UPDATE
Jun 15, 2023 5:55 PM CDT
A notorious Alabama murder case that left two teenage girls dead in 1999 has finally come to a close with a life imprisonment sentence for the culprit, Coley McCraney. In April, McCraney was convicted of capital murder by a jury, resulting in the mandatory life sentence. The case involved the disappearance of 17-year-olds Tracie Hawlett and J.B. Beasley, whose families had been praying for justice for over two decades. State Attorney General Steve Marshall, who prosecuted the case, stated that the families’ prayers had been answered.
Mar 18, 2019 7:31 AM CDT
After almost 20 years, new developments in the case of JB Beasley and Tracie Hawlett’s murders have provided a potential breakthrough in the investigation. Thanks to advancements in DNA testing and the success of the Golden State Killer case, the Ozark Police Department took another look at the evidence from the crime scene and found a DNA match to Coley McCraney, a 45-year-old man. McCraney had never been a suspect and had been leading an apparently crime-free life. However, the evidence revealed his connection to the murders.
JB and Tracie went missing on their way back from a party and were later found dead in their car trunk with gunshot wounds to the head. McCraney, who had worked as a truck driver and founded a ministry in 2013, was charged with capital murder and rape. According to Chief Marlos Walker, who personally knows McCraney, the DNA evidence is undeniable. McCraney is currently held without bond at the Dale County Jail. This long-standing cold case has finally seen a breakthrough. (Read more cold cases stories.)