A jury on Friday discovered a person accused of killing a preferred highschool trainer who vanished from her rural Georgia hometown in 2005 not responsible of homicide.
Ryan Duke had advised investigators he killed Tara Grinstead and helped burn her physique. However when he took the witness stand throughout his trial, he insisted he was harmless.
The jury acquitted Duke of malice homicide, felony homicide, aggravated assault and housebreaking however discovered him responsible of concealing a demise, The Atlanta Journal-Structure reported.
Grinstead's disappearance in rural Irwin County remained a thriller for greater than a decade till Duke's 2017 confession.
He advised Georgia Bureau of Investigation brokers that he broke into Grinstead's dwelling in October 2005 hoping to seek out cash to steal to purchase medicine. He was startled when Grinstead appeared behind him and he hit and killed her, he mentioned.
Duke led investigators to a pecan orchard the place he mentioned he and a buddy, Bo Dukes, burned her physique. GBI brokers testified at trial that Duke knew issues concerning the case that had by no means been made public.
Duke's protection legal professional, John Service provider, advised jurors it was Dukes who killed Grinstead. Dukes was convicted in 2019 of serving to transfer and burn Grinstead's physique however was by no means charged with homicide.
Duke testified that his confession was false. He mentioned Dukes woke him up on the cell dwelling the place they lived collectively in 2005 and mentioned he had killed Grinstead and confirmed Duke the trainer's purse and pockets. Duke lied to investigators as a result of Dukes had already killed one individual and he was afraid, he testified.
Duke's homicide trial opened final week, greater than 16 years after Grinstead was final seen leaving a night cookout in rural south Georgia. Grinstead, who taught historical past and was a former magnificence queen, was simply 30 when she disappeared.
Earlier than Duke's confession, her household held out hope that she would possibly return dwelling protected.
Although her physique was by no means discovered, investigators matched Grinstead's DNA to bone fragments recovered within the space the place Duke advised investigators he and his buddy had burned her.
The jury deliberated Thursday afternoon and for about two hours Friday morning earlier than delivering a verdict, the Journal-Structure reported.
Duke is to be sentenced Monday. Grinstead's household requested for extra time to organize statements to learn on the sentencing.