Ryan's lawyers argued that gave Bo plenty of time to plant it. The family will receive friends Thursday morning, May 3rd beginning at 10 oclock at Shellhouse Rivers Funeral Home. But when questioned about her disappearance, he had an alibi and was never charged. Q: Did you see Miss Grinstead's body after she died? But no one in Ocilla knew what had happened when Tara seemingly vanished after leaving that barbecue on Saturday night, October 22. John McCullough maintains he tried to get investigators a key tip in 2007 that could have cracked the case. 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. Ryan Duke said he first started "hanging out" with Bo Dukes during his senior year of high school. Lawyers and the judge also met today in whats called a charging conference where they finalized the official charges that the jury will be presented. Your family's land." 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. 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. The jury was left to decide if they believed what Ryan said in 2017, or his new version of events. Sending my condolences to Mrs. Wendy and her sons. He claims he realized this after she was dead. He was a graduate of Aiken High School and received his bachelors degree from USC Aiken. A devoted husband and grandfather, Duane was born on May 1, 1950, in South Gate, California, the son of Edwin and Florann (Boisseau) Dukes. Ryan, Penny A. that's where she set her roots. BRAD RIGBY | PROSECUTOR: This case is about Bo's lies, lies that lasted from 2005 to 2016. Ryan Duke Trial Day 7 Recap. 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. Bo told her they moved Tara's body to a pit, where it took two days to burn, destroying all evidence. Ryan Duke testified he drove from Fitzgerald to Ocilla in an unsuccessful attempt to return Grinstead's wallet, and he left Bo Dukes in the trailer. AIKEN, SC - Kenneth Michael Dukes, 66, died Thursday, March 30, 2017 at his residence. 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. "That is a question that has bothered me for years," he said. Neptune Society is the largest provider of affordable cremation services in the nation. Brooke Sheridan: I had never connected with somebody and had fun with somebody like I have with him. Peter Van Sant: This really affects you, though, talking about this. 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. "We believe in Ryan and we believed in him the entire time.". Brooke Sheridan: I said, "You need to confess. McCullough said he called authorities but they never followed up. The defense argued that Ryan's former best friend, Bo Dukes, was the man responsible for Grinstead's death throughout the trial. This program is not financed by or connected in any manner with any governmental agency or veteran's or other organization. They laid out the evidence collected at Grinsteads property just following her disappearance. And it was about to get even more unsettled when at Ryan's murder trial he took the stand and recanted his confession, saying it was really Bo Dukes who killed Tara. The defense argued the validity of the report and test. But when he took the witness stand during his trial, he insisted he was innocent. LAWYER: It sounds like you're saying you assumed it was handled properly? More than a decade later, the GBI charged Duke -- her former student -- with killing her and hiding her body in a pecan orchard. "He said he killed Tara," Ryan Duke said. Call Call. Bo Dukes comes from a prominent family that owned a huge pecan orchard in the Ocilla area. Dukes attorneys have said he made a false confession under the influence of drugs. The jury heard the confession Duke made in 2017. "Two men who had no regard for a beautiful, loving person took her life. "Any reason to continue this?" Jannis Paulk also spoke to the GBI in 2008 as the agency was reviewing the case. They burned her body. And the one we didn't want to think about was somebody killed her. When the court denied this request, they took it to the Georgia Supreme Court, which said that they did not have jurisdiction over it, and the matter was sent back to Judge Reinhardt, who had originally presided over the case. Maria Woods Harber:and then her bed was unmade, like she had been in the bed. Maria Woods Harber: Tara had a boyfriend for a long time And during the summer of 2005, they broke up. The case generated hundreds of tips over the years. "It should be an opening when we cremated her. Interment will follow in Southlawn Cemetery. So, it's kind of crappy right now. For those who loved Tara Grinstead, Bo Dukes' 25-year sentence for covering up her death was only partial justice. He returned to the trailer, according to testimony, where Bo Dukes said he'd show him where Tara Grinstead's body was. Yet both these demands were denied by the court. Jannis Paulk: Ocilla is a big family. Browse Troy local obituaries on Legacy.com. Leave your condolences to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you care. Jannis Paulk: So, I sat down with an agent and we just went through everything. 