/ CBS News, [This story first aired on January 24, 2021.It was updated on August 21.]. Tracy Harris murder Pictured in a January 2016 Street View image is Woodham Bridge in Dale County, Alabama. Dawn Beasley: We just pretended it never happened. 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. All rights reserved. Harrison contends that Harris, who he represents, has suffered irreparable harm. How could a kind, gentle doctor commit such murders? 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? Jury selection in the . "Who?" 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. A press conference is also scheduled for Monday where Dale County officials and Ozark Police are expected to announce the charges against McCraney. Beasley and Hawlett, high school friends from Dothan, Alabama, were 17 when they were killed on July 31, 1999. Because the credibility of the people that were going to testify they had no credibility, none whatsoever. Then, in 2015, an Ozark Police cold case unit took another look at Tracey's murder, and again zeroed in on Carl. Her growing family eventually made her think of Tracey's daughter, Carolyn. Dawn says she was honest when police questioned her after Tracey's body was found and described the abuse -- seeing Carl grab Tracey by the throat and threaten to kill her. The entire town of Ozark, Alabama was socked when the murders happened in the summer of 1988. Everyone in town was talking about it. Dawn Beasley: It was extraordinary relief. and the realization that, perhaps, her boyfriend was a murderer. Carolyn Aznavour: And there was one lady. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. He graduated from Carroll High School in 1992, where he was the president of the library club and was an athlete, according to WDHN-TV. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. this is about Carl and Tracey Harris.". The missing person case became a homicide, and Ozark police started interviewing those close to Tracey and her ex-husband Carl, with whom she still lived. I know he's innocent because the man that did commit the crime confessed it to me the night he did it. Dawn Beasley: Well, they asked me so what do you know about Carl Harris? Police arrested Lakevion Cerano Shider and Da'Mier Quadree Dontavius McDaniel in hiding in Clio, Alabama, after they fled the scene of the shooting at the intersection of Highway 231 and Andrews. Selina's thoughts would often wander to Tracey and Carl's daughter. And that's kind of nauseating, to be honest, that we were that close. Circuit Judge William H. Filmore issued the order to continue the case Tuesday afternoon, citing the lack of jurors to strike a jury from. Q: Do people have the right to take your picture and publish it without your permission? While Ozark police questioned Dawn, they never got a statement from Jeff, even though they both spent time together living with the Harrises. They also went to the area under the bridge where people would sometimes gather. Dawn Beasley: I had an impossible choice to make And I really struggled Tracey deserves justice. "I. 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. Everywhere I turn, they you know, you hear them whispering in background, 'there's the man that killed Tracey. Prosecutors do not know why or who spray-painted the name "Beasley" under the bridge. 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. "Tracey." J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett were found shot to death Aug. 1, 1999, in the trunk of Beasleys car on Herring Avenue in Ozark. Cold beer, wine & mixed drinks. Tullie's son, Jason Hunter Culverhouse ("Hunter"), a named beneficiary under the Alfa policy, filed a claim for the proceeds . Thursday, August 8th: *Arraignment & Motions Hearing (@ 9am ET) - AL - J.B. Hilton Green Beasley (17) & Tracie Jean Hawlett (17) (July 31, 1999, Ozark) - *Coley Lewis McCraney (45/25 @ time of crime) arrested & charged (3/16/19) & indicted (6/10/19) with 2 counts of 1st degree murder, 2 counts of 1st degree murder while in the act of . You go to sleep crying, Carol Roberts said. Mug shot for Coley McCraney, 45. The federal lawsuit demands a jury trial and names as defendants the city of Ozark, former police chief Marlos Walker, and Investigator Jimmy Culbreath. 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. People who live in Ozark generally consider the southwest part of the city to be the safest. Dawn Beasley's secret weighed on her when she was asked to testify in the 2020 murder trial of Carl Harris. DA KIRKE ADAMS [to reporters]: - I have dismissed the murder case against Carl Harris. Kirke Adams: He also made comments prior to her going missing and after including come back whenever. A week later, her body was found in a nearby river. He worked as a bouncer, in construction, had a girlfriend and another daughter. Carl Harris heard the news that he was a free man from his attorney. But Now, sitting here I think that maybe he hit on her, maybe she rebuffed his advances, maybe she said, "I'm going to tell her." Parents and brother killed by Jason Hunter Culverhouse This Happen in a rural town called Ariton,Al.. Tracie had called her parents to say she and J.B. were lost . Putting the case together was an arduous process -- one filled with continuances and delays. EX- GIRLFRIEND: I was a young, naive teenager. 