By 2016, he had moved to South Carolina, where investigators gave him a call. Investigators found their bodies in the trunk of J.B.s car on Aug. 1, 1999, a day after their families reported them missing. They had both been shot once in the head. In 1999, two teenage girls, J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett were found dead with a single shot to the head in their vehicle. Maureen Maher: What did people tell you about him? For decades, Carolyn wanted to know more about the 1990 murder of her mother, Tracey Harris. For people to come out and care this much, its a miracle. But after it all happened, we just stopped seeing each other. Dale County Sheriff's Office Ozark Police Chief Marlos Walker told reporters that authorities apprehended McCraney after entering DNA evidence from the crime scene into a genealogy database. and the realization that, perhaps, her boyfriend was a murderer. Defense attorney David Harrison says the entire investigation is not just flawed, but that the police narrative is fabricated. Beasley, 54, faces a charge of murder. I'm about to get married, I'm pregnant This baby deserves a chance at a life with a loving family and a mom and a dad. 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. A high school education is a basic prerequisite for most . Dawn Beasley: And she said, "well, how do you know he's innocent?" Maureen Maher: Did you feel badly at all that he was under such scrutiny and suspicion? The last few weeks have seen a number of pre-trial motions and hearings in case, including one hearing where witness Rena Crumb, 53, admitted she lied about police involvement and police wrongdoing in the killings. August 21, 2021 / 11:02 PM INVESTIGATOR: Did Carl at any time tell you that you didn't have to worry about Tracey showing up again to the house? Around the river was a sandy beach area where Tracey would get together with her friends, but friends say she would never get in the water because she didn't know how to swim. MONTGOMERY Kenneth Glasgow, a Dothan pastor and founder of the Christian-based nonprofit The Ordinary People Society, pleaded guilty Friday . Dawn Beasley: The only thing I was ever afraid of was how they were going to respond, and they responded with support and love and understanding. Unsolved Wiregrass murders still a mystery. Authorities dropped charges against an Alabama man who was accused of killing his wife 30 years ago, saying another man has confessed to the murder. In Ozark, Alabama you have a 1 in 98 chance of becoming a victim of violent crime. At the time of the murders he was 26 and living on Lisenby Drive in Ozark, about 1 mile away from where the bodies of J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett were found in 1999. Coley McCraney in an undated police photo. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. David Harrison: In 2016 in this area there were unsolved murders. " people really liked her and respected her. Maureen Maher: There are a lot of people who are going to say, maybe she should be charged with something. Based mostly on statements from the interviews originally done back in 1990, an investigator from the Ozark police put together this scenario of what he thought happened the night Tracey went missing: "It was determined that Carl Harris left his job at Super Food [sic], sometime around 9 p.m. and went to his home Carl Harris jumped on top of Tracey Harris and began chocking [sic] her Carl Harris then placed her seemingly dead body into his vehicle and subsequently drove her to the Choctawhatchee River and placed her body into the water.". A woman Davis contacted as a possible witness told Davis that that her husband, who she is no longer married to, killed Tracey Harris. Kirke Adams: He confessed in a way that matches the evidence I don't know how many times that happens -- when you get a confession from the real killer technically 17-18 hours before trial. And I said, ""no, I can't possibly do that. First published on January 23, 2021 / 11:09 PM. McCraney remarried in 2001, to a Dothan public schools employee, according to records. And those who knew Tracey, did not believe she was having an affair. While Ozark police questioned Dawn, they never got a statement from Jeff, even though they both spent time together living with the Harrises. DNA leads to arrest in cold case murders of two Alabama girls. NewsBreak provides latest and breaking Ozark, AL local news, weather forecast, crime and safety reports, traffic updates, event notices, sports, entertainment, local life and other items of interest in the community and nearby towns. The four sons of the slain Ruthie Mae Jackson stand in front of her vacant home on East Adams Street . I was happy that I was standing my ground and I was telling the truth the whole time and they finally caught the boy who did it. One particularly heinous crime, a 1989 stabbing death, had attracted the In a 2018 post, McCraney is pictured under the name Bishop Coley McCraney with the caption, Bishop/ motivational speaker/ working for the Lord.. EX-GIRLFRIEND: I just couldn't believe that she was dead. Jury selection in the . This report, that can be seen on WTVY, originally aired in January). All rights reserved. According to Al.com, investigators conducted more than 500 interviews, examined forensics and tested the DNA of 70 potential suspects. Everywhere I turn, they you know, you hear them whispering in background, 'there's the man that killed Tracey. There was a problem saving your notification. And in 2016, with the arrest of her estranged father Carl, Carolyn thought, finally, she would get some answers. We have a little bit of everything. More than 26 years after Tracey Harris's body was found, Carl Harris was arrested on September 13, 2016 for her murder. She and her soon-to-be husband Jeff, who worked construction with Carl, lived with the Harrises for about a month. 