Brooke Sheridan: He said, "You've heard of the Tara Grinstead case?" They said in court filings that Duke was asleep at home when Grinstead was killed. 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. CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. He admitted to helping his friend burn the body until, "it looked like it was all ash.". A DNA sample from Ryan Duke was a perfect match. Stephen S. Dukes, 61, of York Haven died Sunday, November 21, 2021 at Select Specialty Hospital, Camp Hill. A native of Concord, NC, Vicki was a daughter of the late David Leon and Mam . DEFENSE: Mr. Duke, did you murder Tara Grinstead? 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. My truck was Luminoled photographs were taken. But police noted that her purse and keys were missing. And why the f- would you do it here on my family's pecan orchard? But again, as far as she knew, it went nowhere. we all wanted to do something that we could do to help There were flyers. But in the same sense, I always thought, "Well, it has to be.". Mr. Dukes online guest book may be signed at www.shellhouseriversfuneralhome.com The family will receive friends from 6-8 PM Tuesday evening at SHELLHOUSE-RIVERS FUNERAL HOME, INC., 715 E. PINE LOG RD., AIKEN, SC Sign Guestbook Name: Maria Woods Harber:and then her bed was unmade, like she had been in the bed. Ricou Browning, the stunt man who played the title character in underwater sequences of the 1954 classic "Creature from the Black Lagoon," died Monday at 93. Jannis Paulk: It was Bo Dukes and Ryan Duke. The couple broke things off but stayed in touch. JOHN DUKES OBITUARY John Lewis Dukes John Lewis Dukes, 64 of Monroe, Louisiana, an automotive service writer, passed away Sunday, April 19, 2015. He's the uncle of Bo Dukes. Michelle Feuer is the development producer. Forward to Family & Friends; Print; Contact Support; Upgrade; Death Certificates; Share This Obituary. AIKEN, SC MICHAEL RYAN DUKES, 43, died April 26, 2018. The funeral will follow at 11 oclock in the chapel with The Rev. On Sunday, Tara's mom called her several times, but Tara didn't answer. He was a family friend married, with kids who would later testify that he and Tara were having an affair. Interment will follow in Southlawn Cemetery. Peter Van Sant: What emotional impact does this have for you when you see this house? A unique and . He went looking for her the night she disappeared and sparked the search for the woman when he alerted authorities the next day. He wasn't sure who said what. However, the family eventually hired a private investigator. Duke said he was on drugs at the time he broke into Grinstead's Ocilla home and doesnt remember how exactly he killed her. Both men are awaiting trial in a neighboring county on charges related to burning Tara's body. PROSECUTOR OPENING: This case is about Bo's lies it's about Bo's concealment that his best friend, Ryan, had killed Tara Grinstead and then they both burn the body. AIKEN, SC MICHAEL RYAN DUKES, 43, died April 26, 2018. A devoted husband and grandfather, Duane was born on May 1, 1950, in South Gate, California, the son of Edwin and Florann (Boisseau) Dukes. 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LAWYER: Any doubt in your mind, however, that you heard these two people laughing about killing and burning Tara Grinstead's body? Dukes invited McCullough to Ocilla to spend Christmas with his family. An Irwin County Probate judge declared Grinstead dead in absentia in December 2010. TROY - Penny A. Ryan, 64 . DEFENSE [closing arguments]: Bo Dukes should be on trial for the murder of Tara Grinstead, not Ryan. Mike Dukes. I can't imagine the loss of a child. "Approximately 20 bone fragments that could be considered human bones.". "Ryan Duke, the man in that chair, confessed to the murder of Tara Grinstead," prosecutor Brad Rigby said. But some things stuck out to Maria. Then, there was Tara's ex-boyfriend, Marcus Harper. We pray that people will remember that the defendant was not the victim. Police found her car seat in position for someone taller, and police said they found an envelope with $100 in cash on the dashboard. First published on January 2, 2021 / 11:05 PM. Blogs; Online will; Shop. so, I talk to him, tell him everything I know. After the defense rested their case, the state got the last opportunity to present witnesses as a rebuttal. He said Bo Dukes was "almost excited, cheerful," when they went to move Grinstead's body. He said he lied to the GBI agent that interviewed him about breaking into Grinstead's house and fatal striking and choking her. And Bo Dukes himself spoke directly to Tara's family: BO DUKES: To the Tara Grinstead family, I'm truly sorry. Brooke Sheridan: Ryan looked at