OCILLA, Ga. — Day four of testimony in the Ryan Duke murder trial focused on video from 2017 where Ryan Duke confessed to investigators that he killed missing Ocilla teacher, Tara Grinstead.
After spending the morning watching his taped confession, jurors and a full courtroom then watched video of Duke trying to show investigators where he claimed to have burned Tara Grinstead’s body.
It was shortly after the announcement of his arrest in Feb. 2017 that Duke led investigators, including Special Agent Jason Shoudel, to a pecan orchard in Fitzgerald.
After combing the area for several days, GBI agents recovered bone fragments later confirmed to be Grinstead’s. He couldn’t find the exact location, but he described what he and Bo Dukes did with her body.
- Duke from 2017 video: Where we cremated her, it was an opening like that. You know, a wide-open space so the woods wouldn't catch on fire.
- Inv: So, based on what you're seeing at the time, it's just not possible?
- Duke: No sir.
- Inv: But without a shadow of a doubt in your mind, you're certain that this is the area?
- Duke: Yes sir. This is the area.
- Inv: Where y'all cremated her?
- Duke: Anywhere within a couple football field radius of this little road. I'm 100% positive.
After viewing the video, both the prosecution and defense questioned Shoudel about what state Duke was in at the time of the confession – there were numerous objections from both attorneys.
Defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant grilled Shoudel about his questioning of Duke.
- Merchant: He told you he didn't take anything from the house at first, that's about 10 minutes in.
- ...
- Merchant: Then you told him, 'You didn't take her purse and keys? You didn't put them in a dumpster?' And he said, 'I may have.'
- Shoudel: Correct.
- Merchant: So he didn't introduce, 'I took her purse and keys.' You're the one that introduced that fact.
- Shoudel: Correct. He just confirmed it.
- Merchant: Well he said, 'I may have.' He didn't know.
- Shoudel: Well again, if I didn't do it, I'm not going to say 'I may have,' or 'It's possible I did.' No - that's not it.
- Merchant: Unless you're scared...
GBI evidence analysts are scheduled to testify Friday, and the state is expected to finish its case at the beginning of next week.
You can rewatch Thursday's testimony in full here:
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