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. And she was very distraught. And she told them about her employee's tip three years earlier regarding Bo Dukes and Ryan Duke. Please contact your local Neptune Society office for cremation prices, and to learn more about our cremation service. Peter Van Sant: What were some of the theories as to what had happened to Tara? She could tell you anything to make you feel better. That was the last time Ryan Duke said he saw Tara Grinstead's body. And what she had to say implicated a man whose name had repeatedly been given to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Marcus Harper: I received a phone call And the voice on the other end of the phone said, you know, "Brother, your 12 years of hell is over. Hudson said at the time he thought the burn site was an innocent bonfire. Jannis Paulk: That they had been at a party bragging about their involvement in Tara's disappearance and that ultimately, they had taken her body out to a pecan orchard and burn it in a firepit. 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 . Peter Van Sant: Why do you think investigators ignored you? "Mr. Dukes, do you plan to invoke your 5th amendment right to every question?" Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. Connie Grinstead argued that the family pleaded and begged for any news about Tara for years and that Duke's "silence was deafening.". RYAN DUKE: He starts laughing at me. In the 21st century, it's not just urns and gravestones anymore. And remember that latex glove found at the crime scene? This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. BO DUKES: As far as I know, he didn't know her. Jannis Paulk: It was Bo Dukes and Ryan Duke. last opportunity to present witnesses as a rebuttal. 2023 Neptune Society. The defense had previously asked the judge to dismiss the case, an action that was quickly declined. They went to the orchard one other time for a part in November 2005. SHELLHOUSE RIVERS FUNERAL HOME, 715 EAST PINE LOG RD., AIKEN, SC. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. After a few drinks, McCullough says Bo began talking about Tara. Authorities couldn't explain either, and collected them as evidence the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, known as the GBI, was called in. It turned out that he had completed his education from the Irwin County High School, which is where Tara used to work, three years before she went missing, and they might have come in contact there. The funeral will follow at 11 oclock in the chapel with The Rev. I told him, you know, leave me alone . Information and advice to help you cope with the death of someone important to you. Grief researchers say holding that missing funeral service, even a year or more later, can still help us heal. 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. I was high. Bo Dukes stayed in a bedroom in a trailer they rented in Fitzgerald, Ryan Duke testified. And Bo Dukes himself spoke directly to Tara's family: BO DUKES: To the Tara Grinstead family, I'm truly sorry. Leave a memory or share a photo below to show your support. Witness Randy Hudson owned the pecan orchard where Grinstead's body was allegedly disposed. she snuck up on me and I hit her. Duke said he never took Grinstead's belongings to police when he tried to return them. Police found her car seat in position for someone taller, and police said they found an envelope with $100 in cash on the dashboard. PROSECUTION: The man in THAT chair, confessed to the murder of Tara Grinstead. Ryan Duke said he thought Bo Dukes was playing a joke on him, until he saw her corpse. While it might have not been explosive "smoking gun" testimony, it did paint a picture of the scene police officers were met with during a welfare check at the high school teachers home 17 years ago when she failed to show up to work on a particular Monday in October 2005. After college, Tara got a job at Ocilla's Irwin County high school, teaching 11th grade history. Gary Rothwell [2008]: It appeared that Tara may have left on her own. LAWYER: Any doubt in your mind, however, that you heard these two people laughing about killing and burning Tara Grinstead's body? I cant live with myself Im so sick of this," Duke said in a recorded video. Peter Van Sant: One said she had clothes on, the other said she did not. An Irwin County jury read not guilty verdicts on five o the six charges against Duke: malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and burglary. Peter Van Sant: And what is it about him that you love? Ryan Dukes. He said Bo Dukes was "almost excited, cheerful," when they went to move Grinstead's body. For around 6 years, Tara Grinstead dated Marcus Harper, a former Ocilla cop who joined the Army Rangers. 83 Peacefully passed away on February 23, 2023. Brooke Sheridan: He said, "That's something that only God and Ryan know." 