On August 19th, 2021, Carl Harris filed his lawsuit against the City of Ozark. Dawn Beasley: I had an impossible choice to make And I really struggled Tracey deserves justice. (334) 733-5927. Maureen Maher: But they maintain that the case was specifically built on the statements of all the people who said that they saw Carl being abusive to his wife, his strange behavior afterwards. The girls, both from Dothan, had traveled from. Maureen Maher: You and Jeff never talked about it ever again? They had planned to attend a party near Headland on the night of July 31 but got lost and were last heard from when Hawlett called her mother from Ozark to let her know they were on their way home. They also went to the area under the bridge where people would sometimes gather. Legal Statement. Prosecutors Kirke Adams and Jordan Davis spent more than three delay-filled years putting together their case, seeking justice for Tracey Harris. Would love your thoughts, please comment. They had both been shot once in the head. JEFF BEASLEY: She went down and didn't come back up. Dawn Beasley: Jeff comes home from prison But very quickly I realize that this is not going to be what I anticipated it was going to be. McCraney remarried in 2001, to a Dothan public schools employee, according to records. They spent time on the bridge where police believed Carl threw Tracey into the river. McCraney had never been on the radar of police during the 20-year investigation into the murders. In her senior year of high school, Tracey became pregnant, and she and Carl, who was three years older, married. Kat Teurfs is the associate producer. "Yes, ma'am," he replied. Dawn Beasley: I would like to say that I did, but I didn't. He served from 1993 to 1997. Ozark police sued for arresting wrong murder suspect. Their bodies were discovered about 20 miles from Dothan in Ozark, a small town in the southeastern part of the . January 23, 2021 CBS's '48 Hours: The 30-Year Secret - The Tracey Harris Murder,' as the title suggests, is an episode that examines how the brutal 1990 slaying of Tracey Harris, an Ozark, Alabama, native, was solved three decades after it transpired when a witness revealed a secret that baffled the local community to its core. What we thought was interesting was that she had witnessed it in the same manner as how Tracey was actually killed. Carolyn Aznavour: Carl has not come forward and actually been truthful to me about the abuse. On the eve of Carl Harris trial, Dale County prosecutor Jordon Davis discovered that investigators had accused the wrong man. While police were reinvestigating the case, Carl was trying to get on with his life. Through Gods grace and strength, weve come this far, and thats what Tracie would want us to do.. Pike Road head football coach resigns after 1 season, Alabama, 4 other states prevail in suit to block Equal Rights Amendment certification, Youth mental health is a growing concern in Alabama. The federal lawsuit demands a jury trial and names as defendants the city of Ozark, former police chief Marlos Walker, and Investigator Jimmy Culbreath. Carolyn Aznavour: I have tried to piece it together that's what I do -- I try to piece everything together and make it all make sense. Was that a concern for you as you were preparing a defense? Carolyn was just 4 years old when she lost her mom. More than 26 years after Tracey Harris's body was found, Carl Harris was arrested on September 13, 2016 for her murder. Maureen Maher: Tell me about your family as a young family, you and Tracey and Carolyn. They are open every day except Monday, Saturday, and Sunday. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. iDawn Beasley told police in 1990 that she had witnessed Carl abuse Tracey and that Carl threatened to kill Tracey in front of her. Dawn Beasley: Yes She just wanted to be a family. For years, Selina Dodson wondered if there would ever be justice for her friend Tracey Harris, who in 1990 was found murdered in Alabama's Choctawhatchee River. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Dawn Beasley: It was extraordinary relief. Tracie Hawlett and J.B. Beasley, both 17, were found shot to death in the trunk of Beasley's car in Ozark on Aug. 1, 1999, according to reports. EX-GIRLFRIEND: I just remember thinking that, you know, people were talking and it even took me being questioned to even think that maybe he could have done it. McCraney was indicted in June 2019. His mother filed several child support petitions over the next several years claiming he had failed to pay support, the newspaper reports. DOTHAN, Ala. (WTVY) -Accused killer Coley McCraney's attorneys on Thursday publicly named a retired Ozark police officer as the murderer of two teens, claiming eyewitnesses will implicate him. He has yet to be indicted in the case . She was raised by her grandmother in Texas and didn't have contact with her father. Hawlett's mother, Carol Roberts, said in 2007 that the girls called her from a gas station, telling her they were on their way home, according to the local station. The 2018 crime rate in Ozark, AL is 433 (City-Data.com crime index), which is 1.6 times greater than the U.S. average. Te compartimos la lista completa de todos los ganadores de este ao. Coley McCraney in an undated police photo. It was not clear Sunday if McCraney had an attorney. The most famous murder in Alabama history is the 1988 Hawes murders, which took place in the city of Birmingham. But after it all happened, we just stopped seeing each other. all the ones that they could find, they got back in touch with. Jordan Davis: It was just so many things, most of all which were circumstantial, but they all pointed at Carl Harris. JEFF BEASLEY: I didn't, I didn't do this. Of those, 17 were quickly excused for different reasons. She started asking people in town what they knew about Tracey and the investigation. Carolyn spoke with the sheriff, who put her in touch with the Ozark Police Department. In March of 2021, the Dothan Police. We had a fight. The two teens, students at Northview High school in Dothan, were headed to a party on July 31, 1999, but got lost and ended up about 20 miles northwest in Ozark after they confused the directions, ABC Dothan affiliate WDHN reported. She said in 2007 that her daughter and J.B. wound up in Ozark after getting lost driving to the party, WDHN-TV reported. Barrentine later told police he made up stories to get reward money. They married in her senior year in 1986. Coley McCraney was identified a suspect in the deaths of J.B. Beasley and Tracie. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Police say Carl then picked up a friend, reportedly at 9:30 p.m. Making all those stops, Carl would have traveled about 20 miles. It is believed that Brogdon killed his mother at his home, cutting up . One of those people was Dawn Beasley. Dawn Beasley: I was going to have to throw my entire life away. She and her soon-to-be husband Jeff, who worked construction with Carl, lived with the Harrises for about a month. Blankenship, who is Jordon Davis father, did not become mayor until after Harris had been cleared. Police tracked down his old friend Jeff Beasley, who was living in Ozark, working as a trucker, and brought him in for questioning. How Ben Davis Died On Ozark After being put in a state hospital to treat his bipolar disorder following an arrest, Ben was sprung from the facility by Ruth with the help of Darlene Snell. He died Wednesday. She could have come up here and -- she could have lied on the stand. His record is spotless, a source told WDHN-TV. Dawn Beasley: And she says "My name is Jordan Davis, I'm with Dale County D.A. Coley McCraney is accused in the 1999 cold case rape and murder of JB Beasley and Tracie Hawlett in Alabama. EX- GIRLFRIEND: I was a young, naive teenager. Carl claims through the years he occasionally called authorities to ask about the investigation, but they say otherwise. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. She was terrified of water. All rights reserved. "Tracey Harris was a hardworking, young mother that disappeared March 7th, 1990," said Adams. Cold beer, wine & mixed drinks. Selina Dodson: So, I would wonder, I wonder what happened to Carolyn. Her body had come to rest upon a log after the water started to recede a bit. Investigators also tracked down that girlfriend of Carl's, who was 17 when Tracey was murdered. Dawn Beasley: And every word of my statement was true. In 1999, two teenage girls, J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett were found dead with a single shot to the head in their vehicle. Like she did everything for me [crying]. They just never asked me, "who do you think did it?" The pastor of the church wrote a message of support for McCraney and his family on the churchs Facebook page on Sunday, a day after his arrest, and a video showing they prayed for him at their service Sunday. Dawn Beasley: I told Jordan, I have given you completely honest reasons why I don't want to testify, but the most important reason I can't testify is because you have an innocent man on trial. That's when one statement from 1990, not followed up on, caught her attention. Dawn Beasley: They asked me we need you to testify. Kirke Adams: There was nobody whose name had ever come up that had any reason to kill Tracey Harris. Her grandmother provided a loving a home and, Carolyn says, that was more than enough. I said, "you're ruining my life and you don't understand why. In investigating Carl Harris, Jr. as s possible suspect in the death of Tracey Harris, the Ozark Police Department found no blood, no crime scene, no DNA evidence, no marks upon the body of Carl Harris, Jr., the lawsuit alleges. OZARK, Ala. (WTVY) - A woman who had accused Ozark police of covering up the murder of two teens to protect one of their own recanted those claims in explosive testimony on Thursday. Jordan Davis: This was definitely something Carolyn was passionate about she wanted some type of justice for her mom. Despite all the talk in town, Tracey never filed police reports about the alleged abuse. Complementing the city's inviting business climate and tax structure is a workforce equipped with career training from Ozark's educational institutions and those within commuting . OZARK, Ala. (WTVY) -A man wrongfully charged in the cold case murder of his estranged wife has filed a $6 million lawsuit against the city of Ozark. Although she recalled little about her time with Carl, she did remember learning Tracey was dead . Email Map. DOB: Tracie Hawlett - 17 years of age; J.B. Beasley - July 31, 1982 Last Seen: July 31, 1999 at the Big/Little Convenience Store located at 763 East Broad Street in Ozark, Alabama Case Details (Courtesy of What Lies Beyond): Tracie and J.B. had been headed to a party near Midland City and Headland the night before (July 31, 1999). Please enter valid email address to continue. It didn't even say Beasley. Two other people are named on the Secretary of State records. Harrison contends that Harris, who he represents, has suffered irreparable harm. Carl was believed to have been the last person to see Tracey, picking her up the night she disappeared from the restaurant where she worked as a waitress. A DNA match found through a genealogy website has led to an arrest in the killings of two teen girls nearly 20 years ago, Alabama authorities said. Their deaths sparked a nationwide search. "What happened?" He's got her bent over backwards with his hands around her throat. And as time went on, she did think about ways to tell authorities what she knew. A high school education is a basic prerequisite for most . The defense also offered up an alternate suspect: that friend police say Carl picked up the night Tracey disappeared named Bobby Herring. Dart. Dale County District Attorney's Office/CBS News. Ozark Map. