Dale County District Attorney's Office/CBS News. Selina Dodson: When she had Carolyn, she was adorable everybody just loved her. In 2019, as the 20th anniversary of the murders approached, the Ozark Police Department decided to re-open the case and try a new approach to solve it. (334) 733-5927. Dale County Jail/Ozark Police Crime Tips HOTline 334-774-2335 or Submit Via Email. More recently, McCraney was listed on the Facebook page of H.O.G. "What happened?" In a recent Minnesota case, police waited for the suspect to throw away a napkin after eating a hot dog at a youth hockey game. When Carolyn was about 21, she says Carl did reach out and they met, but did not talk about Tracey. Maureen Maher: How do you react when the thing you want is justice for your mom, but it's your dad who's been charged with her murder? Mailing Address: P.O. . Why? She could have come up here and -- she could have lied on the stand. For 16 years, the murders, which took place around the area of Ozark, Alabama, have remained unsolved, but now a startling new story from someone "in the know" has the finger of blame pointed at an Ozark Police Officer. He confessed, claiming he and Tracey were having an affair. David Harrison: In 2016 in this area there were unsolved murders. 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? 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. Their bodies were discovered about 20 miles from Dothan in Ozark, a small town in the southeastern part of the . Kirke Adams: The goal was to find the truth and to seek justice for Tracy Harris, and ultimately Dawn did that. JEFF BEASLEY [Interrogation]: I'm being accused of, of, of murder, of, of taking someone's life -- I couldn't. Ozark is in Dale County. He faces life in prison or the death penalty if convicted. It is a trial that was supposed to take place in 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it didn't. So, Monday was his first day where he met the jury for the first time. 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. DA KIRKE ADAMS [to reporters]: - I have dismissed the murder case against Carl Harris. What we thought was interesting was that she had witnessed it in the same manner as how Tracey was actually killed. But Jeff Beasley should have raised some red flags for police; he had a criminal record. McCraney remains in custody without bail at the Dale County Jail. Carl Harris: I had to go out of town to get jobs, where people don't know me. First published on January 23, 2021 / 11:09 PM. EX- GIRLFRIEND: I was a young, naive teenager. That's 181.10% higher than the national rate of 366.7 per 100,000 people. The law enforcement community had become aware of the arrest of the Golden State Killer , Joseph James DeAngelo, through a new process called forensic DNA phenotyping. An Alabama preacher has been arrested for the 1999 cold case murders of two 17-year-old girls thanks to DNA testing, officials said Monday. After 13 years of marriage and four children, she and Jeff divorced. Beasley and Hawlett, high school friends from Dothan, Alabama, were 17 when they were killed on July 31, 1999. Mug shot for Coley McCraney, 45. Jordan Davis: And so, they went back through all the witnesses that had given statements in 1990. Then what happens to me? David Harrison: This officer made this up to make this arrest. The violent crime rate in Ozark is 1,030.8 per 100,000 people. Ozark: Created by Bill Dubuque, Mark Williams. Defense attorney David Harrison says the entire investigation is not just flawed, but that the police narrative is fabricated. With regards to property crime, you have a 1 in 24 chance of becoming a victim. David Harrison is Carl's defense attorney. J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett were both 17 when they were killed. Powered by. "I went over to Carl's to talk to Carl, Carl wasn't there. Jordan Davis: I thought, wow she's coming up with a crazy story as to why she can't get here. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! and the realization that, perhaps, her boyfriend was a murderer. I think that he was jealous of their success. But the cost was going to be so high. McCraney has worked for several trucking companies in Alabama over the past 20 years, according to the Dothan Eagle. No one had been arrested in the nearly 20 years since the killings. On June 18, 2011, McCraney and his wife renewed their wedding vows, 10 years after they were married, according to a social media post. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Dawn Beasley: We all saw it. For Carl Harris, his relief is mixed with anger. Carl and Tracey Harris with their daughter Carolyn. Her grandmother provided a loving a home and, Carolyn says, that was more than enough. 69-year-old suffered stroke in his N.C. home; Realtor showing house left him there. INVESTIGATOR: Everybody in the case who knew Tracey says she was scared of water. 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 . Putting the case together was an arduous process -- one filled with continuances and delays. Trial in 1999 Ozark slayings continued due to lack of jurors. The swab matched evidence collected at the crime scene, according to Walker. Subscribe to our News 4 newsletter and receive the latest local news and weather straight to your email every morning. But police and prosecutors did not believe it was an accident, and Jeff Beasley was charged with the murder of Tracey Harris. INVESTIGATOR: Did you hurt Tracey in any way? Q: Do people have the right to take your picture and publish it without your permission? McCraney was identified as a suspect 20 years after the killings when DNA from the crime scene was submitted for genetic genealogy testing similar to how California law enforcement identified the Golden State killer in 2018. In 1999, two teenage girls, J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett were found dead with a single shot to the head in their vehicle. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Jury selection in the State of Alabama vs. Coley Lewis McCraney began on Monday. The prosecutors also visited the area around the river where Tracey's body was found. "I. Several years after Tracey's murder, Carl Harris had left Ozark, feeling like the cloud of suspicion had destroyed his life. Several had passed away there was a lot to go through. Enterprise native named state AEA Assistant Principal of the Year, SATURDAY PREP BASEBALL: Dothan rallies past Houston Academy, Glasgow pleads guilty to federal tax evasion, mail fraud, and drug charges, Elba girls battle with grit, but fall short against Marion County in 1A state semifinals, THURSDAY PREP BASEBALL ROUNDUP: G.W. BROTHERCOLEY MCCRANEY (GOD HAS YOU & THE FAMILY AS WELL), James Lee Fuller wrote on Facebook. The 17-year-old girls had left their homes in Dothan, Alabama, for a birthday party the previous night. In other recent cases, a 44-year-old nursea was arrested in the 1993 cold case murder of an Alaska woman at a college, a 72-year-old retired grandfather was charged in the 1973 murder of an 11-year-old girl in California and in Minnesota, a 52-year-old father and well-known businessman was charged in the 1993 murder of a woman. Fannie Mae's is a restaurant located in Ozark, Alabama at 192 West Reynolds Street. 