A Wrong Turn in Ozark: The Murders of J.B. Beasley & Tracie Hawlett

A Wrong Turn in Ozark: The Murders of J.B. Beasley & Tracie Hawlett

Author: Moms and Mysteries Podcast January 20, 2026 Duration: 1:00:38
In the summer of 1999, 17-year-olds J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett took a wrong turn on their way to a party and ended up in Ozark, Alabama. After a frantic call to Tracie's mom from a gas station payphone, the two girls vanished. The next morning, their bodies were discovered in the trunk of J.B.'s car, each with a single gunshot wound to the head. The case went cold for nearly two decades until a breakthrough in genetic genealogy led investigators to a shocking suspect: a man who had been living a seemingly normal life in their own community. Thank you to this week's sponsors! Right now IQBAR is offering our special podcast listeners 20% off all IQBAR products—including the Ultimate sampler pack—plus FREE shipping when you text MOMS to 64000. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details. Discover a softness beyond your wildest dreams with Boll & Branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/moms with code moms. Exclusions apply. If you want makeup that brings out your natural glow instead of hiding it, Jones Road is the way to go. For a limited time our listeners are getting a free Cool Gloss on their first purchase when they use code MOMS at checkout. Just head to Jonesroadbeauty.com and use code MOMS at checkout. After you purchase, they will ask you where you heard about them. Please support our show and tell them our show sent you. Born from over 10 years of longevity research, OneSkin’s OS-01 Peptide™ is proven to target the cells that cause the visible signs of aging, helping you unlock your healthiest skin now and as you age. For a limited time, OneSkin is making it even easier to stay consistent with 15% off when you use code MOMS at oneskin.co/MOMS. After you purchase, they’ll ask where you heard about them. Please support our show and tell them we sent you. Download Cash App Today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/vwn13ren #CashAppPod. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. See terms and conditions at https://cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement. Direct deposit and promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit http://cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteries Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Between school drop-offs and grocery runs, Mandy and Melissa found a shared obsession with the unanswered questions lurking in the shadows. Moms and Mysteries: A True Crime Podcast is the result: a conversation that feels like sitting at a kitchen table with two friends who are deeply curious about the human condition. Their perspective is uniquely grounded, examining each story not just for its shock value, but for the societal threads and personal tragedies that weave it together. You’ll hear them discuss everything from the strangely specific weirdness of a Florida crime to a globally known cold case, always with a blend of empathy and a dash of necessary, dark humor. This isn't a clinical report; it's a twice-weekly deep dive fueled by a lifelong fascination with mysteries, both big and small. The tone is warm, the research is thorough, and the conversation is the kind you get hooked on. New episodes of this true crime podcast arrive every Tuesday and Thursday, ready to be your companion during a commute or while folding laundry. They’ve been asking "how did this happen?" since they were kids, and now they’re pulling up a chair for you to join that ongoing, compelling discussion.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Moms and Mysteries: A True Crime Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Jane Mixer: The Controversial Conviction [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:23
In 1969, Jane Louise Mixer, a 23-year-old law student at the University of Michigan, was trying to catch a ride home to tell her parents she was engaged to her boyfriend Phil. Jane was an exceptional student—top 10% of h…
[Unsolved] Cheryl Coker: The Kroger Parking Lot [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:28
On an ordinary Tuesday morning in October 2018, Cheryl Coker vanished from her suburban Ohio home. Her SUV was found abandoned in a Kroger parking lot with her purse and phone still inside. Cheryl—a bubbly, talkative mom…
A Deadly Inheritance: The Von Stein Murder [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:14
In July 1988, Lieth Von Stein was brutally murdered in his Washington, North Carolina home while his wife Bonnie barely survived the attack. The crime scene looked like a burglary gone wrong—but investigators quickly rea…
Absurd Lawsuits: Scams, Frauds and Greed [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:00
Some crimes are violent, some are tragic, and some are just so absurd that they make you lose a little faith in humanity. Today we're diving into lawsuits so wild, so petty, and so downright unbelievable, you'll think we…
Janie Ballard: A Daughter's Deadly Greed [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:24
When a friend found 58-year-old Janie Ballard stabbed over 70 times in her Little Rock, Arkansas home on September 13, 2003, investigators immediately suspected her own daughter, Leslie, and Leslie's much older husband,…
Forbidden Science: History's Dark Experiments [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:39
Throughout history, scientists have pushed ethical boundaries in the name of progress—sometimes with horrifying consequences. From secret government programs to rogue researchers conducting experiments on unwitting subje…
The Krugersdorp Killings: A Prophet's Cult [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:00
In 2016, a small South African community was rocked by a series of brutal murders orchestrated by a woman who claimed to speak directly to God. Cecilia Steyn manipulated her followers into committing unspeakable acts, al…
[Update] Piketon Massacre: New Sentences [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:24
Major developments in one of Ohio's most shocking family annihilations. After years of investigation and legal battles, the Wagner family members have been sentenced for the brutal murders of eight members of the Rhoden…
[Unsolved] Who Killed Ronni Chasen? Hollywood's Mystery [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:35
In 2010, Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen was driving home from a movie premiere when she was shot multiple times in her Mercedes. The high-profile murder sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry, and the inves…
Jesse Baird & Luke Davies: Cop Turned Killer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:07
When Australian TV presenter Jesse Baird and his partner Luke Davies disappeared in February 2024, the investigation led to a shocking suspect: a serving NSW police officer. This case exposed the dangers of domestic viol…