Who was Tara Grinstead?
TARA Grinstead was last seen alive in October 2005, leaving a cookout in her Georgia neighborhood.
At the time, her disappearance shocked the town, with many still wondering what happened.
Who was Tara Grinstead?
Born November 14, 1974, Grinstead was known as a former beauty queen and popular Georgia high school teacher.
After graduating from Middle Georgia College, she began teaching history at Irwin County High School.
Prior to her career, she competed in several Miss Georgia pageants and was crowned Miss Tifton.
Outside of her case and career, little information is available on her personal life, but she has since been described as smart, talented, and kind.
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What happened to Tara Grinstead?
On October 24, 2005, Grinstead failed to show up to work which led to a welfare check and missing person report.
At the time, authorities searched her home and discovered that her keys and purse were missing, but her cellphone was still plugged into the charger by her bed, according to .
It had been 34 hours between the last time someone saw her and the police conducted their welfare check, which eventually led to Ocilla Police Chief Billy Hancock calling in the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Despite a search and investigation, no one was able to find Grinstead and her case ultimately went cold.
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In December 2010, an Irwin County Probate judge then declared Grinstead dead in absentia, according to Fox5.
Who killed Tara Grinstead?
Grinstead's case remained a mystery for over a decade, and it was not until 2017 that they were able to get a lead.
At the time, Ryan Duke, a former Irwin County High School student, confessed to killing her alongside an accomplice after breaking into her home to steal drugs, reports.
Despite the confession, Duke later recanted and claimed he made a false confession under the influence of drugs.
On May 2, 2022, Duke's case then went to trial, but on May 19, he was found not guilty of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and burglary.
However, he was found guilty of concealing a death, according to .
While the verdict came as a shock to many, Grinstead's family was able to get some closer in 2019 when Duke's friend Bo Dukes confessed to helping move and burn her body.
“Your long suffering has been unimaginable,” Dukes said to Grinstead's family at his sentencing hearing, via NBC News.
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“My actions were cowardly, callous, and cruel. I was more interested in self-pity and self-preservation than doing the right thing for Tara and for you.”
Dukes was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
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