Grinstead killing suspect denied bond, change of venue

Duke will remain in jail and stand trial April 1.

It was a win for prosecutors. The man accused of killing a South Georgia beauty queen and teacher was denied bond and now awaits his April trial.

But while the two sides argued whether Ryan Alexander Duke should be granted bond, new details were released from witnesses, providing new insight into the 2005 death of Tara Grinstead.

After nearly two years behind bars, Duke wanted the chance to be free on bond, maybe even get a job to pay for his defense, his attorneys said. But a judge denied that request Monday afternoon after a hearing that lasted more than four hours. Judge Bill Reinhardt also denied a motion to change the venue, meaning Duke will stand trial April 1 in Irwin County, just blocks away from where he allegedly killed Grinstead.

Grinstead was reported missing in October 2005 when she failed to show up to teach history at Irwin County High School. There were no signs of a struggle in her small rental home in Ocilla. But there were no signs of Grinstead, either.

Her disappearance was the talk of the town and quickly made national headlines, but investigators had very few clues. For many years, the case was cold. No arrests were made until February 2017, when two former friends with similar names were linked to Grinstead’s death: Ryan Duke and Bo Dukes.

Duke told investigators he broke into Grinstead’s home to steal money to support his drug habit. When Grinstead approached him, Duke said he struck her, killing her, a GBI agent testified Monday afternoon. Later, Duke sought help from his friend and roommate, Dukes, to dispose of Grinstead’s body. Duke was charged with murder the same day he confessed to Jason Shoudel, a GBI special agent. Days later, Dukes was also arrested for allegedly helping to conceal the death.

New details were released in the case during Monday’s hearing when Shoudel and Duke’s brother testified. Stephen Duke told the court his brother was scared of Dukes and he confessed out of fear. Duke’s defense attorneys contend his confession was false and that Dukes was the killer.

“He was scared of what Bo was capable of and he would take the fall or say that he did it to keep Bo ... to make sure that Bo didn’t do anything to anybody,” Stephen Duke said.

But Shoudel said a latex glove found outside Grinstead’s home contained DNA belonging to both her and Duke. Prior to his arrest, Duke confessed to killing Grinstead and led investigators to the spot where he said he and Dukes burned her body several times over a three-day period, Shoudel said.

“He admitted he was the person responsible,” Shoudel told the courtroom.

But Duke’s attorneys said he was under the influence of drugs and gave a false confession. Attorney Ashleigh Merchant argued that prosecutors had little evidence Duke killed Grinstead.

“All they’ve got is an inconsistent statement from someone who was under the influence of drugs,” Merchant said.

Instead, it was Dukes who killed Grinstead, according to Duke’s defense attorneys. Duke only helped burn Grinstead’s body, his attorneys said.

“We’ve got the wrong person in custody, judge. It’s the wrong person,” Merchant said.

But in a videotaped confession and a written statement to the GBI, Duke gave explicit details about his actions.

“Words are useless, but I’m burdened with the murder of Miss Grinstead,” Duke wrote in his confession, which was read in court.

Duke told the GBI he left Grinstead’s home after killing her and later returned with a quilt and latex glove. A glove was later found in Grinstead’s yard and sent to the GBI crime lab for fingerprint and DNA testing, Shoudel said. DNA from Grinstead and Duke was found on the glove, the agent said.