Brooke Sheridan: He has a beautiful mind. Ryan Duke said he was afraid of Bo Dukes, who repeatedly told him not to talk about Tara Grinstead. "Ryan Duke, the man in that chair, confessed to the murder of Tara Grinstead," prosecutor Brad Rigby said. They burned her body. Jannis Paulk: It was Bo Dukes and Ryan Duke. Sometime in the night, Bo and Ben left while he and Stephen were sleeping. 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." . The weight of what McCullough says Bo told him became unbearable. 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. Who you can trust with your life? Defense appeals delayed Ryan Dukes trial since the original 2019 start date. Sign up for service and obituary updates. Peter Van Sant: Why do you think investigators ignored you? Praying for your family have strength. May the holy spirit comfort you in this time of bereavement. It was a year after Tara's disappearance. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Produced by Alec Sirken and Lauren Clark. Maria Woods Harber: This is where Tara Grinstead lived in 2005. I don't understand that, just a disregard of human life. On March 1, 1969, he met Sandra Hageman on a . so, I talk to him, tell him everything I know. 5260 Daniel J. Enea, Manager. Aiken, SC RYAN DUKES OBITUARY Ryan Dukes Aiken, - MICHAEL RYAN DUKES, 43, died April 26, 2018. 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Another video shown portrayed Duke leading investigators to the pecan orchard he claims he took the lifeless body. Yet hes still facing outstanding concealment charges in a neighboring Georgia county where Taras body had been burned. In cross-examination, Rothwell added that he takes responsibility for the GBI lapse. He testified calmly, but inside was still seething at Bo. 28, 1957 - Feb. 10, 2023 Mr. John K. Dukes, Jr. entered into eternal rest on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023. He was a . Peter Van Sant: What were some of the theories as to what had happened to Tara? Marcus Harper: She obviously wanted to get married. 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. The jury saw pictures from Fitzgerald Farms, where agents searched for Grinstead's remains in 2017. Another former student, Bo Dukes, is now serving a 25-year prison sentence for lying to the GBI and helping Duke bury her body. Authorities couldn't explain either, and collected them as evidence the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, known as the GBI, was called in. 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 . He recalled that moment. No. She says the lawyers discussed pushing the trial into next March, but Judge Reinhardt hasn't signed an order confirming that. Ohio Residents: Neptune Society is affiliated with Okerwall Funeral Home. It was told to me when I was in Georgia. The funeral will follow at 11 oclock in the chapel with The Rev. 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. "He said he killed Tara," Ryan Duke said. And as they were driving around town, a billboard caught his eye. Marcus enlisted with the Army Rangers and spent time overseas. 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. 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. And Bo Dukes himself spoke directly to Tara's family: BO DUKES: To the Tara Grinstead family, I'm truly sorry. And in this trial, Agent Gary Rothwell finally explained what happened with those tips. Peter Van Sant and Mary Woods Harber in front of Tara Grinstead's Ocilla home. Visitation: Saturday, Feb. 18th from 9 a.m. until the 11 a.m. funeral hour at Mt. . My condolences to the family. Example video title will go here for this video. A native and lifelong resident of Aiken, Ryan was a son of the late Kenneth Michael. Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. Brooke Sheridan: He said, "That's something that only God and Ryan know." Ryan Duke said he thought Bo Dukes was playing a joke on him, until he saw her corpse. I can't live with myself. Brooke Sheridan: I said, "You have to talk to me. He was a family friend married, with kids who would later testify that he and Tara were having an affair. Ryan Duke testified he saw Tara Grinstead's body at the pecan orchard, where the Georgia Bureau of Investigation found her remains years later. But back in 2005, authorities either missed or ignored a tip that may have solved the case. He lit her on fire. What to do during a tornado: Where is your safe spot. Sandra Lee Dukes Sandra Lee "flicka" Dukes passed away at home on January 27th 2019 under the care of Hospice and her loving family. Forward to Family & Friends; Print; Contact Support; Upgrade; Death Certificates; Share This Obituary. Both men are awaiting trial in a neighboring county on charges related to burning Tara's body. "Mr. Dukes, do you plan to invoke your 5th amendment right to every question?" Worried, he went to her house Sunday night and left the card after Tara didn't answer the doorbell. Neighbors knocked on her door but got no response. Peter Van Sant: How did you and Bo Dukes meet? The agent asks Bo his first reaction when he went to the orchard with Ryan. BO DUKES [GBI interview]: He told me that he had killed Tara Grinstead. John McCullough says he is still haunted by painful memories of being ignored by investigators. 