Special to the News
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall issued a statement following the announcement that Coley McCraney has been found guilty on all four counts in the murder trial of J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett of Houston County. The jury recommended life without parole.
“For 23 years, the families of J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett have hoped and prayed for justice. While this outcome will not bring their loved ones back, my hope is that it will give them the much-delayed closure they deserve and will reinvigorate this entire community’s faith in the justice system,” said Attorney General Marshall.
“It was an honor to return to my prosecutorial roots on behalf of two young ladies that were never forgotten. The verdict handed down today sent a clear message – we have no tolerance in this state for those who callously take the lives of others, especially our youth. This timely resolution during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is a poignant reminder that we must not ever allow the plight of crime victims to be minimized or their voices drowned out.”
The successful conviction was the result of a multi-agency effort including the District Attorney’s Office of the 33rd Judicial Circuit, Ozark Police Department, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Dale County Sheriff’s Office, and the Dothan Police Department.