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. And I was like, "yeah." At the time, Ryan Duke and Bo Dukes were 21 years old. Prosecutors called two witnesses before dismissing the jury a lunchtime to debate how much of the Duke's confession could be shown. Bo got in big trouble while in the Army. In April 1952, flicka was the 500th baby born at Paso Robles. Brooke Sheridan: It was love at first sight. That boyfriend was Marcus Harper, a former cop from Ocilla. Peter Van Sant: This is the murder of Tara Grinstead and there seemed to be little interest, is that right? The defense argued the case is about power and influence, which their client lacks. Searching obituaries is a great place to start your family tree research. I'm not gonna shy away to the fact that I was I was bitter. John McCullough: I have no idea. Ryan worked at a plastics manufacturing plant, while Bo would occasionally work at his family's pecan farm. In 1999, Tara Grinstead won the Miss Tifton pageant, which landed her a spot at the 1999 Miss Georgia competition. Food has always been a go-to for people in mourning. Superior Court Judge Bill Reinhardt said. Send Flowers . Ryan Duke took the stand Tuesday and immediately denied murdering Grinstead, claiming he didn't know how she died. 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. BO DUKES [GBI interview]: Again, I didn't believe him he asked me to come with him out to to the pecan orchard. As their relationship evolved, Brooke sensed that something seemed to be eating away at Bo. Please join us in Loving, Sharing and Memorializing Ryan Dukes on this permanent online memorial. Ryan Duke said he was afraid of Bo Dukes, who repeatedly told him not to talk about Tara Grinstead. GARLAN LOTT: I assumed it was handled by law enforcement, yes. Ryan Duke testified he saw Tara. Jannis Paulk: There were people who believed she ran away. That was after investigators finally reached out to John McCullough. Jannis Paulk: We shared that tip with the local sheriff's department. We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time. I didn't believe him. The last witness in the case was GBI Agent Mitchell Posey, who was brought in to prove Duke wasnt lying in his 2017 recorded confession, "The question was How did you identify Tara? The answer was The pictures on the wall," Posey said, "Ryan is the one talking about the G&G in front of it. Peter Van Sant: Why would Ryan Duke have murdered Tara Grinstead? On Sunday, Tara's mom called her several times, but Tara didn't answer. Prosecutors played that videotape of Bo's interview with the GBI. Stunned as he was, McCullough was in a dilemma. I cried for days, couldn't sleep for days. The state's line of questioning tried to show the jury that Ryan Duke is capable of lying. Visitation: Saturday, Feb. 18th from 9 a.m. until the 11 a.m. funeral hour at Mt. Some basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love. Bo confessed all of this to Brooke, who stuck with him. They wanted the state to fund the expenses for people like private investigators and expert witnesses for Ryan. GBI agent Gary Rothwell said GBI agents' reports included the names Ryan Duke and Bo Dukes in 2005. He could have at least told us that, but he didn't. "We will always hate what this defendant did to Tara and to the people who loved her," she said. There were billboards. Ryan Duke had told investigators in 2017 he killed Tara Grinstead and helped burn her body. Weeks later she called the GBI to turn in the boyfriend she loved. However, we had a glove, a latex glove that we couldn't explain. The trial of the man accused of killing Tara Grinstead 16 years ago has been pushed back into 2022. My truck was Luminoled photographs were taken. Back in 2008 Van Sant spoke with Special Agent Gary Rothwell. Zion Baptist Church, 1012 Adams St. View the obituary at www.BEBrownCo.com. Roland & Karol Kay Hoffman. 1449 N Claiborne Ave New Orleans, LA KARLIN DUKES OBITUARY Karlin C. Dukes Sr., age 83, peacefully passed away surrounded by family on Monday, November 7, 2016. I built a message board because I thought that there was a good chance that whoever knew what had happened to her would potentially come and say something. Maria Woods Harber: She's been an inspiration. We know who did," defense attorney John Merchant said. Born on January 20, 1989 in Easton, Bryan is the son of Kathy Elburn Dukes . Ryan Dukes Aiken, - MICHAEL RYAN DUKES, 43, died April 26, 2018. Peter Van Sant: What did you see when you walked into her house? Ryan Duke testified he "passed out" after a night of drinking before Tara Grinstead allegedly died. 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. There was no other option. He wasn't sure who said what. "There were some days that the heartache was so great we could barely even function," she said. She had a lot of life ahead of her. And that's where she wanted to stay and where she wanted to be. Another video shown shows Duke leading investigators to where he says he dumped and burned her body. Two months later, in February 2007, McCullough says he called three police departments in Georgia including Ocilla, where he left a voice message saying: John McCullough: "This is John McCullough. You have funeral questions, we have answers. Two years later, in March 2019, he was the first to go on trial. He testified calmly, but inside was still seething at Bo. Defense attorneys began to call witnesses of their own Monday when the state prosecutors rested their case after over a week of arguments. Maria Woods Harber: This is where Tara Grinstead lived in 2005. 