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. And so, Dawn made her decision. Coley McCraney is an Alabama native. "I never put my hands on Tracey Never," he told "48 Hours" correspondent Maureen Maher. Market data provided by Factset. Dawn and Jeff would have another child. There was a problem saving your notification. The capital murder trial of a trucker charged with killing two Alabama teens in 1999 has been delayed until next year. JEFF BEASLEY: I didn't strangle her. (334) 445-0156. Dawn Beasley: Maybe I do it on my deathbed. Kirke Adams: You could just see so many emotions going through her she'd been told all her life, "your dad did this" But to find out he didn't do it, you could tell not only was she relieved but you could tell she was so grateful that somebody had solved this case. JEFF BEASLEY: And we got into an argument. Marlos Walker was dismissed as chief in July. (The case will be featured on 48 hours, a CBS news program, Saturday, August 21, 2021, at 9 pm Central time. The remaining potential jurors were questioned individually about their knowledge of the case and their death penalty beliefs. This report, that can be seen on WTVY, originally aired in January). I think that the domestic violence was definitely in the back of our heads But also, the 17-year-old girlfriend that he had. My job is very stressful. Jordan Davis: I don't think there was one particular motive. It is not known if he has hired an attorney who could speak on his behalf. she felt like if she could just get through the rough stuff, you know, that it would be OK. And I said, ""no, I can't possibly do that. Police in Ozark, Alabama, arrested Jeff Beasley . She died in 1990, but not until 16 years later did police arrest Carl Harris and, even then, those charges did not hold up. 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. I walked out, and I do remember the sense of relief because I hadn't actually had to lie. Answer Man: Is it illegal to take pictures of people without their permission? Coley McCraney in an undated police photo. Dawn Beasley: I cannot imagine that she was cheating, with Jeff or anyone else. He is married with children and has no apparent criminal record. Maureen Maher: Does that strike you as odd? The most famous murder in Alabama history is the 1988 Hawes murders, which took place in the city of Birmingham. He has been charged with multiple counts of capital murder and one count of first-degree rape, according to Dale County Jail records. Carl Harris was out on bail, having spent two-and-a-half weeks in jail after his arrest. Show All. After 13 years of marriage and four children, she and Jeff divorced. Coley McCraney was identified a suspect in the deaths of J.B. Beasley and Tracie. Unsolved Wiregrass murders still a mystery. Carolyn spoke with the sheriff, who put her in touch with the Ozark Police Department. Jordan Davis and District Attorney Kirke Adams, The search for the killer of Tracey Harris. Kat Teurfs is the associate producer. 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. And there was the issue of why Tracey, known to be terrified of water, would voluntarily go in the river. 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. And in 2016, with the arrest of her estranged father Carl, Carolyn thought, finally, she would get some answers. Online records show McCraney, a married Dothan, Ala., man with children, was booked into the Dale County Jail on five counts of capital murder and one count of rape. "The evidence was circumstantially strong," said Adams. Matt Elofson. McCraney has also been involved in local churches in the Dothan and Ozark area. 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. And as time went on, she did think about ways to tell authorities what she knew. Ozark: Created by Bill Dubuque, Mark Williams. And every word of my statement was true. He's got her bent over backwards with his hands around her throat. They married in her senior year in 1986. The trial was continued again in 2021 and was set for May 2022 before being continued to August. Market data provided by Factset. McCraney was arrested Friday and charged with multiple counts of capital murder as well as first-degree rape, online jail records show. Maureen Maher: Were you worried that there was some new piece of evidence that they had? The real life killer was the member of a popular trio of brothers. "The evidence was circumstantially strong," said Adams. (Dale County Jail). She could have come up here and -- she could have lied on the stand. I'm sure they thought that Jeff's statement would be very similar to Dawn's. But police and prosecutors did not believe it was an accident, and Jeff Beasley was charged with the murder of Tracey Harris. But then in the back of my mind, I'm like, was