Bo and said, "It's your truck. For years, Marcus Harper lived under a cloud some might say a thunderstorm of suspicion. I know who killed Tara Grinstead or had a part of it. BO DUKES [GBI interview]: He told me that he had killed Tara Grinstead. Brooke says she kept encouraging Bo to open up to talk about this dark subject that was destroying him. She snuck up on me and I hit her. last opportunity to present witnesses as a rebuttal. she snuck up on me and I hit her. McCullough wasn't ready for what Bo would say next. Investigators said Grinsteads car was in the driveway when police arrived at the home. "He actually made the motion in the interview and put his hands up like this mimicking how he held her body," GBI Agent Jason Shoudel said. California Residents: California FD #1289, #1309, #1359, #2031 I didn't believe him. That was after investigators finally reached out to John McCullough. I don't remember everything clearly. "I asked them what they thought happened to Tara, and they said they killed her and burned her," Latt said. JOHN MCCULLOUGH: The exact location, he didn't tell me, but had made the comment of, you know, we took her to the middle of the pecan orchard and burned her body. It was in 2017 when Bo Dukes came out about his involvement in the case and even pointed the finger at Ryan. I didn't mean to.". ", BO DUKES: Yeah. He said, "My roommate killed her.". Ryan Duke at his first court hearing after his arrest in February 2017, charged with Tara Grinstead's murder. Jannis Paulk: There were people who believed she ran away. For around 6 years, Tara Grinstead dated Marcus Harper, a former Ocilla cop who joined the Army Rangers. I don't remember everything clearly I was stealing from her purse. He claims he realized this after she was dead. He said they had talked about getting together that Sunday, but Tara never answered her phone. 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. Ohio Residents: Neptune Society is affiliated with Okerwall Funeral Home. They burned her body. One witness, Heath Dykes, testified to having a relationship with Grinstead while his was married. Another video shown shows Duke leading investigators to where he says he dumped and burned her body. Anthropologist Dr. Ashley Gooding was brought in by the GBI in 2017 to help dig and identify possible human remains in the pecan orchard Duke claimed to have burned and buried Grinstead's body. In closing, as Tara's family looked on, the prosecution held to their argument that Ryan had told the truth back in 2017. Browning had been the last . Not a one. But when questioned about her disappearance, he had an alibi and was never charged. And I was like, "yeah." Could he betray his friend? According to Bo Dukes, the two men took Bo's pickup truck and drove out of town onto a highway and pulled off onto a dirt road leading to the pecan orchard that's owned by Bo Dukes' family. And as they were driving around town, a billboard caught his eye. 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. Show Your Sympathy to the Family. "I hope Mr. Duke lives the rest of his life begging God for forgiveness every day from his dying breath," she said before asking the court to give him the maximum sentence. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at https://www.nationalcremation.com/location/irving- for the Drakes family. And this time, the whole world seemed to be listening. "Over the course of the last three weeks reliving this heinous act that Ryan Alexander Duke committed ripped open the wounds," Gattis told the court before calling Duke "evil," "sneaky dangerous," and a "vile human. May God bless you and your family in this time of sorrow. But if you're ready for this Bo had already been interviewed by the GBI a year earlier in 2016. She says the lawyers discussed pushing the trial into next March, but Judge Reinhardt hasn't signed an order confirming that. Prosecutors said Duke took law enforcement to the pecan orchard where he confessed to burning and dumping Grinstead's body. Send a gift to a service or familys home. 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. Sign up for service and obituary updates. 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. Bens account could not be taken as hed passed before Ryan and Bo were arrested. You have funeral questions, we have answers. The trial comes after Bo Dukes, a high school friend of Ryan Duke, was convicted of concealing Grinstead's death, which led investigators to Ryan Duke. "You should be punished according - not for murder, not for burglary, not for aggravated assault, because that's the way the system works. he's very shut shut off emotions, feelings he doesn't talk about. She wasn't wearing shoes. That's according to Lindsey Forshee, administrator for the Tift Judicial Circuit. 