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. When you put the timeline in this case Maureen, unless he was on a Learjet, that was impossible. First published on January 23, 2021 / 11:09 PM. Genetic genealogy allows law enforcement agencies to identify a potential suspect through his or her family members who voluntarily submit their DNA to a genealogy database, allowing investigators to create a larger family tree than in years past. Tullie's son, Jason Hunter Culverhouse ("Hunter"), a named beneficiary under the Alfa policy, filed a claim for the proceeds . The Ozark time zone is Central Daylight Time which is 6 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Dawn Beasley: I cannot imagine that she was cheating, with Jeff or anyone else. Jordan Davis: The one in particular that we found that they hadn't talked to in 2016 was this Dawn Hulbert now Beasley. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. He was buried in a $25 suit and a cheap wooden box. But they did remember something from that trip to the river where Tracey's body was found. Dawn Beasley: They're going to ask him some questions. Dawn Beasley: Tracey and I were a lot alike. Show All. David Harrison: I've tried 140 criminal jury trials. Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. OZARK, Ala. (AP) A truck-driving preacher accused of killing two teenage girls from Alabama nearly 20 years ago was found with the same genealogy database techniques used to apprehend the suspected "Golden State Killer" last year. Dale County Jail/Ozark Police Jury selection in the . Get instant notifications on top stories from News 4 by downloading our mobile apps. McCraney was 26 at the time of the killings. Dawn Beasley [crying]: I should have been sorry for Carolyn and I was sorry for me. Selina Dodson and Tracey were about 11 years old when baptized. Within hours, family friend Jeff Beasley confessed and charges against Harris were dropped. But police and prosecutors did not believe it was an accident, and Jeff Beasley was charged with the murder of Tracey Harris. - October 16, 2018 And I think when they reopened the case, they were just trying to prove Carl did it, not look for anybody else. Cheryl Burgoon, Beasleys mother, told the newspaper at the vigil, Once you lose a child, it takes you to places you could never expect. "Everybody thought I killed her. 15 year old double homicide of Ozark teenagers remains unsolved - August 1, 2014 Breaking Their Silence: Sisters & Family Talk About Unsolved Murders August 21, 2015 19 years pass since double-murder of teen girls in south AL - August 1, 2018 Who Murdered Teen Friends J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett in 1999? Maureen Maher: What did you grow up thinking happened to your mom? Jordan Davis: I thought, wow she's coming up with a crazy story as to why she can't get here. Prosecutors do not know why or who spray-painted the name under the bridge. J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett were both 17 when they were killed. But Jeff Beasley should have raised some red flags for police; he had a criminal record. And I signed it. He then dropped Tracey off at their house and headed out to his job at a supermarket. I wouldn't. An. Dwellics analytics team assigned the score 76.8 to Ozark, Alabama (with 100 being the best). The 17-year-old girls had left their homes in Dothan, Alabama, for a birthday party the previous night. Investigators found their bodies in the trunk of J.B.s car on Aug. 1, 1999, a day after their families reported them missing. But the cost was going to be so high. Maureen Maher: Did you feel badly at all that he was under such scrutiny and suspicion? Jordan Davis and District Attorney Kirke Adams, The search for the killer of Tracey Harris. McCraney was arrested Friday and charged with multiple counts of capital murder as well as first-degree rape, online jail records show. The prosecutors were confident in their case -- until they got in touch with a potential witness for the trial who would upend Carl Harris' murder trial just days before it was to start, and point prosecutors to the real killer. Less than a week before it was set to begin, the trial for the suspect in the 1999 killings of two Dothan teenagers has been continued due to the lack of available jurors. Michelle Sigona is the development producer. Could he have really done this? Everywhere I turn, they you know, you hear them whispering in background, 'there's the man that killed Tracey. Carolyn Aznavour: Jordan called me to come to the police station, that they had to tell me something. But Carolyn, who traveled to Ozark for every single hearing, was convinced of her father's guilt. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. On January 13, 2020, the day prosecutors had planned to be in court starting Carl Harris's trial, instead, they held a press conference. The capital murder trial of a trucker charged with killing two Alabama teens in 1999 has been delayed until next year. Coley McCraney with his wife and friends. Man Whose First Wife Died Mysteriously Is Wanted in the Murder of His Second Wife. The newspaper quoted Tracies mother as saying at a vigil on the tenth anniversary of the murders that she prayed every day law enforcement would come up with answers. Coley McCraney was identified a suspect in the deaths of J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett after police used DNA from the crime scene to search a genealogical database, the Dothan Eagle reports. The ratio of all residents to sex offenders in Ozark is 172 to 1. Despite the suspicion, no arrest was made and the case languished. Maureen Maher: Was there any relief for you after all this time? Background, 'there 's the man that killed Tracey, and Jeff never talked about it ever again you! From Dothan, Alabama, for a birthday party the previous night did, but I did n't contact... 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