Published by Mobile Register and Baldwin County from Feb. 15 to Feb. 17, 2023. A native and lifelong resident of Aiken, Ryan was a son of the late Kenneth Michael Dukes and Vicki Heilig Dukes. But some things stuck out to Maria. Pallbearers will be Ryan Dukes, Jeffery Dukes, Evan Darr, Zac Buckner, Chris McGee, Chad Polatty and James Whittle. He lived most his life in Aiken and worked as a procedures writer at the Savannah River Site. I didn't believe him. GBI agent Gary Rothwell said GBI agents' reports included the names Ryan Duke and Bo Dukes in 2005. Had to tell my alibi, you know, or where was I at, who I was around. Dana Wilder: She just took me underneath her wing She taught me the ins and outs of interviews, hair and makeup, wardrobe. And it wasn't the only one overlooked. It was reactionary. The defense called a psychologist, Dr. Christopher Tillitski, who evaluated Ryan Duke in 2019. Age. Ryan Duke is standing trial for Grinsteads murder. Prosecutors played that videotape of Bo's interview with the GBI. I cant live with myself Im so sick of this," Duke said in a recorded video. Ryan then allegedly went back to her house to move her remains to the orchard using Bos truck. Tillitski testified that Duke was sleep-deprived and there were drugs in his system when he confessed in 2017. She was a member of Millbrook Baptist Church. ", GBI AGENT to BO DUKES: I'm gonna just kinda leave it open the floor to you, and just tell me about you knowing about Tara . Sending condolences & deepest condolences to the Dukes Family. Brown & Co. Mortuary. Ryan worked at a plastics manufacturing plant, while Bo would occasionally work at his family's pecan farm. The defense argued the validity of the report and test. 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At his sentencing hearing, Tara's stepmother, Connie, expressed how Tara's family felt about Ryan Duke. Investigators say Ryan confessed to killing Grinstead in a voluntary interview shortly before his arrest: "I used to break into people's houses, just to steal money. "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. GBI Agent Jason Shoudel was on the stand to testify. 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 numbers. His fellow soldier? A Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent testified at apretrial hearing that Duke "spontaneously and unsolicited" confessedto killing Grinstead after breaking into her home to steal money for drugs. I was high. The GBI tested that glove and found not only Tara's DNA on it, but the DNA profile of an unknown male. "That was a presumption that we should have never, ever made, but it happened, and it's my fault," Rothwell said. A date was set to start Ryan Dukes trial, but a hitch came when his lawyers filed an emergency appeal to halt it. But no one in Ocilla knew what had happened when Tara seemingly vanished after leaving that barbecue on Saturday night, October 22. Defense appeals delayed Ryan Dukes trial since the original 2019 start date. Bo Dukes stayed in a bedroom in a trailer they rented in Fitzgerald, Ryan Duke testified. And he said he threw his arms up just like this [shrugs her shoulders], "What are you gonna do?". 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." Posey says Duke corrected the GBI agent over 20 times during his confession, and said he believes that is key to note. Your long suffering has been unimaginable. Expand the Memories and Condolences form. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison. View The Guestbook For Ryan Dukes of Aiken, South Carolina. He admitted to helping his friend burn the body until, "it looked like it was all ash.". With no hard evidence, authorities couldn't make an arrest. Send Flowers. Superior Court Judge Bill Reinhardt said. Of the six charges, Duke was found guilty of one count of concealing Grinstead's death. I don't remember everything clearly. The best poems for funerals, memorial services., and cards. "I said, 'You need to confess. The day after Bo's confession, his one-time friend Ryan Duke was arrested. On Sunday, Tara's mom called her several times, but Tara didn't answer. Maria Woods Harber: I've had to come to a conclusion that I'm just gonna have to live the rest of my life not knowing. OCILLA, Ga. Editor's Note: The video in this story is archive footage from our coverage of the case in the mid-2010s. Dana Wilder: Ocilla was Tara's life. "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. Ryan was born April 23, 1981. AGENT GARY ROTHWELL: We thought that that lead had been addressed by local law enforcement as unfounded and did not follow up. She wasn't wearing shoes. A native and lifelong resident of Aiken, Ryan was a son of the late Kenneth Michael. You have funeral questions, we have answers. Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. 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. Bo says Ryan then repeated that a couple of days later. Michael Dukes of Aiken, South Carolina April 10, 1950 - March 30, 2017. I was a drug addict I'd been drinking. He said Bo Dukes admitted to killing her. Need help? Duke says he didnt know Grinstead other than the fact that she was a teacher at the high school. 