According to it, he broke into Taras house to steal money to buy drugs but was surprised by her when she suddenly came home. May God bless you and your family in this time of sorrow. In April 1952, flicka was the 500th baby born at Paso Robles. 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. Duke said he never took Grinstead's belongings to police when he tried to return them. "It should be an opening when we cremated her. One of those always showing off and talking big and running his mouth. Roland & Karol Kay Hoffman. Ryan Duke had told investigators in 2017 he killed Tara Grinstead and helped burn her body. Then, there was Tara's ex-boyfriend, Marcus Harper. They said in court filings that Duke was asleep at home when Grinstead was killed. At his sentencing, Tara Grinstead's stepmother Connie addressed the court: CONNIE GRINSTEAD: He knew she wasn't ever coming back. Visit our Support Center. An Irwin County jury found Ryan Duke not guilty of murdering Georgia teacher and beauty queen Tara Grinstead. I am so sorry. Defense attorneys began to call witnesses of their own Monday when the state prosecutors rested their case after over a week of arguments. The defense had previously asked the judge to dismiss the case, an action that was quickly declined. Marcus Harper: I was swabbed for DNA. Sending my condolences to Mrs. Wendy and her sons. Age. Maria Woods Harber: She would never do that. Bo then gave his account of moving and then burning her body, which began on a Wednesday and took two days. The funeral will follow at 11 oclock in the chapel with The Rev. we have made an arrest.". A date was set to start Ryan Dukes trial, but a hitch came when his lawyers filed an emergency appeal to halt it. The door was locked. A DNA sample from Ryan Duke was a perfect match. Her colleagues at the school where she worked called the Ocilla Police Department to check on the 11th-grade teachers home. Praying for your family have strength. John McCullough: I can't explain it [emotional]. The document claims that later, he used a payphone to see if shed pick up, and when she didnt, he was convinced that she was dead. Peter Van Sant: And by Ryan saying to him, "Hey, buddy. A "panicked" Bo Dukes woke him up the following morning, Ryan Duke testified. A devoted husband and grandfather, Duane was born on May 1, 1950, in South Gate, California, the son of Edwin and Florann (Boisseau) Dukes. "We think the jury got it right, and we are very, very happy with the result," Defense Attorney Ashley Merchant said. The GBI was overwhelmed with tips at the time and this one slipped through the cracks. 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. And she was very distraught. And I was like, "Yeah." A native and lifelong resident of Aiken, Ryan was a son of the late Kenneth Michael Dukes and Vicki Heilig Dukes. Forward to Family & Friends; Print; Contact Support; Upgrade; Death Certificates; Share This Obituary. A full skeleton. "Its a portion of the human cranium. If convicted of murder, Duke faces an automatic sentence of life in prison. She and her older sister Anita grew up in the Georgia town of Hawkinsville. Our prayer and sympathy are with the Dukes family ,may you find peace through pray, doing your time of grief. GBI AGENT: So, by Friday, there's nothing left? Brooke Sheridan: I was felt like I was gonna be sick. State and defense teams made their pitches to jurors and began examining witnesses. He called the state's top law enforcement agency heading the investigation, the GBI. "Mr. Dukes, do you plan to invoke your 5th amendment right to every question?" And she snuck up on me and I hit her. he's very shut shut off emotions, feelings he doesn't talk about. 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. He admitted to helping his friend burn the body until, "it looked like it was all ash.". Peter Van Sant: What time did she go home? I know who killed Tara Grinstead or had a part of it. He pleaded not guilty. The defense questioned Duke about his life and relationship with Bo Dukes. At one. Ryan Duke said he wouldn't have recognized who it was if Bo Dukes hadn't told him. To the Dukes family, please know I am praying for you. 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. But McCullough was determined to get the truth out. Ryan Duke's attorneys believe their client's testimony was key in this case. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The state's line of questioning tried to show the jury that Ryan Duke is capable of lying. Funeral Home Services for Ray are being provided by Alexander Funeral Home, Inc. - Charlotte. Dana Wilder: I never thought it was somebody from our community. Not a one. On Sunday, Tara's mom called her several times, but Tara didn't answer. "You should be punished according - not for murder, not for burglary, not for aggravated assault, because that's the way the system works. They wanted the state to fund the expenses for people like private investigators and expert witnesses for Ryan. An interesting turn of events came when Ryans 11-page confession, where hed detailed everything thatd transpired on that fateful evening, came to light. 