Peter Van Sant: This is the murder of Tara Grinstead and there seemed to be little interest, is that right? Jannis Paulk: It was Bo Dukes and Ryan Duke. They found him guilty of one charge: concealing Grinstead's death. Send Flowers. This program is not financed by or connected in any manner with any governmental agency or veteran's or other organization. Ryan William Drakes, age 40, of DeSoto passed away on Wednesday, August 4, 2021. Dana Wilder: As little girls, we looked up to her she was famous. Maria Woods Harber: She would never do that. . Ocilla Police Chief Billy Hancock called theGeorgia Bureau of Investigationto help. AIKEN, SC MICHAEL RYAN DUKES, 43, died April 26, 2018. I didn't know who he was. However, the family eventually hired a private investigator. Bones that were so degraded, no official cause of death could be determined. The two then went to a party. Praying for your family have strength. Jannis Paulk: So, I sat down with an agent and we just went through everything. The state argues in 2017 Duke was swabbed, and his DNA positively matched that found on the glove. Grinstead graduated from Middle Georgia College and began teaching at Irwin County High School in Ocilla in 1998. He claims he realized this after she was dead. A unique and . Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. Peter Van Sant: What emotional impact does this have for you when you see this house? Sometime in the night, Bo and Ben left while he and Stephen were sleeping. And that was corroborated. Marcus Harper: I was swabbed for DNA. 5260 Daniel J. Enea, Manager. Marcus always maintained his innocence but remained under suspicion. Ryan Duke had told investigators in 2017 he killed Tara Grinstead and helped burn her body. "Its been a 17-year nightmare for them," Irwin County District Attorney Bryce Johnson said. Age. I'm so sick of this stealing from her purse. John McCullough: I have no idea. Peter Van Sant: What time did she go home? Stephen S. Dukes, 61, of York Haven died Sunday, November 21, 2021 at Select Specialty Hospital, Camp Hill. Ryan Duke at his first court hearing after his arrest in February 2017, charged with Tara Grinstead's murder. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. AIKEN, SC - MICHAEL RYAN DUKES, 43, died April 26, 2018. In April 1952, flicka was the 500th baby born at Paso Robles. But questions remained about discrepancies between Ryan's version of events and Bo's. They went to the orchard one other time for a part in November 2005. John McCullough: Yeah, Tara Grinstead, and said, you know, "missing.". so, I talk to him, tell him everything I know. In 2005, the disappearance of beloved high-school teacher Tara Grinstead sent shockwaves through the town of Ocilla, Georgia. "Its a portion of the human cranium. . Ryan Dukes. Some basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love. In March 2019, Dukes was convicted of helping conceal Grinsteads death andsentenced to 25 years in prison. 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. Soon after his arrest, Ryan Duke was indicted on the charges of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, burglary, and concealing the death of another, to all of which he pleaded not guilty. 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. My truck was Luminoled photographs were taken. I don't remember everything clearly I was stealing from her purse. "That was a presumption that we should have never, ever made, but it happened, and it's my fault," Rothwell said. Jannis Paulk: FindTara.com. You have funeral questions, we have answers. 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. | All testimonials are written by persons unlicensed and not qualified to make funeral arrangements, embalm or conduct a funeral. In his own recorded words, Duke walked GBI investigators through how he killed, burned and buried Tara Grinstead. He said Bo Dukes admitted to killing her. "I was stealing from her purse and she snuck up on me. They've lived so many years without being punished. I am so sorry. John 3:16 Sending love and prayers for the Duke family! The jury saw pictures from Fitzgerald Farms, where agents searched for Grinstead's remains in 2017. I can't live with myself. She was a member of Millbrook Baptist Church. she snuck up on me and I hit her. In Ryan's interview with the GBI, he said he had hit Tara, but Bo said Ryan told him otherwise: BO DUKES [GBI interview]: He jumped on her, while he was she was in bed and strangled her right there in her bed. Dr. Fred W. Andrea III officiating. However, his lawyers, who are working pro-bono, claimed that even in that situation, he should get his due of the funds to ensure a fair trial. Bo Dukes comes from a prominent family that owned a huge pecan orchard in the Ocilla area. That's according to Lindsey Forshee, administrator for the Tift Judicial Circuit. Ryan worked at a plastics manufacturing plant, while Bo would occasionally work at his family's pecan farm. Gary Rothwell [2008]: It appeared that Tara may have left on her own. Of the six charges, Duke was found guilty of one count of concealing Grinstead's death. 