5260 Daniel J. Enea, Manager. But after he broke down to Brooke, she told Bo it was time to tell the truth. Marcus always maintained his innocence but remained under suspicion. If youre in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist. And he said he threw his arms up just like this [shrugs her shoulders], "What are you gonna do?". He had an alibi, but the whispers continued. Two years later, in March 2019, Bo was the first to go on trial. Maria Woods Harber: They've gotten away with it for this many years anyway. I am so sad to hear of the passing of John Dukes a co - worker and friend. Dana Wilder: I never thought it was somebody from our community. Texas FD #3523, #5075, #3185, #3349, #3705 A native and lifelong resident of Aiken, Ryan was a son of the late Kenneth Michael. It took a jury less than an hour to convict Bo Dukes on all charges. View The Obituary For Ryan Dukes of Aiken, South Carolina. However, when it came to corroborating, Stephen testified in Bo Dukes trial that he couldnt confirm any of it. Here's my number I'll do whatever has to happen for y'all to take me serious. The defense called a psychologist, Dr. Christopher Tillitski, who evaluated Ryan Duke in 2019. Maria Woods Harber: She would never do that. Visit our Support Center. Since then, Duke's trial has been moved back several times. He was a classic muscle car enthusiast with a passion for Chevy Impalas. More than an hour into his testimony, Ryan Duke described the moment Bo Dukes led him to Grinstead's body. He was there with his brother, Stephen, and their friends, Bo Dukes and Ben McMahan. "I know they are disappointed in the verdict today like we are.". Duke is to be sentenced Monday. Down to about 20 fragments of bone. Published by Mobile Register and Baldwin County from Feb. 15 to Feb. 17, 2023. Show Your Sympathy to the Family. The defense said Ryan was under the influence of painkillers at the time, and only took the blame because he was afraid of Bo. She says the lawyers discussed pushing the trial into next March, but Judge Reinhardt hasn't signed an order confirming that. And wish I could have been there whenever it happened so that way, I could do something [emotional]. First published on January 2, 2021 / 11:05 PM. Peter Van Sant: How did you and Bo Dukes meet? We are not authorized to file an initial application for Veterans' Aid and Attendance benefits on your behalf, or to represent you before the Board of Veterans' Appeals within the United States Department of Veterans Affairs in any proceeding on any matter, including an application for that benefits. Back then, hardly anyone thought this case would ever be solved. Read More Published In Last Name "Dixon". Peter Van Sant: Did he have names of who these two men were who claimed they had killed Tara? But the prosecution said they hard evidence: audio and video of Ryan confessing to killing Tara, when he spoke to the GBI back in 2017. 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? Brooke Sheridan: Ryan Woke him up and said, "I killed Tara Grinstead.". It would be illegal for me to accept a fee for preparing that application on your behalf. AIKEN, SC - KENNETH MICHAEL DUKES, 66, died Thursday, March 30, 2017 at his residence. In 2005, the disappearance of beloved high-school teacher Tara Grinstead sent shockwaves through the town of Ocilla, Georgia. Peter Van Sant: The kind of guy you want to share a foxhole with, right? Thanks to the loyal support of generations of families, we've now grown to 45 locations nationwide with continued expansion in the future. The door was locked. Ryan admitted he was asked by Bo to help dispose of Tara's body in the orchard and moved her to the burn pile. ", BO DUKES: Yeah. Search by Name. Maria Woods Harber: Well, it's very emotional. What to do during a tornado: Where is your safe spot. DEFENSE: Mr. Duke, did you murder Tara Grinstead? Survivors include his grandmother, Vera Ballentine Dukes; aunts, Cheri McGee (Wayne), Debbie Wallace (David), all of Aiken, Linda Tinney (Mel), Pepin, WI, Pamela Clark (Rick), Ridgeville, SC; uncle, Jeff Dukes (Debbie), Aiken. There are reports of him being put under suicide watch a few times, yet nothing too serious came out of the incidents. Garland testifies before Senate panel amid ongoing special counsel probes, Colon cancer rates rising in younger age group, study finds, Firefighter dies battling blaze in downtown Buffalo, mayor says, Prosecution wraps its case at Alex Murdaugh murder trial, Top McCarthy aide, House Oversight chair each met with Ashli Babbitt's mother, What to know about Shigella bacteria as drug-resistant strain spreads, Ex-Georgia star Jalen Carter was racing in deadly crash, arrest warrants allege, Fiery train crash in Greece kills dozens, many of them students, Bipartisan Senate group unveils rail safety bill in response to Ohio derailment. Bo Dukes told investigators his friend, Ryan Duke, confessed he had accidentally killed Grinstead and needed his truck to transfer her body.
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