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. 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. New Jersey Residents: N.J. Lic. Ryan Duke took the stand Tuesday and immediately denied murdering Grinstead, claiming he didn't know how she died. However, when it came to corroborating, Stephen testified in Bo Dukes trial that he couldnt confirm any of it. Zion Baptist Church, 1012 Adams St. View the obituary at www.BEBrownCo.com. "I asked them what they thought happened to Tara, and they said they killed her and burned her," Latt said. Brooke Sheridan: I said, "You need to confess. A native and lifelong resident of Aiken, Ryan was a son of the late Kenneth Michael Dukes and Vicki Heilig Dukes. After the defense rested their case, the state got the last opportunity to present witnesses as a rebuttal. Another main focus on Tuesday was the glove found just outside Grinsteads home. And I was like, "yeah." 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?". 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. They wanted the state to fund the expenses for people like private investigators and expert witnesses for Ryan. Ryan Dukes. the judge said. "It's like he wasn't there," Ryan Duke said when asked about Bo Dukes' demeanor while the body burned. Funeral homes; Help and advice. NEW ELLENTON, SC -- CYNTHIA SUSAN DUKES DARR, 52, died Sunday, October 9, 2011 at her residence. Create an obituary. What kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative? 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. Find the obituary of Sandra Lee Dukes (1958 - 2021) from Clayton, DE. Ryan Duke at his first court hearing after his arrest in February 2017, charged with Tara Grinstead's murder. Finally, he cracked. And that was corroborated. CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. Police never called him a suspect, but Marcus was more closely investigated than anyone in the disappearance of his former girlfriend, Tara Grinstead. Bo began with what he says Ryan told him the day after Tara disappeared. He was a classic muscle car enthusiast with a passion for Chevy Impalas. They found him guilty of one charge: concealing Grinstead's death. Peter Van Sant: What emotional impact does this have for you when you see this house? Ryan Duke Trial Day 7 Recap. According to the court, Ryan Duke became ineligible for state funds when he chose to go with private attorneys rather than a public defender. BO DUKES [GBI interview]: We drove back into the back, and he showed me where her body was. A devoted husband and grandfather, Duane was born on May 1, 1950, in South Gate, California, the son of Edwin and Florann (Boisseau) Dukes. The GBI was overwhelmed with tips at the time and this one slipped through the cracks. 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. AIKEN, SC - Vicki Heilig Dukes, 65, died Thursday, September 15, 2016 at Aiken Regional Medical Centers. Find an Obituary. I can still see her standing at the door. Ryan William Drakes Obituary. 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. At his sentencing, Tara Grinstead's stepmother Connie addressed the court: CONNIE GRINSTEAD: He knew she wasn't ever coming back. Cindy Susan Dukes Darr June 10, 1959 - October 9, 2011. And the one we didn't want to think about was somebody killed her. Duke says he didnt know Grinstead other than the fact that she was a teacher at the high school. They believe Ryan Duke was the killer. Lets find out. His hope for mercy was dashed. His fellow soldier? Ryan steeled himself before the verdict was read. Went to Elementary to high School with John sending Condolences to the Family in my Prayers. Rothwell said the GBI never followed up after their names appeared in an investigative summary. He recognized her from Irwin County High School, where he was a student, and she was teaching at the time. 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? 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. Ryan Duke has been sentenced to spend the next five years in prison for his part in concealing the death of Georgia teacher and former beauty queen Tara Grinstead. Make a life-giving gesture. Ryan admitted he was asked by Bo to help dispose of Tara's body in the orchard and moved her to the burn pile. 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. Ryan Duke said he drove toward a pecan orchard, owned by a relative of Bo Dukes. Jannis Paulk's former employee, Garlan Lott, told the court he had overheard that 2005 conversation between Ryan and Bo at a party in the same pecan orchard where Tara's body had been burned. The defense had previously asked the judge to dismiss the case, an action that was quickly declined. John McCullough: I have no idea. LAWYER: Any doubt in your mind, however, that you heard these two people laughing about killing and burning Tara Grinstead's body? He graduated from Aiken High School in 1968 and was a . But I think it's taken a lot of toll on them mentally and physically. Send Flowers . Ryan Duke is standing trial for Grinsteads murder. 