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? What to do during a tornado: Where is your safe spot. It was told to me when I was in Georgia. Mobile Register and Baldwin County Homepage. In May 2022, at the Ocilla courthouse just up the road from Tara's home, Ryan Duke's attorneys argued that the state had the wrong man. 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. Police never called him a suspect, but Marcus was more closely investigated than anyone in the disappearance of his former girlfriend, Tara Grinstead. DEFENSE: Mr. Duke, did you murder Tara Grinstead? As such, in the State of Oregon Preneed Crematory Sales and Services are conducted under the trade name Neptune Cremation Service. I was high. Roland & Karol Kay Hoffman. 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. See the viral video from Bo Dukes' sentencing below: Georgia Supreme Court rules Ryan Duke can use state funds for defense in Grinstead case, Tara Grinstead case: Bo Dukes reports to prison for 25-year sentence, The trial was scheduled for October, but lawyers met this week and agreed to delay the case to spring 2022, Lent List: What is most often given up, and how you can find substitutes, Major water leak keeps Dublin City Hall closed, March kicks off by continuing the warm stretch, small rain chance. Share. But when he took the witness stand during his trial, he insisted he was innocent. OBITUARY Ryan William Drakes April 23, 1981 - August 4, 2021. Tara's family could do little but pray for a breakthrough. "It should be an opening when we cremated her. Wide open space so the woods wouldnt catch on fire," Duke said while trying to find the location. If youre in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist. The defense questioned Duke about his life and relationship with Bo Dukes. A native and lifelong resident of Aiken, Ryan was a son of the late Kenneth Michael Dukes and Vicki Heilig Dukes. 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." Giving to charity is a meaningful way to honor someone who has died. Universal. It was reactionary. That was the last time Ryan Duke said he saw Tara Grinstead's body. 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. Brooke Sheridan: He said, "That's something that only God and Ryan know." But no one in Ocilla knew what had happened when Tara seemingly vanished after leaving that barbecue on Saturday night, October 22. Dukes attorneys have said he made a false confession under the influence of drugs. GBI agent Gary Rothwell said GBI agents' reports included the names Ryan Duke and Bo Dukes in 2005. / CBS News, [This story previously aired on September 4, 2021. He is preceded in death by his. Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. This DNA test was taken two years before defendant Ryan Dukes recorded confession. 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. "Ryan did not kill Ms. Grinstead. She described the various DNA tests performed on the glove hoping to find clues, "It was about 90% unknown male and 10% Ms. Grinstead,". Both had been students at Tara's high school. Prosecutors asked Rothwell why no one followed up on a tip naming Ryan Duke and Bo Dukes as suspects. He denied that, but when asked why he lied to the GBI about killing Grinstead, Duke said, "I'm trying to make that right.". 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. My deepest condolences to my church family, may God give you all the strength and peace during your time of sorrow. Peter Van Sant: This really affects you, though, talking about this. And she was very distraught. The case generated hundreds of tips over the years. John McCullough: And it had this very, you know, attractive woman on it. We know who did," defense attorney John Merchant said. focused on the investigators who have worked the case over the years. ", 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 . 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. But after he broke down to Brooke, she told Bo it was time to tell the truth. He recognized her from Irwin County High School, where he was a student, and she was teaching at the time. "We believe in Ryan and we believed in him the entire time.". GBI Agent Shoudel testified Duke knew what he was doing, and that Duke told investigators he was mentally and physically cognitive. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Receive a notification when services are updated. At the time, Ryan Duke and Bo Dukes were 21 years old. A search of Grinsteads home revealed some oddities: her cellphone was still connected to a charger by the nightstand, her keys and purse were missing and her bedside clock was on the floor and was six hours off. But there was more Brooke says Bo then admitted his own involvement in the crime, saying: Brooke Sheridan: "And I helped him burn her body.". He pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial. He was a classic muscle car enthusiast with a passion for Chevy Impalas. Grief researchers say holding that missing funeral service, even a year or more later, can still help us heal. The returned to the orchard once, where the ashes looked like a small campfire. Peter Van Sant: And by Ryan saying to him, "Hey, buddy. They think the community can heal, pointing the finger at Bo Dukes for the murder. It was an opening like that. And I was like, "Yeah." The family will receive friends Thursday morning, May 3rd beginning at 10 oclock at Shellhouse Rivers Funeral Home. Ryan Duke took the stand Tuesday and immediately denied murdering Grinstead, claiming he didn't know how she died. Therefore, on May 20, 2022, the jury only found him guilty of concealing a death he was acquitted of every other count. I didn't know who I was staring at. ", Duke's attorney's argued that he had been a "model prisoner" for five years while "waiting patiently for his day in court.". Peter Van Sant: What did you see when you walked into her house? There was no other option. His lawyers demanded the case be thrown out as the statute of limitations had already passed before asking for the trial to be moved to another venue in Irwin County. Ryan William Drakes, age 40, of DeSoto passed away on Wednesday, August 4, 2021. John McCullough maintains he tried to get investigators a key tip in 2007 that could have cracked the case. 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. I ran. That tip went nowhere. 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. 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. AIKEN, SC - KENNETH MICHAEL DUKES, 66, died Thursday, March 30, 2017 at his residence. Visitation: Friday, Feb. 17th from 4 - 8 p.m. at B.E. AGENT GARY ROTHWELL: It is something we should've followed up, but we we didn't. I thought he was out of his mind. Visit our Support Center. Maria Woods Harber: Yes. Not guilty of malice murder and he was acquitted of all charges relating to Tara's murder convicted only of concealing her death. Who is he and where is he now? Michelle Feuer is the development producer. John McCullough: Yeah and we were pretty close. Vicki Heilig Dukes. Ryan Duke said he decided to take the blame for Tara Grinstead's death in 2017 because he didn't think Bo Dukes would tell the truth. Finally, he cracked. An Irwin County Probate judge declared Grinstead dead in absentia in December 2010. Duke also admitted to taking her purse and keys and leaving a glove at the residence. Over the past 47+ years, our experienced team has assisted families, their loved ones, and caregivers in carrying out final wishes more affordably, with dignity and respect. 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. She did not want to end it. 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. DEFENSE [closing arguments]: Bo Dukes should be on trial for the murder of Tara Grinstead, not Ryan. Peter Van Sant: How many times did you call the GBI over what period of time and you still didn't get any . Ryan Duke said he didn't know what he was talking about or believe him at first. On Friday, two key witnesses took the stand: the forensic biologist who tested the glove found at Tara Grinstead's home and the forensic anthropologist brought in who helped find Grinstead's buried remains. For years, Marcus Harper lived under a cloud some might say a thunderstorm of suspicion. Ryan Duke said he wouldn't have recognized who it was if Bo Dukes hadn't told him. In 2017, Brooke Sheridan came forward to the GBI saying that her boyfriend, Bo Dukes, told her that he had helped his friend, Ryan Duke, cover up Tara Grinstead's murder. He looked like a person who was ready to do the right thing, but his testimony on the witness stand only seemed coached, well-rehearsed and sought self-serving benefits. A native and lifelong resident of Aiken, Ryan was a son of the late Kenneth Michael Dukes and Vicki Heilig Dukes. Maria Woods Harper: They've had a really hard time. Greg Kaplan, Phillip J. Tangel and Marcus Balsam are the editors. 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. Shoudel was the one who taped the confession. Two years later, in March 2019, he was the first to go on trial. His hope for mercy was dashed. It would be illegal for me to accept a fee for preparing that application on your behalf. Investigators said Grinsteads car was in the driveway when police arrived at the home. A devoted husband and grandfather, Duane was born on May 1, 1950, in South Gate, California, the son of Edwin and Florann (Boisseau) Dukes. she was seeing other people. 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