The mysterious story of Tara Grinstead, who entered her house and disappeared without a trace
Late on the evening of October 22, 2005, the teacher of the elementary school of the city of Ocilla, Tara Grinstead, entered her house and disappeared without a trace. According to neighbors, she didn't even turn on the light, although it was dark outside. As it turned out, the 30-year-old woman disappeared without a trace, as if she had disappeared. Nothing was known about her fate for a long 12 years.
Tara Faye Grinstead was born on November 14, 1974 in the small town of Hawkinsville, Georgia. It was an unbearably dreary place with a population of about 5 thousand people, from which young people tried to leave at any cost. Tara was no exception — she wanted to get an education and move to a city where life is in full swing. But her parents had no money for college and could only rely on their own strength.
In high school, Grinstead began participating in beauty contests, where the winners received cash prizes. First she won the title of "Miss Tifton", and then reached the final of the beauty contest "Miss Georgia". Tara realized that participating in such events could solve financial problems and began applying for all competitions held in the state.
Having won several victories, the girl raised money for her studies. Tara enrolled in Georgia Secondary College in Cochrane, and after in Valdosta University. In 2003, she received a master's degree. But she started working in her specialty as a teacher back in 1998. Grinstead got a job at a high school in Ocilla to teach history.
Although Tara herself no longer participated in beauty contests, she was often asked to help other girls prepare. On the day of her disappearance, she had just returned from such an event, where she was the coach of the participants. Before leaving home, she also attended a barbecue at the invitation of one of the pupils. It was Saturday and Grinstead could afford to stay late, since she didn't have to go to school in the morning.
But on Monday, October 24, the teacher did not come to the first lesson, which had never happened to her before. It turned out that on Sunday, Tara did not pick up the phone when her mother called her, and this also caused alarm. On the afternoon of October 24, the police went home to Grinstead. They found a car parked at the entrance, but no one opened the door for them. Having invited neighbors as witnesses, the officers opened the door of the house, but it was empty.
In the bedroom, the police found Tara's clothes neatly folded and her mobile phone on charge. There was not the slightest hint of signs of a struggle. When examining the car, a $100 bill was found on the dashboard and this was the biggest oddity. Grinstead grew up in a poor family and was tight-fisted, she never left money in the car, and even in plain sight.
Not far from the house, criminologists found a piece of latex glove with the DNA of an unknown man. But this item could not be considered an important piece of evidence, although it could talk about a kidnapping. The house and the plot were inspected several times, but it did not lead to anything. The investigation has reached an impasse.
For three years, investigators have been marking time, endlessly interviewing neighbors, relatives and friends of Tara. The parents of the missing woman also did not sit idly by. They continuously put up leaflets with notices of the missing and announced a reward. But it was all in vain and no new information about the missing teacher appeared in the case.
In 2008, they suddenly remembered a similar case with a missing person. In 2006, another girl, Jennifer Cassie, mysteriously disappeared. She went home after work and was never seen again. Her car was found the next day on the street, not far from the house, but no trace of the missing was found.
Investigators have suggested that the same attacker or gang may be involved in these two cases. However, no connection could be found between the cases of Grinstead and Cassie. After unsuccessfully working in this direction for several months, the cops again suspended the investigation.
In 2009, there was a chance to find out the truth. A man posted a video on a social network in which he confessed to the abductions and murders of 16 women. Among them was Tara Grinstead. Although the author of the video hid his face and changed his voice, he was soon found and arrested. The "maniac" turned out to be 27-year-old Andrew Haley, obsessed with the idea of becoming popular on the web. He managed to find a list of girls who have disappeared over the past few years.
Hayley, posing as the killer, was quickly exposed. He could not describe either the girls themselves or the circumstances under which they disappeared. To make Andrew unwilling to joke with such things, the court sentenced him to two years for perjury.
The truth about the disappearance of Tara Grinstead was revealed unexpectedly, in 2017. One of the missing woman's friends contacted the police. She said that her boyfriend Bo Dukes, being drunk, boasted of complicity in the murder of a woman. On October 22, 2005, his friend Ryan Alexander Duke, under the influence of drugs, decided to rob the house.
He did not prepare a crime and chose the first dwelling that came along the way. By an unlucky chance, it was the house of Grinstead, who was already asleep. When Ryan started searching the rooms, Tara woke up and got into a fight with the robber. But he was much stronger and killed her. After that, he called Bo's boyfriend Dukes and asked him to help cover his tracks.
Together, they quietly loaded Grinstead's body into the trunk of a car and drove to the dacha of the killer's parents. There the criminals buried the corpse and carefully disguised the place. The arrest of Ryan Duke shocked the residents of the city. The fact is that the killer once studied at the school where Tara taught, and knew her personally. He himself was quite a positive guy during his studies and seriously engaged in sports.
Although many in Ocilla knew that Ryan drank and dabbled in drugs, no one could assume that he was capable of murder. Very soon the murderer and his accomplice were brought before the court. They pretended remorse with all their might and even sobbed, begging forgiveness from the relatives of their victim. The lawyers insisted that the murder was unintentional, spontaneous. But nothing helped — March 22 , 2019 Bo Dukes received 25 years in prison. Tara's stepmother was dissatisfied with the verdict. She stated:
As for the killer, Ryan Duke, his trial is still ongoing. The lawyers of the injured party believe that he will not get off as easily as an accomplice. The prosecutor asks the court to appoint the defendant the most severe punishment possible in the state of Georgia. The death penalty is prohibited there, but it is quite possible to get a life sentence. It is he who is most likely waiting for Ryan.
The murder of Tara Grinstead was still solved, even though it took 12 years. But the disappearance of the Beaumont children has remained a mystery since 1966.