On the Case With Paula Zahn: Where Is Tracie Hawlett and J.B. Beasley’s Killer Coley McCraney Now?
Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of death and abuse. Reader discretion is advised.
On the Case With Paula Zahn plans to re-examine the brutal murder case of teenage girls Tracie Hawlett and J.B. Beasley. The episode, titled “Wrong Place, Wrong Time,” will come forward with shocking details about the slayings that took place in 1999. It would also unravel how authorities captured a man named Coley McCraney for the murders. The episode will air on Investigation Discovery on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, at 10 p.m. ET.
On July 31, 1999, two teenage girls – Tracie Hawlett and JB Beasley – disappeared after attending a party in southeastern Alabama. The girls never returned home. As per CBS News, the authorities discovered their bodies the next day in the trunk of a black Mazda. Meanwhile, the autopsy reports of both girls indicated that the victims were shot at intermediate range, per WDHN. The report also suggested that the killer shot Hawlett in the right temple. On the other hand, Beasley was shot in the right cheek from a higher angle.
For nearly 20 years, the killings went unsolved. However, in 2019, the police apprehended McCraney and charged him with the murders of Hawlett and Beasley. In April 2023, the trial of Coley McCraney began in Alabama. During the trial, the prosecution presented evidence to prove McCraney’s involvement in the murders. As per WDHN News, the jury found Coley McCraney guilty of four counts of capital murder and sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Currently, he is serving his sentence at William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility in Bessemer, Alabama.
How were Tracie Hawlett and J.B. Beasley’s killer, Coley McCraney, caught?
In 2019, the police arrested Coley McCraney after running a crime scene DNA through an online genealogy database. As per The New York Times, the authorities decided to try genetic genealogy after they charged a man with crimes similar to how the Golden State Killer was caught. The outlet also mentioned the authorities hired a forensic consulting firm to solve the case, following which they were able to pinpoint at MCraney.
Authorities noted that they asked Coley McCraney to submit his DNA. As per The New York Times, he provided his DNA. Citing the investigators, the outlet indicated that they compared his DNA with the DNA collected from the crime scene and found it to be an exact match. As a result, the police took him into custody and charged him with the murders of Tracie Hewlett and JB Beasley. In 2023, the trial began, and the prosecution presented several pieces of evidence.
Court sentenced McCraney to life in prison
While taking the stand, McCraney revealed that he met both the girls and had consensual sex with Beasley the night they were killed. However, the prosecution alleged that the suspect initially “denied” meeting both girls, per WDHN News. McCraney then said he initially denied meeting the girls after his arrest. He said, “When they put those cuffs on me I figured they had already made their minds up.” After eight days of testimonies, the jury found Coley McCraney guilty on four counts of capital murders.
In addition, the jury found McCraney guilty of two counts of capital murder-vehicle, one count of capital murder-rape, and capital murder of two or more persons, per WDHN News. The court sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
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