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. He later not only confided his secret to Bo but also asked for help to burn the body. "Two men who had no regard for a beautiful, loving person took her life. Peter Van Sant: The kind of guy you want to share a foxhole with, right? By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. It would be illegal for me to accept a fee for preparing that application on your behalf. The alleged drug addict was arrested once for a DUI in 2010 but was released on bond. At his sentencing hearing, Tara's stepmother, Connie, expressed how Tara's family felt about Ryan Duke. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to Aiken SPCA Albrecht Center for Animal Welfare (www.letlovelive.org) or the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org). That tip went nowhere. Both had been students at. 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. She was a member of Millbrook Baptist Church. Born in Columbia, SC, Mike was a son of Vera Ballentine Dukes and the late Ernest Kenneth Dukes. But the prosecution said they hard evidence: audio and video of Ryan confessing to killing Tara, when he spoke to the GBI back in 2017. Brown & Co. Mortuary. The state's witness called Grinstead's 79-year-old father, Billy Grinstead, to the stand, who broke down. She had a lot of life ahead of her. BO DUKES [GBI interview]: Again, I didn't believe him he asked me to come with him out to to the pecan orchard. Another was a former student who claimed he and Tara been secretly seeing each other. He had an alibi, but the whispers continued. He said, "I don't know why he did it.". 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. The defense also called neighbors who provided testimony that supported a theory that Grinstead may have voluntarily left the home. SHELLHOUSE RIVERS FUNERAL HOME, 715 EAST PINE LOG RD., AIKEN, SC. Ryan Duke took the stand Tuesday and immediately denied murdering Grinstead, claiming he didn't know how she died. DEFENSE: What was his expression, his demeanor when that happened? 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. Brooke Sheridan: It was something very dark and I I chalked it up to, you know, serving his time in the military. The day after Bo's confession, his one-time friend Ryan Duke was arrested. Authorities couldn't explain either, and collected them as evidence the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, known as the GBI, was called in. The defense argued the prosecution has no evidence tying Duke to the house that night and Duke's confession was made under the influence of medication. And wish I could have been there whenever it happened so that way, I could do something [emotional]. 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. Pallbearers will be Ryan Dukes, Jeffery Dukes, Evan Darr, Zac Buckner, Chris McGee, Chad Polatty and James Whittle. Interment will follow in Southlawn Cemetery. Stunned as he was, McCullough was in a dilemma. Brooke Sheridan: Ryan Woke him up and said, "I killed Tara Grinstead.". Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. I just got off the phone with another department that had didn't do sh.". 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. I definitely didn't wanna settle down in small town America. Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. BO DUKES: As far as I know, he didn't know her. Defense attorneys began to call witnesses of their own Monday when the state prosecutors rested their case after over a week of arguments. Of the six charges, Duke was found guilty of one count of concealing Grinstead's death. Find service information, send flowers, and leave memories and thoughts in the Guestbook for your loved one. Call Call. Please join us in Loving, Sharing and Memorializing Ryan Dukes on this permanent online memorial. They laid out the evidence collected at Grinsteads property just following her disappearance. Just weeks after Tara vanished at a party in a pecan orchard, one of Jannis Paulk's employees told her that he had overheard two young men tell a disturbing story. For all that has transpired, there's one question that troubles Maria Woods Harber: what really happened to Tara on the night she disappeared? Marcus was often overseas, and though they had broken up by the fall of 2005, friends say Tara was distraught about the relationship ending. Prosecutors called friends and acquaintances of the Georgia teacher and beauty queen. Sandra Lee Dukes Sandra Lee "flicka" Dukes passed away at home on January 27th 2019 under the care of Hospice and her loving family. 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