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. Brooke Sheridan: I said, "You need to confess. 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. Sympathy Ideas. Vicki Heilig Dukes. I don't like to come very often she loved this place. 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? Ryan Duke at his first court hearing after his arrest in February 2017, charged with Tara Grinstead's murder. After the defense rested their case, the state got the last opportunity to present witnesses as a rebuttal. Ohio Residents: Neptune Society is affiliated with Okerwall Funeral Home. As their relationship evolved, Brooke sensed that something seemed to be eating away at Bo. Jannis Paulk: She was dating, I think, more than people realized that she was dating. 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. The defense also called neighbors who provided testimony that supported a theory that Grinstead may have voluntarily left the home. But after he broke down to Brooke, she told Bo it was time to tell the truth. The agent asks Bo his first reaction when he went to the orchard with Ryan. Find the obituary of Sandra Lee Dukes (1958 - 2021) from Clayton, DE. 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. Now, it was Brooke's turn to be tormented by a terrible secret. We know who did," defense attorney John Merchant said. Connie Grinstead argued that the family pleaded and begged for any news about Tara for years and that Duke's "silence was deafening.". Bo was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Your family's land." Jannis Paulk: So, Bo was known in the community for being a little over the top, unfiltered. It was told to me when I was in Georgia. 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. Now the man accused of murdering Tara Ryan Duke would go on trial for murder almost 17 years after she went missing. Brooke Sheridan: That family's peace to me was more important than his freedom. Brooke Sheridan: He said, "You've heard of the Tara Grinstead case?" In 1999, Tara Grinstead won the Miss Tifton pageant, which landed her a spot at the 1999 Miss Georgia competition. But what about that latex glove with Ryan's DNA on it found in Tara's front yard? There was no other option. AIKEN, SC - Vicki Heilig Dukes, 65, died Thursday, September 15, 2016 at Aiken Regional Medical Centers. Authorities couldn't explain either, and collected them as evidence the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, known as the GBI, was called in. It was very hard to grasp. Brooke Sheridan: Ryan Woke him up and said, "I killed Tara Grinstead.". Ryan was born April 23, 1981. He was a family friend married, with kids who would later testify that he and Tara were having an affair. All rights reserved. He said Bo Dukes admitted to killing her. Ryan Dukes Aiken, - MICHAEL RYAN DUKES, 43, died April 26, 2018.A native and lifelong resident of Aiken, Ryan was a son of the late Kenneth Michael Dukes and Vicki Heilig Dukes. Wide open space so the woods wouldnt catch on fire," Duke said while trying to find the location. Several agents with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation also took the stand. He will be replaced by one of the six alternates who also had been listening to the testimony. This DNA test was taken two years before defendant Ryan Dukes recorded confession. GARLAN LOTT: I assumed it was handled by law enforcement, yes. He was there with his brother, Stephen, and their friends, Bo Dukes and Ben McMahan. Jannis Paulk: there were several people, several men, who got a lot of scrutiny for a long time . "I said, 'You need to confess. Additional Legal Information Regarding Veterans Offerings, CloseAdditional Legal Information Regarding Veterans Offerings, Subscribe to the 12 Weeks of Peace E-Newsletter, Subscribe to the Thinking Ahead E-Newsletter, A Guide to Cremation and Burial for Veterans, Unique Ways to Memorialize Cremation Ashes, A Complete Guide for When A Loved One Passes, The Essential Veteran Death Benefits and Memorialization Guide, California Residents Goods and Services Info. Was known in the community for being a little over the top, unfiltered n't answer off,... After his arrest in February 2017, charged with Tara Grinstead won Miss. Guilty of murdering Georgia teacher and beauty queen Tara Grinstead or had a part it! School where she worked called the Ocilla police Department to check on 11th-grade... Should be an opening when we cremated her Bo it was handled by law enforcement agency the... Neighbors who provided testimony that supported a theory that Grinstead may have left... 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