Anthony Batson is the senior broadcast producer. Ryan Duke's murder trial was scheduled to start Oct 4 in Irwin County, Georgia, but lawyers in the case met with Judge Bill Reinhardt Wednesday and agreed to delay the case due to rising COVID-19 . Vicki Heilig Dukes. . Brooke says she kept encouraging Bo to open up to talk about this dark subject that was destroying him. Not guilty of malice murder and he was acquitted of all charges relating to Tara's murder convicted only of concealing her death. He was a graduate of A The defense questioned him about increasing drug use and alcohol consumption leading up to the time Grinstead went missing. Maria Woods Harber:and then her bed was unmade, like she had been in the bed. Bo Dukes told investigators his friend, Ryan Duke, confessed he had accidentally killed Grinstead and needed his truck to transfer her body. In an interview with the GBI, Bo Dukes said he was ready to end the secret he had kept for years, and went into detail. But police noted that her purse and keys were missing. One witness called to the stand was Garlan Latt, who they hoped would disprove Ryan Duke's testimony that he was not the killer and Bo Dukes was the mastermind. Rothwell took the blame for the GBI assuming local law enforcement determined information indicating Ryan Duke and Bo Dukes as persons of interest were "unfounded." Peter Van Sant: What were some of the theories as to what had happened to Tara? A native and lifelong resident of Aiken, Ryan was a son of the late Kenneth Michael Dukes and Vicki Heilig Dukes. She and her older sister Anita grew up in the Georgia town of Hawkinsville. Prosecutors do not expect to file murder charges against Bo Dukes. The state's witness called Grinstead's 79-year-old father, Billy Grinstead, to the stand, who broke down. Brooke Sheridan: Ryan Woke him up and said, "I killed Tara Grinstead.". LAWYER: It sounds like you're saying you assumed it was handled properly? "Approximately 20 bone fragments that could be considered human bones.". A full skeleton. Duke was convicted on the charge of Concealing a Death and was sentenced to the maximum punishment of . That was after investigators finally reached out to John McCullough. her main goal was to win Miss Georgia or at least to get to Miss Georgia, and she did. The talented signer was named Miss Tifton and competed in the Miss Georgia beauty pageant. He said Bo Dukes admitted to killing her. Ryan Duke alibi: Tara Grinstead murder suspect now says he was asleep Caption Continuing Coverage By Alexis Stevens, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution March 14, 2019 The man accused of killing a. PROSECUTOR OPENING: This case is about Bo's lies it's about Bo's concealment that his best friend, Ryan, had killed Tara Grinstead and then they both burn the body. Our prayer and sympathy are with the Dukes family ,may you find peace through pray, doing your time of grief. She was a member of Millbrook Baptist Church. AIKEN, SC - MICHAEL RYAN DUKES, 43, died April 26, 2018. And the reason he knew she wasn't coming back, is because he had put load after load of wood on her body and burned her. Before the sentencing, Connie Grinstead, Tara Grinstead's stepmother, told the judge that "for over 11 years we went to bed every night wondering where Tara was and every morning we woke up with the same question - where is she?". Peter Van Sant: Was it an emotional moment for you to realize someone had been arrested after all that time? Bo then gave his account of moving and then burning her body, which began on a Wednesday and took two days. Jannis Paulk: It was Bo Dukes and Ryan Duke. The trial comes after Bo Dukes, a high school friend of Ryan Duke, was convicted of concealing Grinstead's death, which led investigators to Ryan Duke. The jury heard the confession Duke made in 2017. At the time, Ryan Duke and Bo Dukes were 21 years old. Dana Wilder: I never thought it was somebody from our community. Maria Woods Harber: I've had to come to a conclusion that I'm just gonna have to live the rest of my life not knowing. Of the six charges, Duke was found guilty of one count of concealing Grinstead's death. And then, an important discovery. Stunned as he was, McCullough was in a dilemma. Ryan Duke at his first court hearing after his arrest in February 2017, charged with Tara Grinstead's murder. And she told them about her employee's tip three years earlier regarding Bo Dukes and Ryan Duke. Dukes is in prison for concealing Grinstead's death. DEFENSE [closing arguments]: Bo Dukes should be on trial for the murder of Tara Grinstead, not Ryan. View Obituaries Shellhouse-Rivers Funeral Home, Inc. and Shellhouse-Rivers Crematory Ryan Dukes August 23, 1974 - April 26, 2018. Went to Elementary to high School with John sending Condolences to the Family in my Prayers. In 2005, the disappearance of beloved high-school teacher Tara Grinstead sent shockwaves through the town of Ocilla, Georgia. Peter Van Sant: One said she had clothes on, the other said she did not. And what she had to say implicated a man whose name had repeatedly been given to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. 