that he had in the back of his semi the defense asked if he had forced JB into the truck and he said absolutely not after they had sex they talked and then JB mentioned you know she was in a hurry to meet someone they got out of the truck back into the Mazda and then Coy asked to be dropped off

on Broad Street to avoid being seen by Janette he said the girls dropped him off about 12:30 in the morning and he walked home no I'm not buying his version of events at all let me know what you think happened but there's more before we finish Coy explained that's when he asked Jette to go help him jump his car at the big Little store they jumped the car and they were back home at around 1:00 a.m. Co said he stayed home for the rest of the night and the next day they went to Walmart before

he left for his long long hul truck trip Coy testified he only learned about the murders weeks later when Janette told him he expects us to believe he never tried to reach out to these girls again he never called Jennifer never saw her again never tried to reach out again it was just this Random one i' stand cuz wouldn't you have heard she was murdered if you tried to get in touch with her after the fact Coy said he gave his DNA because he had nothing to do with the murders and he was shocked when

he was arrested because he had no idea what it could be about he never told the detectives that he knew the girls when they asked him because he was scared because once they put him in handcuffs he figured they already made up their minds he wants us to believe he Never saw pictures of these girls in all the newspapers in the small town this was a big story that was featured on TV shows he couldn't have at least recognized the woman even if he didn't know her name he wouldn't have just come forward and said

oh my goodness I was with her that night I can't believe she was murdered well during the cross-examination by the prosecution they poked holes in his story one after The other one of the first things they wanted to know was how JB knew to call CO's mom's house that night on the 31st and he explained oh well I told her I was only there on the weekends so that's when she would call well the prosecution brought out a notepad and they had been jotting things down that he said happened on July 31st and this is

where they put all the inconsistencies on display for the jury according to Coy he had plans to meet with JB at 1 p.m. he Described this as a date they told him it was a remarkable coincidence and he responded I guess so and that's what I said the prosecution explained that Mariel and Marilyn placed Tracy on the phone with her mom at 11:40 however the women can't recall seeing anyone El there at the time but he claims he pulled in around 11:35 when explaining how they got into sex he said they were just talking and

then JB got onto the bed and Coy joined her and they Started touching each other he said it all happened pretty quickly and they were done by 12:15 a.m. the prosecution kept challenging Cole's account saying that it just didn't add up they carefully went through what Coy said and found problems in every part of his story the timeline didn't match the evidence didn't make sense and the prosecution further raised questions about why Coley initially told them that he didn't even know JB and Tracy they Explained he was only saying he knew them now because he

had to find a way to explain why his seen was found so he made up a story about consensual sex a story that made no sense the prosecution argued that the dirt on the inside of JB's jeans didn't come from consensual sex in the back of a truck they came from being attacked at and forced to undress by someone she doesn't know and doesn't want to have sex with to end they said it was clear that Coy shot These girls because he didn't want to be held accountable for what he had done to JB both

girls would have been able to identify him the prosecution told the jury about the totality of circumstances they said that when you consider all of the evidence presented the pieces of the puzzle make a whole picture they reminded the jury that guilt can be determined by circumstantial evidence they said in this case you don't have to Actually see the defendant shoot and kill JB and Tracy to know that he did it when it came time for the defense to give their closing arguments they again said that there was no evidence to tie Coy to the

murders no fingerprints in the car no witness testimony no motive there was just too much Reasonable Doubt and he needed to be acquitted I want your thoughts my thoughts are at some point and I can't tell you when but between the time Marilyn and Mariel left Left the girlss and saw them turning they encountered Coy he might have broken down but he saw the girls and I think he did ask them for a ride and since he was around their same age and he was probably being very charming and convincing they agreed to drive him

to his house which we know is close by however he pulled out a gun and he forced the girls to drive to a secluded area and then of course forced JB to get undressed and took advantage of her and Then shot both of them after he stuffed them into the trunk of her car and then drove the car back to Herring Avenue which was close enough to his house to walk home on April 26th after deliberating for just a day the jury found Coy guilty on all counts some of the people who were at the

trial told the media that CO's testimony probably did more to make the jurors believe he was guilty than anything else they heard in court but his friends and family Still refused to believe he was guilty his supporters gathered outside the courthouse many of the Peace ful protest held signs with the words Coy strong with Bible verses on the back and front next the jury would have to determine if Coy would be sentenced to life or death and they asked many family members to read Victim Impact statements to highlight the loss that he had created JB's

mother Cheryl said quote I thought I knew the meaning of Devastation trauma And being broken I have a hole inside of me it's not something you get over I exist without her end quote Tracy's mom shared that the toughest moments for her family were during the holidays the absence of Tracy just an empty chair being there was so hard for them Carol expressed how Tracy was not just her daughter but her best friend Every Mother's Day she visits the cemetery she spoke about the challenges of trying to have normaly in her life for her sons

And shielding them from the pain and give them a childhood that they deserve and how difficult it is even decades later but the defense argued there were mitigating factors that showed that kley should only have life in prison he didn't have a criminal history he was present in his children's and his grandchildren's lives and he was a value to others even his daughter Alicia talked about her childhood how she grown up in a loving home she never saw her Parents fight or her father ever be aggressive towards anyone CO's wife said he's very family oriented

and a great father and a good man his children need him and she needed him in closing the prosecution told the jury that Coy already had 20 years free after murdering JB and Tracy and that the man they saw today was a different man back then that man back then wasn't a godly man that man was a rapist and a murderer in the end the jury chose to send Coley To prison for the rest of his life and not sentence him to death the Alabama attorney general released the statement quote 23 years the families of

JB Beasley and Tracy hollit have hoped and prayed for justice while this outcome will not bring their loved ones back my hope is that it will give them the much delayed closure they deserve and will reinvigorate this entire community's faith in the justice system the verdict handed down today sent a clear message We have no tolerance in this state for those who callously take the lives of others especially our youth K's friends and family continued protesting about the verdict on May 6 they showed up to Justice Park to voice their concerns they said he was

wrongly convicted Coy was later formally sentenced to life without parole he has appealed his conviction the appeal is still pending after the tragic deaths of JB and Tracy a memorial was established Close to where the Mazda was discovered it's decorated with flowers crosses and angel statues and it serves as a reminder that JB and Tracy will never be forgotten I really wanted to get your thoughts on this one I think they got it right it's sad that maybe he made a very bad and impulsive decision that night but no matter how much he changed afterward

he still has to be held accountable for those choices and I think if it was someone else they would Have found them by now I want to thank you all so much for being here and I want to thank our sponsor in cogy once again for making this video possible please don't forget to check them out at the link in my description box thank you all so very much for being here I will see you in my next video bye