101.79% higher than the Alabama violent crime rate of 510.8 per 100,000 people. The picture Carl painted of a happy home though was not what police found when they started questioning friends and family. Walker said they decided to send in the evidence, which was semen found on Beasleys clothes, after the arrest of the Golden State Killer suspect in California and with the 20th anniversary of the girls deaths upcoming this summer. They were childhood friends, spending a lot of time together at church. There is no evidence whatsoever that that is true. We had a fight. Maureen Maher: Did you want to ask him about her? Their jewelry, purse and money were not missing. didn't have a problem with each other or nothing like that. Police accused Carl Harris of killing. The church appears to hold services and community events at local places of worship around the Ozark area. Eugene's body was sent to Ashland, Ohio, where his father and some family resided. Jordan Davis: I texted her the next morning and said, "We really would like for you to come." The case drew nationwide attention and has been the subject of TV shows and documentaries over the years. The couple had recently divorced, and Carl had a girlfriend. Dawn Beasley: I had an impossible choice to make And I really struggled Tracey deserves justice. Carolyn Aznavour: Yeah, I've always wanted to ask questions, but the way that everybody portrayed him to be, I didn't think that he would tell me the truth. On the eve of Carl Harris trial, Dale County prosecutor Jordon Davis discovered that investigators had accused the wrong man. Police thought that location by the river might provide more clues. Engineer Richard Hawes, his wife, and two children were brutally murdered in an event that baffled people for years. 24 Hour Phone: (334) 774-2335. This report, that can be seen on WTVY, originally aired in January). He is married with children and has no apparent criminal record. View Full Report Card. Dawn Beasley: One time (we were sitting at the table and) she told Carl, hey, listen, I'm going to need some money for the water bill. OZARK, Ala. (AP) A trial is scheduled next year in the capital murder of two Alabama teenagers who were found in the trunk of a car in 1999. Investigators also tracked down that girlfriend of Carl's, who was 17 when Tracey was murdered. DNA has led to an arrest in the cold case murder of two Alabama girls, according to reports. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. I think that the domestic violence was definitely in the back of our heads But also, the 17-year-old girlfriend that he had. Ozark has a diversified economy, mild winter weather and is convenient to several of the South's metropolitan areas, as well as the beautiful white beaches of Florida. 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. Dawn Beasley: Yes She just wanted to be a family. 192 West Reynolds Street, Ozark, AL, 36360. Maureen Maher: Were you worried that there was some new piece of evidence that they had? Barrentine was cleared after his DNA didnt match semen found on Beasleys body. or redistributed. iDawn Beasley told police in 1990 that she had witnessed Carl abuse Tracey and that Carl threatened to kill Tracey in front of her. Tracey met Carl Harris when she was in high school. With Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, Sofia Hublitz, Skylar Gaertner. "So, all those people were lying?" The girls were going to a birthday party for J.B. when they disappeared, the Dothan Eagle reported. Police accused Carl Harris of killing Tracey Harris whose body was found about 10 miles from her home in the Choctawhatchee River. Coley McCraney is an Alabama native. Kirke Adams: Not one witness we had ever mentioned that she was possibly seeing someone else because it was clear from the witnesses that Carl wouldn't allow that. It is not clear where he is currently employed. "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. Dale County District Attorney Kirke Adams and Assistant DA Jordan Davis spent years building a case against Carl Harris for the murder of his ex-wife, Tracey. Now, with Dawn Beasley's revelation that her ex-husband Jeff told her that he killed Tracey, they hoped to learn the truth. Was that a concern for you as you were preparing a defense? McCraney remarried in 2001, to a Dothan public schools employee, according to records. McCraney was initially married in 1992, but separated from his first wife in 1994 and later divorced. There was a problem saving your notification. Nancy Kramer is the executive story editor. The defense also offered up an alternate suspect: that friend police say Carl picked up the night Tracey disappeared named Bobby Herring. According to Al.com, investigators conducted more than 500 interviews, examined forensics and tested the DNA of 70 potential suspects. Please subscribe to keep reading. Ozark Map. One of those people was Dawn Beasley. this is about Carl and Tracey Harris.". Police then brought the 45-year-old in for a DNA swab, the police chief added, and it matched the evidence collected at the crime scene. According to reports by WTVY, only 75 of the 250 potential jurors summoned actually showed up at the Dale County Courthouse on Monday. Details of McCraneys military service were also not immediately available. Property crimes include burglary, theft and vehicle theft. 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. Kirke Adams: Carl had let the police in his house a couple of times for them to look around. Despite the suspicion, no arrest was made and the case languished. Market data provided by Factset. On the eve of his January 2020 trial, Dale County prosecutor Jordon Davis discovered that investigators had accused the wrong man. INVESTIGATOR: One of the pathologist's reports said that she was possibly strangled. Copyright 2021 WTVY. A 45-year-old man has been arrested in the 1999 cold case rape and murder of two teen girls in Ozark, Alabama. To Walker in 1999 Ozark slayings continued due to lack of jurors is with. 1999 Ozark slayings continued due to lack of jurors her the next morning and said, `` We really like! Did n't have a problem with each other or nothing like that than 500,. Carolyn, she was possibly strangled cost was going to be a family Mark Williams Alabama. Down that girlfriend of Carl 's to talk to Carl 's to talk Carl. 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