Tara Grinsted smiling, standing in front of cotton field
Share this @internewscast.com


Ryan Duke, a man on trial for the death of Georgia teacher, Tara Grinsted, has been found not guilty of murder by an Irwin County jury.

Ryan Duke’s attorney argued that her client didn’t kill Tara Grinstead, 30, but instead, it was another man, who has already been convicted of concealing her death.

Grinstead disappeared in 2005, as CrimeOnline previously reported. The former beauty queen’s body has not been found, but Bo Dukes, Duke’s partner in the botched robbery that led to her death, confessed that he helped his friend dispose of Grinstead’s body in a pecan orchard owned by his uncle.

Dukes, not related to Duke, was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2019.

Duke’s attorneys say it is Bo Dukes who committed the murder.

FILE – This Feb. 22, 2017, file photo provided by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation shows Ryan Duke. Duke, charged with killing teacher Tara Grinstead in 2005, has been granted a pretrial appeal by the Georgia Supreme Court. (Georgia Bureau of Investigation via AP, File)

“Ryan did not do this,” attorney Ashleigh Merchant said during her closing arguments. “He did not kill Tara Grinstead. He told you. The man who killed Tara Grinstead came in here and took the Fifth.”

Duke was charged with the murder after confessing in 2017. He told investigators he broke into Grinstead’s home to steal money for drugs and hit her when she caught him. He also gave a written statement and led detectives to the pecan orchard, where he told them he and Dukes “cremated” the body.

“He confesses through his words, his writings, his actions. He confesses through his DNA,” District Attorney Brad Rigby said during his closing argument. “He is the killer of Tara Grinstead. The monster that he wants to hide.”

“He thought so much of Tara, he burned her like household trash,” Rigby said.

For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.

[Featured image: Tara Grinstead/Handout]



Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Police Report: Mother Accused of Strangling Her 6-Year-Old Child in Sudden Outburst

Inset: Justine Mroz (Pasco County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The house where Mroz…

Husband Charged in Tragic Murder of Young Mother of Two

A man from New York state is facing serious charges following the…

Justice Delivered: Sentencing of Farm Murderer in Teen Girl’s Tragic Case

Inset: Jade Colvin (Iowa Department of Public Safety). Background: James Bachmurski at…

Texas Duo Stirs Controversy by Emptying Apartment While Child Attends School

A 12-year-old boy from Texas returned home from school last Friday only…

Investigator Reveals Suspect in Chilling Case of Teen Found in D4vd’s Tesla

A private investigator handling the mysterious case of Celeste Rivas has taken…

US Conspiracy Theorist in Wieambilla Shooting Case Strikes Plea Deal on Lesser Charge

Donald Day Jr, hailing from Arizona, recently appeared in a U.S. court…

Teen Expresses Remorse to Family After Tragic Incident Involving Friend

Background: News footage of Rolan Delacruz during his sentencing on Oct. 20…

Facebook Message Leads to Sentencing of Jock in Disturbing Case

Left inset: Ian Cleary (U.S. Marshals). Right inset: Shannon Keeler (Gettysburg College).…

Husband Allegedly Struck and Killed by Wife After Leaving Home

Inset: Alina Gonzalez-Morelos (Pasadena Police Department). Background: The sidewalk near where Gonzalez-Morelos…

Man Who Threatened to Assassinate Trump in First Year Receives Sentence

President Donald Trump attends the 157th National Memorial Day Observance at Arlington…

Tragic Discovery: Body of Missing Miss USA Hopeful Kada Scott Found, Investigation Probes Potential Accomplice

The remains of Kada Scott have been discovered in a wooded area…

Shocking Child Neglect: Georgia Couple Arrested After Abandoning Toddlers at Campsite

In a troubling incident in Carroll County, Georgia, authorities have arrested a…