Despite confession, Georgia man acquitted in ex-beauty queen’s murder

A Georgia man who confessed to murdering a former magnificence pageant queen was discovered not responsible for her slaying Friday, based on native experiences.

Although Ryan Duke advised native police inside 90 seconds of coming into the station in 2017 that he killed highschool trainer Tara Grinstead again in 2005, an Irwin County jury acquitted him on Friday, based on the Atlanta Journal-Structure.

As an alternative, he was discovered responsible of concealing her demise and sentenced to 10 years Monday, the newspaper reported.

Duke mentioned on the stand he faked the confession as a result of he was underneath the affect of medicine and was afraid of his good friend Bo Dukes (no relation), who he alleged was Grinstead’s actual killer, the AJC reported.

Duke was arrested for involvement within the case shortly after Dukes was taken into custody in 2017.

Duke, throughout his 2017 confession, mentioned he broke into Grinstead’s dwelling for drug cash and when she caught him, he hit her. Authorities additionally mentioned he knew particulars of the crime not beforehand launched.

“I don’t really feel like I need to be free to breathe,” Duke wrote in his 2017 confession, displayed by the web site Regulation and Crime. “I can’t start to grasp the ache I’ve prompted to her household and family members.”

When on the stand, Duke claimed Dukes advised him that he killed Grinstead in October 2005. Dukes admitted to serving to burn the physique, the AJC reported.

As a result of her physique was badly burned, solely bone and enamel fragments have been situated however not sufficient to gather DNA, the AJC reported.

“Tara misplaced her life,” mentioned Connie Grinstead, Grinstead’s stepmother, based on the AJC. “And that left a gap in our life that may by no means be crammed. We’ll really feel the ache of this loss for so long as we stay.”

Duke, who has already served 5 years in jail, might obtain as much as 10 years in reference to the lady’s demise.

Anita Gattis, Grinstead’s sister, mentioned ten years in jail isn’t sufficient for Duke.

“16 years. 6 months, and 27 days,” Gattis advised the court docket that’s how lengthy Grinstead has been gone, based on TV station WMAZ. “The utmost he can serve for concealing the demise of one other is 10 years. That’s solely seven years lower than the sentence I and the remainder of Tara’s household and mates have skilled resulting from his revolting and villainous motion.”