Man, 45, who is accused of killing two 17 year old girls in 1999 is an 'outstanding member of the community' his lawyer claims as the district attorney seeks the death penalty Tracie Hawlett and J.B. Beasley were found dead in J.B.'s car on August 1, 1999 Teenagers had been at a party and were on their way home when they got lost They had both been shot once in the head and one of them had been raped Coley McCraney, 45, was arrested on Saturday in connection to the cold case Police matched DNA found at scene to some a relative sent to ancestry website His attorney has claimed that he is an 'outstanding member of the community' But District Attorney Kirke Adams says he will be seeking death penalty in case McCraney has been charged with murder and rape, according to authorities By Valerie Edwards For Dailymail.com and Associated Press Published: 16:57 GMT, 18 March 2019 | Updated: 18:17 GMT, 18 March 2019 13 shares 3 Viewcomments Coley McCraney, 45, who was arrested over the weekend in connection to the cold case murders of two teenagers is an 'outstanding' individual, according to his lawyer A 45-year-old man who was arrested over the weekend in connection to the cold case murders of two teens, is an 'outstanding' individual, according to his lawyer. Coley McCraney, 45, was arrested on Saturday and has been accused of killing 17-year-olds Tracie Hawlett and J.B. Beasley in 1999. His attorney David Harrison says his client is an 'outstanding member' of the community and is cooperating with law enforcement. Harrison said it's going to be difficult to find a jury that's not already aware of the case and that he might have to ask for another venue to get a fair trial. Harrison is known for several high profile cases including representing Ronnie Gilley during Gilley’s Alabama bingo trial. Meanwhile, District Attorney Kirke Adams has said he plans to seek the death penalty against McCraney. Adams says McCraney can be prosecuted for capital murder in the killings. He told a news conference on Monday that one of the multiple capital counts against the man includes a charge that one of the victims was sexually assaulted during her slaying in 1999. The prosecutor said he decided years ago to pursue the slayings as a death-penalty case. A DNA breakthrough led to McCraney's arrest on Saturday in connection to the cold case murders. Tracie Hawlett (left) and J.B. Beasley (right), both 17, were found dead in J.B.'s car in 1999. Their bodies had been put in the trunk and they had both been shot in the head The two 17-year-old girls were found dead in the trunk of J.B.'s car in 1999, a day after being reported missing by their families. They vanished on their way home from party in Ozark, Alabama. The teenage girls' families believe they had gotten lost on their way home from the party they were at and stopped at a gas station when they were attacked. Both girls had been shot once in the head and one of them had been raped. Police collected DNA from the scene but for years they have been unable to find a match to a potential suspect. However, a recent search found a match to one of McCraney's relatives who had voluntarily submitted their DNA to find out more about their ancestry. Investigators traced it back to the man, who now lives in a different city but who once lived where the girls' bodies were found. McCraney was taken into custody at around 6.30pm on Saturday. No additional details about his arrest or his life were immediately available. The girls' bodies were found in the trunk of J.B.'s vehicle. Above is the crime scene in 1999 The girls' families, who have been desperately looking for answers for years, have not yet commented on his arrest. It is not yet known which of McCraney's relatives' DNA led police to him. But McCraney reportedly has at least one child whose mother filed a paternity petition against him in 1998. She claimed McCraney was the father of her child who was born in September of that same year. The order for the DNA submission was made in July 1999, but McCraney never responded to it, according to the Dothan Eagle. McCraney has been charged with two counts of murder and one count of rape. He is being held at the Dale County Jail with no bond. A different suspect was cleared after his DNA didn't match that from semen found on Beasley. The girls' families, who have long been searching for answers, have not yet commented on the man's arrest Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility