ABC’s special investigation into McCraney murder case airing on WDHN tonight
DOTHAN, Ala (WDHN) — Tonight, Friday, May 10, WDHN will air a special edition of ABC’s investigative true crime series 20/20, following one of the most prolific and talked about murder cases in the Wiregrass.
“Forever 17” will air on channel 18 at 9:00 p.m. eastern/8:00 p.m. central.
The two hour special dives into the 1999 summer murders of J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett, the twist and turns of the almost 20 year cold case, and the trial of their convicted killer, Coley McCraney.
20/20’s Debra Roberts interviewed several key figures connected with the nationally recognized story, including Beasley and Hawlett’s family, McCraney’s arresting officer Deputy Chief Micheal Bryan, his wife Jeanette McCraney, and for the first time ever, you will hear from McCraney himself from inside the Donaldson Correctional Facility.
McCraney was arrested in 2019 after a piece of DNA evidence found on Beasley linked him to the crime. For nearly three years, the case went back and forth in the Alabama Court System until finally, on a hot April day in 2023, McCraney stood before a jury of his peers.
WDHN reporters Aaron Dixon and Richard Everett covered the two week trial and were the first to break the news of McCraney’s guilty verdict.
Currerntly, McCraney’s attorneys, David Harrison and Andrew Scarborough, are fighting to get their client a new trial.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDHN - wdhn.com.