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 then allegedly went back to her house to move her remains to the orchard using Bos truck. 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. Weeks later she called the GBI to turn in the boyfriend she loved. 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. Duke said he was on drugs at the time he broke into Grinstead's Ocilla home and doesnt remember how exactly he killed her. 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.". Born in Columbia, SC, Mike was a son of Vera Ballentine Dukes and the late Ernest Kenneth Dukes. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Tara's cell phone was charging inside the house. May God bless you and your family in this time of sorrow. "Ryan did not kill Ms. Grinstead. Gary Rothwell [2008]: It appeared that Tara may have left on her own. It was very hard to grasp. More than an hour into his testimony, Ryan Duke described the moment Bo Dukes led him to Grinstead's body. John McCullough: Yeah and we were pretty close. Peter Van Sant: One said she had clothes on, the other said she did not. Born in Columbia, SC, Mike was a son of Vera Ballentine Dukes and the late Ernest Kenneth Dukes. I didnt know what else to do," Ryan said. Zion Baptist Church, 1012 Adams St. View the obituary at www.BEBrownCo.com. And I was like, "Yeah." SHELLHOUSE RIVERS FUNERAL HOME, 715 EAST PINE LOG RD., AIKEN, SC. John McCullough: He was like, "yeah, do you remember that bulletin that you had asked me about with that girl on it?" It's surprising how much a musical selection can affect mourning. Prosecutors do not expect to file murder charges against Bo Dukes. "Any reason to continue this?" More than a decade later, the GBI charged Duke -- her former student -- with killing her and hiding her body in a pecan orchard. Miriam Sealy, Tara Grinstead's school friend and childhood neighbor, fought back tears as she read a statement in front of the court. That was after investigators finally reached out to John McCullough. The judge dismissed one of the jurors he says was sleeping throughout the trial. The returned to the orchard once, where the ashes looked like a small campfire. Send Flowers. Ryan worked at a plastics manufacturing plant, while Bo would occasionally work at his family's pecan farm. Duke was convicted on the charge of Concealing a Death and was sentenced to the maximum punishment of . Ryan Duke took the stand Tuesday and immediately denied murdering Grinstead, claiming he didn't know how she died. It was now time at the trial for Bo's one-time Army buddy, John McCullough, to finally tell his story of Bo's confession. He said he lied to the GBI agent that interviewed him about breaking into Grinstead's house and fatal striking and choking her. Obituary. GARLAN LOTT: I assumed it was handled by law enforcement, yes. "It was built out in the area where there just should not have been a fire," Hudson said. It was updated on August 20, 2022.]. My truck was Luminoled photographs were taken. They laid out the evidence collected at Grinsteads property just following her disappearance. John McCullough maintains he tried to get investigators a key tip in 2007 that could have cracked the case. Another was a former student who claimed he and Tara been secretly seeing each other. On Monday, the state rested its case, but not before calling GBI agents and a forensic specialist to the stand. Peter Van Sant: What time did she go home? In an exchange, the state asked Duke if he would lie when the stakes were high. Then, more than 11 years after Tara disappeared, Brooke Sheridan came out of nowhere with her account about not only Bo Dukes but his friend Ryan Duke. Ryan Duke testified he went to help Bo Dukes load wood into his truck and move Grinstead's body. I was a drug addict I'd been drinking. GARLAN LOTT: The statement that I recall was, 'We killed and burned her body.". Maybe because I'm a nobody. An Irwin County Probate judge declared Grinstead dead in absentia in December 2010. Incredibly, McCullough says, no one returned his calls. Then, in 2017, a woman came forward with a remarkable story about her boyfriend but could it be trusted? Browse Troy local obituaries on Legacy.com. Connie Grinstead argued that the family pleaded and begged for any news about Tara for years and that Duke's "silence was deafening.". Michael Dukes of Aiken, South Carolina April 10, 1950 - March 30, 2017. The GBI tested that glove and found not only Tara's DNA on it, but the DNA profile of an unknown male. Dukes invited McCullough to Ocilla to spend Christmas with his family. "It should be an opening when we cremated her. Duke said he left the home in a panic but came back to remove the body. Affiliated with Okerwall funeral home Residents: Neptune Society is affiliated ryan dukes obituary Okerwall funeral home `` Mr. Dukes who. 26, 2018 could have cracked the case, but the DNA profile of unknown... Family 's pecan farm the one we did n't answer the doorbell with family. May the holy spirit comfort you in this time of bereavement was a student, she. & # x27 ; t know how she died ashes looked like a small campfire pecan farm that couldnt... 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