Murdered Teen's Parents Continue To Seek Justice, 11 Years After Killings
By: Scott Packard, SPackard@wdhn.com
Updated: July 30, 2010
Carol Roberts will gladly show you around her home. "Three of the most important things to me in my life were my children," she said, pointing at their pictures.
Pictures of her two sons, Ben and Christopher-- and her daughter Tracie Hawlett hang on nearly every wall.
"This was taken Friday night July 30th of 1999. Tracie had just finished her majorette routine. I didn't know at the time that would be the last picture I'd ever have of her," Carol said grasping a frame.
It's what was found on an 0zark road that forever changed Tracie's parent's lives. It was in the trunk of Tracie's car police discovered two teenage girls shot execution style. They were Tracie and her friend JB Beasley.
"I can perfectly remember everything I was doing and everything that she was doing. It seems like yesterday," Carol said.
11 years have passed since that day. 11 years of trying to come to grips with what happened. "The girls could not have done anything that deserved what happened to them," Tracie's Step Father Mike Roberts said.
"It's never okay again, things will never be okay again but you adjust," Carol continued.
Something Tracie's parent's can't adjust to is the fact that more than a decade has passed and noone has been charged with the crime. "Maybe one day somebody will come forward with some information that will convict the people or person who did this. I want justice," Mike said.
"I don't understand how somebody could do something like this and then lay their head on their pillow at night," Carol said.
They've come to grips with the reaility they way never know why or who-- but they are both confindent in something else. "Tracie would'nt wasnt me to just crumble up and say my life is over. She'd say mom go on. She'd say I'm fine... and she is," Carol continued.
Going on means an even closer relationship with their two sons. But the worry never leaves. "I think about it more when they walk out the door. Will I ever see them again. Who knows," Mike said.
Alll they can do is hold on in the only way possible. "The memories are in your heart. When you don't have that person anymore you have the memories. They stay with you forever," Carol said in tears.
It's all they have left to hold.