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 . Jeff Beasley confesses to the 1990 murder of Tracey Harris. Produced by Ruth Chenetz. " Carl Harris.". Ozark, Alabama, May 22, 1962 Eugene was nervously adjusting his tie and thinking about any loose ends. They are open every day except Monday, Saturday, and Sunday. Carl Harris: No. And that's kind of nauseating, to be honest, that we were that close. On the eve of his January 2020 trial, Dale County prosecutor Jordon Davis discovered that investigators had accused the wrong man. Carolyn Aznavour: I've always wondered what happened to my mom since I can remember. Carl Harris's trial was put on hold. "I have tried to piece it together that's what I do -- I try to piece everything together and make it all make sense," said Carolyn Aznavour, Tracey Harris' daughter. DOTHAN, Ala. ( WDHN) A Dothan man has been arrested for the alleged murder of his daughter after her skeletal remains were found near Ozark in February. Carolyn Aznavour: Jordan called me to come to the police station, that they had to tell me something. I wonder what she looks like. 0. Jordan Davis: It was just so many things, most of all which were circumstantial, but they all pointed at Carl Harris. Jordan Davis: We were mortified that we were that close to putting the wrong man on trial. Administrative Office Hours: Monday-Friday 8am-5pm "Tracey Harris was a hardworking, young mother that disappeared March 7th, 1990," said Adams. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. ABC News' Emily Shapiro contributed to this report. "The evidence was circumstantially strong," said Adams. More recently, McCraney was listed on the Facebook page of H.O.G. Carolyn's focus remains on the mother she never had the chance to get to know. Alabama state records show McCraney incorporated Spirit and Truth Lifeline Ministries, a nonprofit religious ministry, in 2013. Mailing Address: P.O. Carolyn was immediately adopted by Tracey's mother. "48 Hours" wanted to ask Ozark police about the investigation, but they declined, citing the pending claim. Matt Elofson. Kirke Adams: I knew we couldn't have a trial Monday because we had to figure out what's going on here. 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. Despite the suspicion, no arrest was made and the case languished. A local news outlet reports Circuit Judge William H. Filmore has set May 2, 2022, as the start for the trial of 47-year-old Coley McCraney, who [] "Tracey." How could a kind, gentle doctor commit such murders? "She was a very sweet friend a very shy person," said friend Selina Dodson. Kirke Adams: But it doesn't mean anything at that time because on the statement Dawn's name was Dawn Hulbert. Tracey Harris, 22, disappeared on March 7, 1990. They learned that while Tracey might have enjoyed spending time by the river, she would never have gone in the river. Driving Directions. The City-Data.com crime index weighs serious crimes and violent crimes more heavily. He was eyeing the clock. The couple had recently divorced at the time of her murder, Carl had a girlfriend and. Standard Hours. Tracie had called her parents to say she and J.B. were lost . Kirke Adams: The goal was to find the truth and to seek justice for Tracy Harris, and ultimately Dawn did that. Jordan Davis: I was actually 3 when this happened, so from 1990 -- and we're trying to track down witnesses We were dealing with people that had moved all over the country. J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett were both 17 when they were killed. But Dawn was willing to overlook his criminal past, and the information about killing Tracey, as they married and started their own family, keeping the secret to themselves. Show All. And said she was telling Dawn. 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. Jordan Davis: There was also several people that they found since then that he had made statements to that were incriminating. Maureen Maher: Did he verbally threaten her? 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. At the same time, the cold case unit was starting to reopen the investigation. The couple had recently divorced, and Carl had a girlfriend. Both were 17. While Carl may not have been worried, there was someone who, for years, was: Dawn Beasley, that friend of Tracey's, who, with her then fianc, briefly lived with the Harrises. They also wanted Jeff to explain those bruises the autopsy noted on Tracey's neck -- marks authorities felt were consistent with strangulation. Police accused Carl Harris of killing Tracey Harris whose body was found about 10 miles from her home in the Choctawhatchee River. All rights reserved. Staggering snowfall in California mountains leaves residents trapped for days, Garland testifies before Senate panel amid ongoing special counsel probes, Colon cancer rates rising in younger age group, study finds, Firefighter dies battling blaze in downtown Buffalo, mayor says, Several hospitalized after Lufthansa flight diverted to Dulles due to turbulence, Explosive found in checked luggage at Pennsylvania airport, feds say, Prosecution wraps its case at Alex Murdaugh murder trial, Top McCarthy aide, House Oversight chair each met with Ashli Babbitt's mother, Ex-Georgia star Jalen Carter was racing in deadly crash, arrest warrants allege, Tracey Harris, 22, was a young mother from Ozark, Alabama. Pinocchio was the first winner of the night, presented "I. 936 were here. INVESTIGATOR: Did you hurt Tracey in any way? 1 In 1988, Tullie Culverhouse was murdered by a then unknown assailant. Selina Dodson: A lot of people, you know, just assumed Carl would be arrested -- assumed he did it and were waiting for him to be arrested. It took Jordan several calls to wrong phone numbers to find Dawn Beasley. Legal Statement. Carl Harris (left) is suing Ozark, Alabama, for $6million after he was wrongfully accused of killing his ex-wife . Ozark alabama, it was the Culverhouse murders. Dawn, who had moved away from Ozark and was now divorced, says she didn't even know there was an arrest for the murder of her friend Tracey, until that call. "I never talked about it ever to another living soul, not even Jeff," Dawn Beasley said of her ex-husband's confession the night Tracey died. 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. I think that the domestic violence was definitely in the back of our heads But also, the 17-year-old girlfriend that he had. Carolyn had no interest in a relationship with her father, who she did not see while growing up. Updated: Mar 24, 2022 / 01:03 PM CDT. 69-year-old suffered stroke in his N.C. home; Realtor showing house left him there. Cole McCraney was sued in a paternity case in September 1998 and was ordered to submit his DNA by a judge on July 30, 1999, just a day before the killings, according to court documents obtained by the Dothan Eagle. Because the credibility of the people that were going to testify they had no credibility, none whatsoever. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). 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. 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