20/20 ‘Forever 17’ Preview: Two Alabama teens vanish driving home

The last time anyone heard from Tracie Hawlett and J.B. Beasley was on a sweltering July night in 1999.
Tracie called her mother from a payphone to say they were on the way back from celebrating J.B.’s birthday - but the two never made it home.
The 17-year-olds' bodies were discovered in the trunk of J.B.’s car with gunshot wounds to their heads. The case eventually went cold. In 2019, the use of genetic genealogy led to a breakthrough, resulting in a shocking arrest.
Could detectives have finally found the killer?
20/20 Co-Anchor Deborah Roberts reports for the 'Forever 17' full episode.
Watch Full Episode Here: shorturl.at/EOSWZ

Пікірлер: 77

  • @TerraDiASMR
    @TerraDiASMR21 күн бұрын

    It blows my mind how the murderer’s wife still stands behind him and refuses to believe that he’s guilty 🤦🏻‍♀️ some women are just willingly choosing to be blind

  • @orishaorisha684

    @orishaorisha684

    19 күн бұрын

    You never wondered why both didn’t have his DNA on them? His story is very plausible.

  • @LouisCasas

    @LouisCasas

    18 күн бұрын

    ​@@orishaorisha684 his wife could have Stockholm syndrome plus most career predators know how to get rid of evidence both on their own and with the help of gullible enablers

  • @chloebelle4923

    @chloebelle4923

    18 күн бұрын

    Yes, it also blows my mind how CONFIDENT she is that he's getting out... Wonder which Marxist group is telling her they'll make that happen?

  • @freedomforevermore9090

    @freedomforevermore9090

    18 күн бұрын

    @@orishaorisha684 The other was fighting, trying to protect her friend, which is why he killed her too.

  • @twfo1969

    @twfo1969

    5 күн бұрын

    Answer your question MONEY his GO-fund me page brings in about 1,000,000or more I think that's why his wife was on 20/20 Because the gold funny page was bringing in less funds this past year.

  • @ChadBest-ug8uo
    @ChadBest-ug8uo24 күн бұрын

    There is NO WAY that these girls would hook up with a random dude for sex. They were trying to find their way home. Remember their car was first discovered hours after the phone call to one of their mothers. The man simply got caught. He tried to make up a story. The reality is that good people on the surface can live a double life.

  • @Navigation24-7
    @Navigation24-725 күн бұрын

    Glad they finally got this guy, it’s sad that his wife can’t believe he’s guilty. They should really think twice before pushing for a new trial because the next jury might not be so willing to pass on the death penalty…

  • @atxchaser
    @atxchaser25 күн бұрын

    I can only imagine what the parents are going through. Sending you my best.

  • @meg659
    @meg65922 күн бұрын

    DNA doesn't lie, he did

  • @carolinegoss856
    @carolinegoss85618 күн бұрын

    I would’ve never gone to sleep until my girls were home safe. Even with my sons, I never completely fell asleep till I heard them coming thru our front door.

  • @laurencaulton103
    @laurencaulton10325 күн бұрын

    Somebody bad saw those two girls alone, and followed them.

  • @jamellfoster6029
    @jamellfoster602918 күн бұрын

    I live in Alabama and this happened when I was only 20 years old. I still remember this. I lived in NY then but I was here in Alabama visiting my parents.

  • @outroseok
    @outroseok25 күн бұрын

    I live in this area, I'm an avid true crime watcher and it's wild seeing such a high profile case in the small town I live in.

  • @chloebelle4923

    @chloebelle4923

    18 күн бұрын

    Do you think that they got the right guy?

  • @johnnyutah1983
    @johnnyutah198319 күн бұрын

    How embarrassing is it when 2020 is defending the killer…the excuse the killer came up with was BS…I’m done watching 20/20

  • @freedomforevermore9090

    @freedomforevermore9090

    18 күн бұрын

    They have to have sympathy for him. His skin color makes him angelic these days.

  • @DroneStrike1776

    @DroneStrike1776

    18 күн бұрын

    @@freedomforevermore9090 You spelled demonic incorrectly. 6% of the population is Black males. 7% is Black female. The disparity is because the males are more likely to be killed. 13% responsible for 60% 187s in America.

