But McCullough wasn't the only witness who gave details about Tara's death. Ryan Duke took the stand Tuesday and immediately denied murdering Grinstead, claiming he didn't know how she died. Ryan Duke had told investigators in 2017 he killed Tara Grinstead and helped burn her body. Michelle Feuer is the development producer. The state says DNA later showed the glove did have his DNA on it. He's the uncle of Bo Dukes. Published by Mobile Register and Baldwin County from Feb. 15 to Feb. 17, 2023. A date was set to start Ryan Dukes trial, but a hitch came when his lawyers filed an emergency appeal to halt it. Published by Mobile Register and Baldwin County from Feb. 15 to Feb. 17, 2023. "There was a profile that matched a toothbrush of Tara Grinstead and there was an unknown male profile," Hinkle said. The two men drove about 200 yards up the road to where Tara Grinstead's body had been placed. Brooke says she was studying in Savannah to become a pharmacist when, in 2015, she came face-to-face with her online date. Visit our Support Center. Send Flowers . Ryan said he was afraid Bo would hurt him or his family. Jannis Paulk also spoke to the GBI in 2008 as the agency was reviewing the case. Both had been students at Tara's high school. But back then, Bo denied everything. Duke is to be sentenced Monday. was dedicated to making her students feel wonderful. "I cant lie. Ryan steeled himself before the verdict was read. Ryan Duke testified he "passed out" after a night of drinking before Tara Grinstead allegedly died. GARLAN LOTT: I assumed it was handled by law enforcement, yes. That's according to Lindsey Forshee, administrator for the Tift Judicial Circuit. He wasn't sure who said what. Your family's land." Maria Woods Harber: Well, it's very emotional. 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. Brooke Sheridan [emotional]: I kept thinking about her family and I couldn't sleep at night. A native and lifelong resident of Aiken, Ryan was a son of the late Kenneth Michael. Maria Woods Harber: She would never do that. Funeral Home Services for Ray are being provided by Alexander Funeral Home, Inc. - Charlotte. Ryan then allegedly went back to her house to move her remains to the orchard using Bos truck. Peter Van Sant: Did he have names of who these two men were who claimed they had killed Tara? There was a 34-hour gap between when someone last saw her and when officers performed that welfare check on Monday morning. Peter Van Sant: Why would Ryan Duke have murdered Tara Grinstead? None of the insurance products promoted at this sales event are endorsed by those organizations, all of which offer free advice to veterans about how to qualify and apply for benefits. Please join us in Loving, Sharing and Memorializing Ryan Dukes on this permanent online memorial. GBI Agent Shoudel testified Duke knew what he was doing, and that Duke told investigators he was mentally and physically cognitive. Some basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love. Gooding testified her team found finger, teeth and cranium bones in the area. They think the community can heal, pointing the finger at Bo Dukes for the murder. AIKEN, SC - Vicki Heilig Dukes, 65, died Thursday, September 15, 2016 at Aiken Regional Medical Centers. He had an alibi, but the whispers continued. Both men are awaiting trial in a neighboring county on charges related to burning Tara's body. Q: Did you see Miss Grinstead's body after she died? April 26, 2018 Aiken, South Carolina Set a Reminder for the Anniversary of Ryan's Passing. Lets find out. ", GBI AGENT to BO DUKES: I'm gonna just kinda leave it open the floor to you, and just tell me about you knowing about Tara . Ryan William Drakes, age 40, of DeSoto passed away on Wednesday, August 4, 2021. Speaking in court before Ryan Dukes' sentencing, Anita Gattis said her sister's disappearance threw her family into ''an out-of-control spiral'' that they've never escaped. They're not a map to follow, but simply a description of what people commonly feel. "It should be an opening when we cremated her. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Grinstead's best friend, sister, and step mother took to the stand to describe the pain they have felt since her 2005 disappearance. Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. Who you can trust with your life? JOHN DUKES OBITUARY John Lewis Dukes John Lewis Dukes, 64 of Monroe, Louisiana, an automotive service writer, passed away Sunday, April 19, 2015. Weeks later she called the GBI to turn in the boyfriend she loved. California Residents: California FD #1289, #1309, #1359, #2031 On Sunday, Tara's mom called her several times, but Tara didn't answer. The morning started with testimony from Bill Barrs with the Ocilla Police Department, who was tasked with checking Grinsteads home. Ryan William Drakes Obituary. 2023 Neptune Society. Send simple, comforting meals with Home Chef. He said Bo Dukes admitted to killing her. If youre in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist. Dr. Fred W. Andrea III officiating. At one. Bo began with what he says Ryan told him the day after Tara disappeared. Greg Kaplan, Phillip J. Tangel and Marcus Balsam are the editors. Posey says Duke corrected the GBI agent over 20 times during his confession, and said he believes that is key to note. "I hope Mr. Duke lives the rest of his life begging God for forgiveness every day from his dying breath," she said before asking the court to give him the maximum sentence. An interesting turn of events came when Ryans 11-page confession, where hed detailed everything thatd transpired on that fateful evening, came to light. Tara was. He later not only confided his secret to Bo but also asked for help to burn the body. Mobile Register and Baldwin County Homepage. But after he broke down to Brooke, she told Bo it was time to tell the truth. This DNA test was taken two years before defendant Ryan Dukes recorded confession. The defense argued the validity of the report and test. Ashley Hinkle, a forensic biologist with the State Crime Lab testified she swabbed the glove in June 2015. He said he lied to the GBI agent that interviewed him about breaking into Grinstead's house and fatal striking and choking her. NEW ELLENTON, SC -- CYNTHIA SUSAN DUKES DARR, 52, died Sunday, October 9, 2011 at her residence. "That is a question that has bothered me for years," he said. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. To plant trees in memory, please visit the. Jannis Paulk: She was dating, I think, more than people realized that she was dating. Prosecutors said Duke took law enforcement to the pecan orchard where he confessed to burning and dumping Grinstead's body. 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. Brooke Sheridan: I had never connected with somebody and had fun with somebody like I have with him. Ryan Duke came into the picture of the Tara Grinstead case when he was charged with her murder in 2017, twelve years after her sudden disappearance. And the one we didn't want to think about was somebody killed her. He graduated from Aiken High School in 1968 and was a . Brown & Co. Mortuary. He was the talk of Ocilla, Georgia, and none of it was good. "I said, 'You need to confess. The state and defense attorneys wrapped up their closing arguments earlier in the day. He lived most his life in Aiken and worked as a procedures writer at the Savannah River Site. Dr. Fred W. Andrea III officiating. And remember that latex glove found at the crime scene? Call Call. Receive a notification when services are updated. This is your truck, and this is your family's land," basically that was interpreted by Bo as a threat that we're partners now in this? 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 . In cross-examination, Rothwell added that he takes responsibility for the GBI lapse. As for his alibi, Ryan claimed that he had been at his mobile home in Fitzgerald the entire night. She had a lot of life ahead of her. He went looking for her the night she disappeared and sparked the search for the woman when he alerted authorities the next day. And it wasn't the only one overlooked. Ricou Browning, the stunt man who played the title character in underwater sequences of the 1954 classic "Creature from the Black Lagoon," died Monday at 93. "Any reason to continue this?" Connie Grinstead argued that the family pleaded and begged for any news about Tara for years and that Duke's "silence was deafening.". 2023 FOX Television Stations, jury found Ryan Duke not guilty of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and burglary, state and defense attorneys wrapped up their closing arguments. I cant live with myself Im so sick of this," Duke said in a recorded video. Two years later, in March 2019, Bo was the first to go on trial. I didn't know who I was staring at. Read More Published In Last Name "Dixon". It was part of town gossip that they had gotten into an argument after Marcus had come back to town earlier than expected that October. Tara Grinstead was a 30-year-old history teacher at the Irwin County High School in Ocilla, Georgia, when she was reported missing on October 24, 2005. Could he betray his friend? Marcus Harper: Somebody pulled me to the side, and they were like, "Listen, you know, there's been some things said bringin' up your military past, bringin' up how you're Trained to kill" . Ryan Duke said he helped Bo Dukes load Grinstead's body onto a pile of wood, covered her with more wood and lit the pile on fire. Investigators chased down dozens of leads across the country, but tips emerged that led right back to the high school where Tara was a teacher and perhaps someone who had sat in her classroom. Oregan Residents: Please note that in the State of Oregon, Funeral Board Rule 830-040-0000(3) requires our trade name include the identification of our funeral activity or function. Ryan, Penny A. In April 1952, flicka was the 500th baby born at Paso Robles. focused on the investigators who have worked the case over the years. 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. "It was built out in the area where there just should not have been a fire," Hudson said. A "panicked" Bo Dukes woke him up the following morning, Ryan Duke testified. That boyfriend was Marcus Harper, a former cop from Ocilla. She and her older sister Anita grew up in the Georgia town of Hawkinsville. On March 1, 1969, he met Sandra Hageman on a . Cind Jannis Paulk [emotional]: It just brings up a lot. Brooke Sheridan: Ryan looked at Bo and said, "It's your truck. He eventually went to court in 2022, with the central defense being hed given a false confession in 2017, partially owing to the fact he was afraid of his former friend Bo. And even when she no longer competed, Tara helped other women, like Dana, break into that world. And that was corroborated. Maria Woods Harber: My best friend, Tara Grinstead, was a beautiful person on the inside and the outside. Send a Card. They argued Duke was not responsible for her death but solely helped Bo Dukes dispose of the body, alleging that Bo Dukes was the mastermind behind the crime. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. An Irwin County jury found Ryan Duke not guilty of murdering Georgia teacher and beauty queen Tara Grinstead. What to do during a tornado: Where is your safe spot. Jannis Paulk: So, I sat down with an agent and we just went through everything. You have funeral questions, we have answers. More than a decade later, the GBI charged Duke -- her former student -- with killing her and hiding her body in a pecan orchard. The returned to the orchard once, where the ashes looked like a small campfire. He was the owner operator of Dukes Tax Service and Taxxman Payroll Solutions. Bo told Brooke that Ryan stole his pickup truck that night and used it to transport Tara's body to a remote part of a pecan orchard farmed by Bo's family. It was very hard to grasp. "It's like he wasn't there," Ryan Duke said when asked about Bo Dukes' demeanor while the body burned. John K. Dukes, Jr. Mar. Pallbearers will be Ryan Dukes, Jeffery Dukes, Evan Darr, Zac Buckner, Chris McGee, Chad Polatty and James Whittle. Maria Woods Harber: So, when I came back out of the house, I saw right out from the front door, there was a latex glove. RYAN DUKE [GBI interview played at trial]: I can't lie. Bones that were so degraded, no official cause of death could be determined. Brooke Sheridan: He said, "You've heard of the Tara Grinstead case?" Bo Dukes comes from a prominent family that owned a huge pecan orchard in the Ocilla area. AIKEN, SC - Kenneth Michael Dukes, 66, died Thursday, March 30, 2017 at his residence. John McCullough maintains he tried to get investigators a key tip in 2007 that could have cracked the case. 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