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. A native and lifelong resident of Aiken, Ryan was a son of the late Kenneth Michael Dukes and Vicki Heilig Dukes. Unless you are experienced as an estate executor, you probably should hire an attorney. Peter Van Sant: One said she had clothes on, the other said she did not. Mobile Register and Baldwin County Homepage. Two months later, in February 2007, McCullough says he called three police departments in Georgia including Ocilla, where he left a voice message saying: John McCullough: "This is John McCullough. she was seeing other people. Both men were surprising suspects to the cops, who claimed that theyd never came up on the radar. Bo told them that he and Ryan had burned Taras body at the Hudson Pecan Company pecan orchard, and when the area was searched, some human bone fragments were found. She described the various DNA tests performed on the glove hoping to find clues, "It was about 90% unknown male and 10% Ms. Grinstead,". In Ryan's interview with the GBI, he said he had hit Tara, but Bo said Ryan told him otherwise: BO DUKES [GBI interview]: He jumped on her, while he was she was in bed and strangled her right there in her bed. John McCullough: I'm glad somebody's finally listening. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. He was a graduate of A He is extremely intelligent. Duke was convicted on the charge of Concealing a Death and was sentenced to the maximum punishment of . Send a Card. Peter Van Sant: So, two Southern boys meet in Oklahoma in the Army. McCullough wasn't ready for what Bo would say next. He testified calmly, but inside was still seething at Bo. Forward to Family & Friends; Print; Contact Support; Upgrade; Death Certificates; Share This Obituary. David Kessler's top 4 tips for dealing with holiday grief. John McCullough says he is still haunted by painful memories of being ignored by investigators. The returned to the orchard once, where the ashes looked like a small campfire. However, we had a glove, a latex glove that we couldn't explain. My deepest condolences to my church family, may God give you all the strength and peace during your time of sorrow. John McCullough: If there wasn't multiple police officers that were inside the courtroom on the day that I testified on the stand, I probably would have ripped him apart with my hands. Prosecutors called two witnesses before dismissing the jury a lunchtime to debate how much of the Duke's confession could be shown. For those who loved Tara Grinstead, Bo Dukes' 25-year sentence for covering up her death was only partial justice. Both men are awaiting trial in a neighboring county on charges related to burning Tara's body. Find the obituary of Sandra Lee Dukes (1958 - 2021) from Clayton, DE. California Residents: California FD #1289, #1309, #1359, #2031 Then, in 2017, a woman came forward with a remarkable story about her boyfriend but could it be trusted? The talented signer was named Miss Tifton and competed in the Miss Georgia beauty pageant. A man named Ryan Duke was accused of the crime. Jannis Paulk: We shared that tip with the local sheriff's department. Not a one. Now, it was Brooke's turn to be tormented by a terrible secret. No services are scheduled at this time. In March 2019, in a county courthouse about 30 miles from where beloved teacher and beauty pageant mentor Tara Grinstead was murdered, Bo Dukes went on trial on charges relating to covering up her death. 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. Here's my number I'll do whatever has to happen for y'all to take me serious. Tara Faye Grinstead was the youngest child of Bill and Faye Grinstead, born in 1974. 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. Authorities couldn't explain either, and collected them as evidence the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, known as the GBI, was called in. Make a Memorial Donation . That's according to Lindsey Forshee, administrator for the Tift Judicial Circuit. He is preceded in death by his. Brooke says she was studying in Savannah to become a pharmacist when, in 2015, she came face-to-face with her online date. 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. Marcus enlisted with the Army Rangers and spent time overseas. Sometime in the night, Bo and Ben left while he and Stephen were sleeping. GBI AGENT: So, you immediately see this and you're like "what in the hell did you do? Who you can trust with your life? And Bo spent more than two years in federal prison. Police never called him a suspect, but Marcus was more closely investigated than anyone in the disappearance of his former girlfriend, Tara Grinstead. And remember that latex glove found at the crime scene? He called the state's top law enforcement agency heading the investigation, the GBI. In total, there were more than 40 witnesses and 300 pieces of evidence presented in the case. He denied that, but when asked why he lied to the GBI about killing Grinstead, Duke said, "I'm trying to make that right.". . I can't live with myself. Browse Atlanta Journal-Constitution obituaries, conduct other obituary searches, offer condolences/tributes, send flowers or create an online memorial. She could tell you anything to make you feel better. "As hes doing that he started getting emotional and said, She was so small, referring to the size of her in his arms,". Over the past 47+ years, our experienced team has assisted families, their loved ones, and caregivers in carrying out final wishes more affordably, with dignity and respect. A jury found Ryan Duke not guilty of murder but guilty of concealing her body. Another former student, Bo Dukes, is now serving a 25-year prison sentence for lying to the GBI and helping Duke bury her body. Ryan Duke testified he "passed out" after a night of drinking before Tara Grinstead allegedly died. In closing, as Tara's family looked on, the prosecution held to their argument that Ryan had told the truth back in 2017. 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. He then allegedly struck her with his fist and ran away. John McCullough: I can't explain it [emotional]. I mean, she had the biggest smile. RYAN DUKE: He starts laughing at me. First published on January 2, 2021 / 11:05 PM. And she was very distraught. The two then went to a party. All rights reserved. According to the court, Ryan Duke became ineligible for state funds when he chose to go with private attorneys rather than a public defender. Jannis Paulk also spoke to the GBI in 2008 as the agency was reviewing the case. Vicki Heilig Dukes AIKEN, SC - Vicki Heilig Dukes, 65, died Thursday, September 15, 2016 at Aiken Regional Medical Centers. McCullough, now a manager at a water company in Texas, had met Bo Dukes at Army boot camp in 2006. Peter Van Sant: What were some of the theories as to what had happened to Tara? To plant trees in memory, please visit the. Tara's car was parked in the driveway. Browning had been the last . Tara Grinstead's father was in the courtroom on Tuesday while Ryan Duke was questioned. The state went through photos and evidence, including a glove found at the home with the DNA of Grinstead and a man. Brooke Sheridan: Ryan Woke him up and said, "I killed Tara Grinstead.". 83 Peacefully passed away on February 23, 2023. Yet both these demands were denied by the court. Marcus always maintained his innocence but remained under suspicion. SHELLHOUSE RIVERS FUNERAL HOME, 715 EAST PINE LOG RD., AIKEN, SC. "We will always hate what this defendant did to Tara and to the people who loved her," she said. He had an alibi, but the whispers continued. But I think it's taken a lot of toll on them mentally and physically. BO DUKES [GBI interview]: Again, I didn't believe him he asked me to come with him out to to the pecan orchard. that's where she set her roots. DEFENSE: What was his expression, his demeanor when that happened? Bo was facing a maximum 25-year sentence. Peter Van Sant: What emotional impact does this have for you when you see this house? 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. we all wanted to do something that we could do to help There were flyers. Dana Wilder: As little girls, we looked up to her she was famous. He was a classic muscle car enthusiast with a passion for Chevy Impalas. In 2005, the disappearance of beloved high-school teacher Tara Grinstead sent shockwaves through the town of Ocilla, Georgia. What kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative? Visitation: Saturday, Feb. 18th from 9 a.m. until the 11 a.m. funeral hour at Mt. Interment will follow in Southlawn Cemetery. 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. From arguing that the glove with Ryans DNA was planted outside Taras house by Bo to him testifying it was the latter whod woken him up that night and admitted to killing Tara, the trial included it all. Please contact your local Neptune Society office for cremation prices, and to learn more about our cremation service. 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. NEW ELLENTON, SC -- CYNTHIA SUSAN DUKES DARR, 52, died Sunday, October 9, 2011 at her residence. Yet hes still facing outstanding concealment charges in a neighboring Georgia county where Taras body had been burned. He said Bo Dukes admitted to killing her. Dana Wilder: I never thought it was somebody from our community. As Jannis recalls, early on, suspicion focused on the men in Tara's life. so, I talk to him, tell him everything I know. Ryan Duke said he drove toward a pecan orchard, owned by a relative of Bo Dukes. The GBI was overwhelmed with tips at the time and this one slipped through the cracks. Bo Dukes is serving 25 years for concealing her death, hindering the apprehension of a criminal, and lying to investigators. Ryan Duke testified he saw Tara Grinstead's body at the pecan orchard, where the Georgia Bureau of Investigation found her remains years later. A full skeleton. Rumors swirled about that cop whose card was found at Tara's house. Maria Woods Harber: Yeah, she did. More than an hour into his testimony, Ryan Duke described the moment Bo Dukes led him to Grinstead's body. Maria Woods Harber: They've gotten away with it for this many years anyway. 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. John McCullough: He was like, "yeah, do you remember that bulletin that you had asked me about with that girl on it?" Grinstead's best friend, sister, and step mother took to the stand to describe the pain they have felt since her 2005 disappearance. "He said he killed Tara," Ryan Duke said. Show Your Sympathy to the Family. And she told them about her employee's tip three years earlier regarding Bo Dukes and Ryan Duke. He graduated from Aiken High School in 1968 and was a . And I think she was just trying to move on in a small town of Ocilla, everyone knew their situation. Year after year passed with no arrests. Maria Woods Harber: She was such a good person She just didn't deserve it. The family will receive friends Thursday morning, May 3rd beginning at 10 oclock at Shellhouse Rivers Funeral Home. She would never leave her kids. Celebrate the life of Ryan Drakes, leave a kind word or memory and get funeral service information. It was very hard to grasp. Weeks later she called the GBI to turn in the boyfriend she loved. Ryan is the one talking about 411 getting connected to Taras house.". Published by Mobile Register and Baldwin County from Feb. 15 to Feb. 17, 2023. My condolences to the family. Ryan William Drakes, age 40, of DeSoto passed away on Wednesday, August 4, 2021. Ryan Duke had told investigators in 2017 he killed Tara Grinstead and helped burn her body. AIKEN, SC - KENNETH MICHAEL DUKES, 66, died Thursday, March 30, 2017 at his residence. Brooke Sheridan: That family's peace to me was more important than his freedom. John McCullough: I mean, nobody ever called me back, ever, even whenever I reached out to the GBI, which is the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Ryan Duke said Bo Dukes had a wallet with Grinstead's driver's license. In March 2019, Dukes was convicted of helping conceal Grinsteads death andsentenced to 25 years in prison. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as: names, dates, place of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships. Read More Published In Last Name "Dixon". Peter Van Sant: What time did she go home? Peter Van Sant: How did you and Bo Dukes meet? Ryan testified he had never even gone to Tara's house, and the glove was only discovered there on Monday by Tara's neighbors over a day after she went missing. He lived most his life in Aiken and worked as a procedures writer at the Savannah River . Ryan steeled himself before the verdict was read. Maria Woods Harber: Well, it's very emotional. Defense attorneys began to call witnesses of their own Monday when the state prosecutors rested their case after over a week of arguments. Please join us in Loving, Sharing and Memorializing Ryan Dukes on this permanent online memorial. Peter Van Sant: This was the man she thought she'd build a life with. 28, 1957 - Feb. 10, 2023 Mr. John K. Dukes, Jr. entered into eternal rest on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023. At the time, Ryan Duke and Bo Dukes were 21 years old. ", BO DUKES: Yeah. He was there with his brother, Stephen, and their friends, Bo Dukes and Ben McMahan. It was told to me when I was in Georgia. Marcus Harper: Somebody pulled me to the side, and they were like, "Listen, you know, there's been some things said bringin' up your military past, bringin' up how you're Trained to kill" . On Friday, two key witnesses took the stand: the forensic biologist who tested the glove found at Tara Grinstead's home and the forensic anthropologist brought in who helped find Grinstead's buried remains. In 2017, Brooke Sheridan came forward to the GBI saying that her boyfriend, Bo Dukes, told her that he had helped his friend, Ryan Duke, cover up Tara Grinstead's murder. He could have at least told us that, but he didn't. He was a graduate of Aiken High School and received his bachelors degree from USC Aiken. The state argues in 2017 Duke was swabbed, and his DNA positively matched that found on the glove. Ryan Dukes said he started to see Bo Dukes more often after he was discharged from the Army for being AWOL. Jurors also heard voicemails left in the home. It was somethin' I felt like, you know, I had to do. Witness Randy Hudson owned the pecan orchard where Grinstead's body was allegedly disposed. 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. Back then, hardly anyone thought this case would ever be solved. And everybody has to live with that," Superior Court Judge Bill Reinhardt said before giving out his sentence. 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Send Flowers . 2023 FOX Television Stations, jury found Ryan Duke not guilty of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and burglary, state and defense attorneys wrapped up their closing arguments. By her front door, they found a business card from a police officer in a nearby town. 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. In 2012 he was charged and convicted of stealing more than $150,000 worth of military supplies. Marcus Harper: I was swabbed for DNA. It was in 2017 when Bo Dukes came out about his involvement in the case and even pointed the finger at Ryan. 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. Peter Van Sant: What did you see when you walked into her house? Bens account could not be taken as hed passed before Ryan and Bo were arrested. Tara was. Universal. Wide open space so the woods wouldnt catch on fire," Duke said while trying to find the location. Hudson said at the time he thought the burn site was an innocent bonfire. focused on the investigators who have worked the case over the years. Were surprising suspects to the orchard once, where should you send alternative... Filed an emergency appeal to halt it Sharing and Memorializing Ryan Dukes, Evan Darr,,! Accused of the crime scene times, but inside was still seething at Bo Judge Bill Reinhardt before! 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