it really him? 24 Hour Phone: (334) 774-2335. A woman Davis contacted as a possible witness told Davis that that her husband, who she is no longer married to, killed Tracey Harris. Coley McCraney, 45, of Dothan, Alabama, has been arrested in the 1999 murders of Hawlett and Beasley. Alabama police have linked a suspect to the 1999 cold case murders of two 17-year-old girls using DNA and genetic genealogy. "Carl Harris did have a reputation for being very violent in particular towards Tracey Harris," said Davis. Carolyn Aznavour: I knew my mom was murdered And then, as the years went on, I found out it had to do with my dad. Everything Everywhere All at Once won the top prize at the 2023 PGA Awards. Dawn said Jeff had told her that Tracey and he fought at the Harris home. You have permission to edit this article. Investigators identified Coley McCraney, of Dothan, Alabama, in the murders of J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett as the case closed in on two decades without being solved, Ozark Police Chief Marlos Walker told ABC News. Her grandmother provided a loving a home and, Carolyn says, that was more than enough. Ozark alabama, it was the Culverhouse murders. 1980 murder . Were you abusive to Tracey? There is no indication that McCraney knew the teens before they were killed, Walker said. All rights reserved. Its hard, but I pray every day law enforcement will come up with some answers, Carol Roberts, Hawletts mother, said during a vigil marking 10 years since the murders, according to the Dothan Eagle. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Maureen Maher: Do you wonder what your mom would be like today? Maureen Maher: Has there ever been a time that Carl Harris said, "I want you to find out who killed Tracey?". 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. McCraney does not appear to have a criminal record in Alabama that would have required him to submit his DNA into a national database. More than 26 years after Tracey Harris was killed, Carl Harris was arrested for her murder. And I signed it. He confessed, claiming he and Tracey were having an affair. 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. Kirke Adams| Dale County District Attorney [by the river]: Tracey was alive when she came to this location and traveled down this access road to the beachy area. . When they hadn't made it back by dawn, Roberts called police. They spent time on the bridge where police believed Carl threw Tracey into the river. Houston County real estate transfers Feb. 13-Feb. 16, 2023, Dothan woman charged with assaulting police officer, New biotech can 3D print living cells inside the human body, Ukraine will join NATO but in 'long- term', says NATO chief Stoltenberg, Finland begins building fence along Russia border. Maureen Maher: You just pulled a dark curtain over and that was it? Police accused Carl Harris of killing. Kirke Adams [at the river]: Part of our job is to paint that picture for a jury, and I think it is always important to try to get a feel for the area. Tracey won't be home. Tracey Harris, 22, disappeared on March 7, 1990. After the evidence was analyzed at Parabon, investigators recognized McCraney's last name from the DNA search, Walker said. Carolyn Aznavour: Jordan called me to come to the police station, that they had to tell me something. For decades, Carolyn wanted to know more about the 1990 murder of her mother, Tracey Harris. The violent crime rate in Ozark is 1,030.8 per 100,000 people. At first, there were no signs of foul play when investigators found the black Mazda sedan the teens had been driving by 9 a.m. the next day, WDHN reported. Carolyn was immediately adopted by Tracey's mother. Carl Harris: I thought it was good news I thought they found somebody they were looking at And when they told me they was looking at me as a suspect again they came up two weeks later, arresting me. WASHINGTON COLD CASE SOLVED 51 YEARS LATER ONLY FOR COPS TO DISCOVER SUSPECT DIED LAST WEEK; MAY BE INVOLVED IN 2 OTHER KILLINGS, Some days you go to work, get home and tears start. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Police were able to find a match to a family member who had submitted DNA to one of the website databases. Maureen Maher: Was there any relief for you after all this time? In her senior year of high school, Tracey became pregnant, and she and Carl, who was three years older, married. Investigators also tracked down that girlfriend of Carl's, who was 17 when Tracey was murdered. I was happy for her that she had a boyfriend and somebody that she really liked. On August 19th, 2021, Carl Harris filed his lawsuit against the City of Ozark. Carolyn Aznavour: Carl has not come forward and actually been truthful to me about the abuse. They found the name "Beasley" spray-painted in big letters. Those things just add up. McCraney remarried in 2001, to a Dothan public schools employee, according to records. In construction, had a girlfriend and another daughter irreparable harm: people! 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