  • @Macky1101

    @Macky1101

    15 күн бұрын

    @@freedomforevermore9090 I've noticed most white women in USA actually prefer black men over white men. Why is that?

  • @charlesgerety1403

    @charlesgerety1403

    7 күн бұрын

    ​@@freedomforevermore9090Yep

  • @fayetolson241
    @fayetolson24125 күн бұрын

    He did it … his DNA .. he admitted to having relations with her that night .. full episode is on HULU

  • @mealien0808

    @mealien0808

    25 күн бұрын

    Who is he?.

  • @joy2come119

    @joy2come119

    22 күн бұрын

    You think he did it? I'm starting to have doubts. I watched the episode but im not understanding how this first witness comes out the blue saying she heard a cop make the confession but later recant cause she was terrified. Also if you recall the paperboy said he seen lights from a police car around 2 to 3 am but the car wasn't reported missing and seen until 7 or 8 am. That makes no sense

  • @somethingaboutbrooke

    @somethingaboutbrooke

    14 күн бұрын

    @@joy2come119my thoughts exactly! I just watched the Hulu episode too.

  • @cookie4jb
    @cookie4jb25 күн бұрын

    It's not a full episode

  • @sassycat6487

    @sassycat6487

    23 күн бұрын

    That's why it says preview.

  • @_A_343

    @_A_343

    11 күн бұрын

    @@sassycat6487 what that mean?

  • @jordandors
    @jordandors19 күн бұрын

    I think it's weird girls from a small town would get lost

  • @LeafsAndCars
    @LeafsAndCars19 күн бұрын

    Belated condolences to their families. Rest in peace.

  • @autumnleaf.
    @autumnleaf.19 күн бұрын

    Can anyone tell me the title of the song played towards the end when they mentioned JB's dance foundation? Thank you!

  • @tothelighthouse9843

    @tothelighthouse9843

    18 күн бұрын

    Alanis Morissette "Uninvited".

  • @marciafuentes17
    @marciafuentes1716 күн бұрын

    There is reasonable doubt, in my opinion. Is it possible he had consensual sex with one of the girls that were later found murdered? Yes. They didn’t find the murder weapon, and they didn’t find his dna ANYWHERE else. He’s never owned a gun and no priors. You can’t say without a shadow of a doubt that he BOTH had sex with one teen and shot them both dead. And wouldn’t they have had more defensive wounds to their bodies if the one was raped and the other tried to defend her?

  • @latina305mami
    @latina305mami17 күн бұрын

    This got on my nerves and the wife, ugh. So if it had been two black girls and a white man had done it, the whole country would've been on this.

  • @charlesgerety1403

    @charlesgerety1403

    7 күн бұрын

    They tried to sweep it under the rug

  • @philosopher2king
    @philosopher2king24 күн бұрын

    This episode was surprisingly weak. *Spoiler* After they found the killer, the show didn’t really push hard on how clear the evidence was. I had the impression that because it was a black man in Alabama, editorially they felt they needed to keep it vague, but then what’s the point of doing a show on this horrible crime? The idea that these two 17-year-olds would pretend to be lost to several people on their way to a party, communicate to their families they were coming home, meet up with a 25-year-old man, and had JB wait in a car while the other girl had sex with him in some random spot, only for both girls to turn up executed, it’s beyond credibility. Come on! Could it have happened that way and this guy had nothing to do with it? It's possible, but it’s bloody unlikely.

  • @georgiesimmons5924

    @georgiesimmons5924

    24 күн бұрын

    Exactly I didn't believe it for one second. Because he had somehow grown up in established family and seemed to be like a good person of the community. It was very hard for people to believe he was guilty, but DNA doesn't lie and those girls were trying to get home

  • @sparkles8344

    @sparkles8344

    22 күн бұрын

    I am glad you said this. I wont watch it now. I live about a half mile from where they were found. These girls are from Dothan and was trying to get to Headland. My own daughter got her DL in 2001. She ended up in Headland trying to get to Webb one time. Back then we didn't have google maps to give directions. Unfortunately a woman spread a lot of rumors about police officers being involved in thus crime. She admitted she lied at the trial. Ozark is a small town and I believe she did a lot of damage with that. He is guilty as sin. At first he claimed not to have met them and then later tried to claim consensual relations. Not buying it.

  • @philosopher2king

    @philosopher2king

    22 күн бұрын

    @@sparkles8344 Yep, they mentioned that woman too, and it turned out she had mental health issues. This is the worst 20/20 episode I've seen, because they deliberately dangled the guilty party until the end and even then, kept it rather vague. They should have leaned into reporting on the evidence.

  • @sparkles8344

    @sparkles8344

    22 күн бұрын

    @philosopher2king Back in 1983 Cynthia Ann Wuolukka a 20 year old clerk was murdered up here in Ozark. The man convicted claims he is innocent but he was denied an appeal. I was a teenager myself and dating a boy here. My friend had just left the store. There is a lot of people that claim both of these guys are innocent but DNA don't lie.

  • @TerraDiASMR

    @TerraDiASMR

    21 күн бұрын

    Yes, it’s soo clear that he did it.

  • @SV-ec2gq
    @SV-ec2gq18 күн бұрын

    What a world full of walking garbage. God bless u 2 girls n ur families.

  • @user-hi1kb8hf5n
    @user-hi1kb8hf5n19 күн бұрын

    Where is the rest of it please

  • @IH8YALLL

    @IH8YALLL

    18 күн бұрын

    They’ll upload the full story in a few days

  • @latina305mami

    @latina305mami

    17 күн бұрын

    Hulu

  • @bamagalforever
    @bamagalforever19 күн бұрын

    I live around where it happened, but it happened when I was just a baby. I know the wife of the man who was found guilty, too.

  • @chloebelle4923

    @chloebelle4923

    18 күн бұрын

    Do you think he did it? Do you buy his story?

  • @bamagalforever

    @bamagalforever

    18 күн бұрын

    @@chloebelle4923 Truthfully, I have no idea. Deep down, I want to believe that nobody would be capable of something so horrible, but somebody did it -- whether it be him or someone else. I don't know him personally, but a lot of people spoke up for him in his defense.

  • @mob4336
    @mob433616 күн бұрын

    This reporter is so bias

  • @Atl_Boi_73
    @Atl_Boi_7316 күн бұрын

    First you claim you didn't know the girls then all of the sudden long ago you gave one a number to call you. I'm not going to say it.

  • @fredmeyer8726
    @fredmeyer872625 күн бұрын

    Incomplete.

  • @beckyduque831

    @beckyduque831

    19 күн бұрын

    It is titled PREVIEW

  • @s1228t
    @s1228t6 күн бұрын

    This guy is a murderer. He killed them Both so his wife and kids dont find out. Cant believe he has a good life and those girls' life was cut short and their parents suffered for years.

  • @Atl_Boi_73
    @Atl_Boi_7316 күн бұрын

    Now his story is I was in the car we we went somewhere and had sex. While the other girl just sat in the car. They took him back to store he then called his wife. BOI SSTTOOPP!

  • @Atl_Boi_73
    @Atl_Boi_7316 күн бұрын

    I talk about wives still want to stay after abuse this is way worse.

  • @Navaura
    @Navaura18 күн бұрын

    When teens went to the mall.

  • @Atl_Boi_73
    @Atl_Boi_7316 күн бұрын

    Set-up how would they get semen. Black people need help or was he doing something else with rubbers. If he was I think he had an alibi and was scared to use it. I think it was better than getting arrested.

  • @mob4336
    @mob433616 күн бұрын

    Yet again a race baiting episode.

  • @Atl_Boi_73
    @Atl_Boi_7316 күн бұрын

    I'm still wondering where are you going to get semen from. Blood I do understand but not semen. The only way to get that is if he wore a condom with another woman. If that is what happen I'm definitely telling that over me getting arrested.

  • @tracydesteph1095
    @tracydesteph109517 күн бұрын

    R.I.P. miss JB ❤ truth and justice will always prevail. #uninvited 🩰

  • @LeafsAndCars
    @LeafsAndCars19 күн бұрын

    Belated condolences to their families. Rest in peace.