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For some people, the best send-off is one that they would have loved to attendthemselves: a big party. Q: Did you see Miss Grinstead's body after she died? BO DUKES [GBI interview]: Again, I didn't believe him he asked me to come with him out to to the pecan orchard. An interesting turn of events came when Ryans 11-page confession, where hed detailed everything thatd transpired on that fateful evening, came to light. "Ryan did not kill Ms. Grinstead. The defense called a psychologist, Dr. Christopher Tillitski, who evaluated Ryan Duke in 2019. And remember that latex glove found at the crime scene? Looking at Ryans life, there isnt much of criminal history. Who is he and where is he now? Maria says Tara was determined to live her dreams from a young age, competing in beauty pageants to help earn scholarship money for college. Brooke Sheridan: Ryan looked at Bo and said, "It's your truck. It just wasn't what I wanted. Dukes invited McCullough to Ocilla to spend Christmas with his family. "As hes doing that he started getting emotional and said, She was so small, referring to the size of her in his arms,". I don't remember everything clearly. On March 1, 1969, he met Sandra Hageman on a . And as they were driving around town, a billboard caught his eye. From arguing that the glove with Ryans DNA was planted outside Taras house by Bo to him testifying it was the latter whod woken him up that night and admitted to killing Tara, the trial included it all. Maria Woods Harber: Yeah, she did. Praying for your family have strength. At the time, Ryan Duke and Bo Dukes were 21 years old. The jury saw pictures from Fitzgerald Farms, where agents searched for Grinstead's remains in 2017. But there is no question that in her short and impactful life, Tara Grinstead touched people in rare ways even those who never met her, like John McCullough. The couple broke things off but stayed in touch. The returned to the orchard once, where the ashes looked like a small campfire. The funeral will follow at 11 oclock in the chapel with The Rev. I was high. Find the obituary of Sandra Lee Dukes (1958 - 2021) from Clayton, DE. A unique and . I am so sad to hear of the passing of John Dukes a co - worker and friend. A native and lifelong resident of Aiken, Ryan was a son of the late Kenneth Michael Dukes and Vicki Heilig Dukes. | All testimonials are written by persons unlicensed and not qualified to make funeral arrangements, embalm or conduct a funeral. Marcus Harper: I was swabbed for DNA. Grinstead's best friend, sister, and step mother took to the stand to describe the pain they have felt since her 2005 disappearance. Dr. Fred W. Andrea III officiating. John McCullough says he is still haunted by painful memories of being ignored by investigators. Ryan Duke said he first started "hanging out" with Bo Dukes during his senior year of high school. Jannis Paulk: We shared that tip with the local sheriff's department. Nearly 12 years after Tara's disappearance, on February 23, 2017, Ryan Duke appeared in court, charged with Tara's murder. His former roommate and close friend was Ryan Duke. Not a one. For all that has transpired, there's one question that troubles Maria Woods Harber: what really happened to Tara on the night she disappeared? Ryan Duke's murder trial was scheduled to start Oct 4 in Irwin County, Georgia, but lawyers in the case met with Judge Bill Reinhardt Wednesday and agreed to delay the case due to rising COVID-19 numbers. He recognized her from Irwin County High School, where he was a student, and she was teaching at the time. Gooding testified her team found finger, teeth and cranium bones in the area. An Irwin County jury returned "Not Guilty" verdicts on five of the six charges Ryan Duke faced related to the disappearance and death of former Irwin County teacher Tara Grinstead, acquitting him of her 2005 murder on Friday, May 20, 2022. Friday, a jury found Ryan Duke not guilty of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and burglary connected to the death of Georgia beauty queen and teacher Tara Grinstead. LAWYER: Any doubt in your mind, however, that you heard these two people laughing about killing and burning Tara Grinstead's body? A native of Concord, NC, Vicki was a daughter of the late David Leon and Mamie Rae. Show Your Sympathy to the Family. Sometime in the night, Bo and Ben left while he and Stephen were sleeping. I am so sorry. Brooke Sheridan: I said, "You have to talk to me. Defense attorneys began to call witnesses of their own Monday when the state prosecutors rested their case after over a week of arguments. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. One of those always showing off and talking big and running his mouth. CONNIE GRINSTEAD [Reading family impact statement]: His confession in 2017 seemed genuine and sincere, and he looked remorseful. Jannis Paulk: FindTara.com. In addition to his parents, Ryan was preceded in death by his brother, Kenneth Jason Dukes, paternal grandfather, E. Kenneth Dukes; maternal grandparents, David Leon and Mamie Rae Lundsford Heilig and an aunt, Cindy Dukes Darr. The morning started with testimony from Bill Barrs with the Ocilla Police Department, who was tasked with checking Grinsteads home. The defense argued the validity of the report and test. Peter Van Sant: How did you and Bo Dukes meet? At his sentencing, Tara Grinstead's stepmother Connie addressed the court: CONNIE GRINSTEAD: He knew she wasn't ever coming back. He was a classic muscle car enthusiast with a passion for Chevy Impalas. Please contact your local Neptune Society office for cremation prices, and to learn more about our cremation service. Prosecutors called friends and acquaintances of the Georgia teacher and beauty queen. He was a classic muscle car enthusiast with a passion for Chevy Impalas. And that's where she wanted to stay and where she wanted to be. Maria Woods Harber: Yes. The GBI was overwhelmed with tips at the time and this one slipped through the cracks. DEFENSE: We know the State hasn't brought a single witness to tell you it was on the ground before Monday morning. Ryan Dukes said he started to see Bo Dukes more often after he was discharged from the Army for being AWOL. An Irwin County jury read not guilty verdicts on five o the six charges against Duke: malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and burglary. But in the same sense, I always thought, "Well, it has to be.". The door was locked. Marcus always maintained his innocence but remained under suspicion. AGENT GARY ROTHWELL: We thought that that lead had been addressed by local law enforcement as unfounded and did not follow up. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as: names, dates, place of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships. It would be illegal for me to accept a fee for preparing that application on your behalf. And he asked me to help him get rid of her body. Brooke Sheridan: I said, "You need to confess. Let others know about your loved one's death. GBI agent Gary Rothwell said GBI agents' reports included the names Ryan Duke and Bo Dukes in 2005. He went looking for her the night she disappeared and sparked the search for the woman when he alerted authorities the next day. The family of Tara Grinstead got a chance to address the jury before the judge gave Ryan Duke a maximum sentence after he was found guilty of concealing the body of Tara Grinstead. I didn't know who he was. Funeral Home Services for Ray are being provided by Alexander Funeral Home, Inc. - Charlotte. The 2005 disappearance of Tara Grinstead beloved teacher and local beauty queen mystified the people of Ocilla, Georgia, like Jannis Paulk, who lived just around the corner from Tara. "You should be punished according - not for murder, not for burglary, not for aggravated assault, because that's the way the system works. Marcus Harper: What they're sayin' at the local grocery store, and at the local restaurants They don't think that it's gettin' to someone who's my family or my friend? Maria Woods Harber grew up with Tara. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to Aiken SPCA Albrecht Center for Animal Welfare (www.letlovelive.org) or the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org). Maria Woods Harber: This is where Tara Grinstead lived in 2005. Find service information, send flowers, and leave memories and thoughts in the Guestbook for your loved one. It's kind of odd, isn't it? AIKEN, SC - MICHAEL RYAN DUKES, 43, died April 26, 2018. Ryan William Drakes, age 40, of DeSoto passed away on Wednesday, August 4, 2021. They're not a map to follow, but simply a description of what people commonly feel. He said he lied to the GBI agent that interviewed him about breaking into Grinstead's house and fatal striking and choking her. The GBI tested that glove and found not only Tara's DNA on it, but the DNA profile of an unknown male. A native and lifelong resident of Aiken, Ryan was a son of the late Kenneth Michael. He is preceded in death by his. I'm so sick of this stealing from her purse. We had search efforts like nothing you've ever seen. was dedicated to making her students feel wonderful. I can't live with myself. Brooke says she was studying in Savannah to become a pharmacist when, in 2015, she came face-to-face with her online date. Duke also admitted to taking her purse and keys and leaving a glove at the residence. It's surprising how much a musical selection can affect mourning. Dana Wilder: As little girls, we looked up to her she was famous. It took a jury less than an hour to convict Bo Dukes on all charges. AIKEN, SC - Kenneth Michael Dukes, 66, died Thursday, March 30, 2017 at his residence. Zion Baptist Church, 1012 Adams St. View the obituary at www.BEBrownCo.com. I thought he was out of his mind. IRWIN COUNTY, Ga. - An emotionaltrial in Irwin Countyconcluded Monday with a judge sentencing Ryan Duke to the maximum sentence of 10 years in prison - with five years already served. Rumors swirled about that cop whose card was found at Tara's house. Bo Dukes comes from a prominent family that owned a huge pecan orchard in the Ocilla area. The Associated Press contributed to this story. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. After a few drinks, McCullough says Bo began talking about Tara. I told him, you know, leave me alone . At night, Tara studied for a specialist degree in school administration, but other parts of her life hadn't come together as she'd hoped. Expand the Memories and Condolences form. He claims he realized this after she was dead. BRYAN DUKES OBITUARY. It was very hard to grasp. BO DUKES [GBI interview]: We drove back into the back, and he showed me where her body was. Receive a notification when services are updated. California Residents: California FD #1289, #1309, #1359, #2031 Jannis Paulk: She was dating, I think, more than people realized that she was dating. That's according to Lindsey Forshee, administrator for the Tift Judicial Circuit. She described the various DNA tests performed on the glove hoping to find clues, "It was about 90% unknown male and 10% Ms. Grinstead,". Interment will follow in Southlawn Cemetery. Anthropologist Dr. Ashley Gooding was brought in by the GBI in 2017 to help dig and identify possible human remains in the pecan orchard Duke claimed to have burned and buried Grinstead's body. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. GBI Agent Shoudel testified Duke knew what he was doing, and that Duke told investigators he was mentally and physically cognitive. And Bo Dukes himself spoke directly to Tara's family: BO DUKES: To the Tara Grinstead family, I'm truly sorry. May the holy spirit comfort you in this time of bereavement. Bo says Ryan then repeated that a couple of days later. This DNA test was taken two years before defendant Ryan Dukes recorded confession. The defense said Ryan was under the influence of painkillers at the time, and only took the blame because he was afraid of Bo. Jannis Paulk even created a website to help authorities collect information. DEFENSE: Mr. Duke, did you murder Tara Grinstead? 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