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

[@TerraDiASMR]

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]

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

[@LouisCasas]

​@@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]

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]

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

[@ChadBest-ug8uo]

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]

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]

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

[@meg659]

DNA doesn't lie, he did

[@laurencaulton103]

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

[@carolinegoss856]

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.

[@jamellfoster6029]

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.

[@johnnyutah1983]

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]

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

[@DroneStrike1776]

@@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]

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

[@outroseok]

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]

Do you think that they got the right guy?

[@fayetolson241]

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

[@mealien0808]

Who is he?.

[@joy2come119]

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]

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

[@cookie4jb]

It's not a full episode

[@sassycat6487]

That's why it says preview.

[@jordandors]

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

[@LeafsAndCars]

Belated condolences to their families. Rest in peace.

[@philosopher2king]

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]

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]

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]

@@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]

@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]

Yes, it’s soo clear that he did it.

[@marciafuentes17]

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?

[@SV-ec2gq]

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

[@autumnleaf.]

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

[@tothelighthouse9843]

Alanis Morissette "Uninvited".

[@bamagalforever]

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]

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

[@bamagalforever]

@@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.

[@latina305mami]

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.

[@Atl_Boi_73]

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.

[@Atl_Boi_73]

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

[@user-hi1kb8hf5n]

Where is the rest of it please

[@IH8YALLL]

They’ll upload the full story in a few days

[@latina305mami]

Hulu

[@Atl_Boi_73]

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.

[@Atl_Boi_73]

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!

[@Navaura]

When teens went to the mall.

[@fredmeyer8726]

Incomplete.

[@beckyduque831]

It is titled PREVIEW

[@mob4336]

This reporter is so bias

[@Atl_Boi_73]

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.

[@mob4336]

Yet again a race baiting episode.

[@tracydesteph1095]

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

[@LeafsAndCars]

Belated condolences to their families. Rest in peace.