OCILLA, Ga. — Jurors began deliberating in the Ryan Duke trial around lunch time Thursday.
---
The trial for the man accused of killing Tara Grinstead in Oct. 2005 got off to a quick start Monday with opening statements and testimony from a handful of witnesses.
Ryan Duke faces the maximum penalty of life with the possibility of parole. His charges include malice murder, felony murder, burglary, concealing a death, and aggravated assault.
The state and Duke’s attorneys delivered their opening statements, giving a glimpse on how each side will present and argue their cases. The arguments from both sides went exactly as anticipated.
They focused around the Feb. 2017 confession from Ryan Duke. The GBI says Duke confessed spontaneously and unsolicited to investigators he killed Grinstead.
Meanwhile, the defense says the confession was false and though Duke repeatedly confessed, his attorneys say he was under the influence of a narcotic pain medicine. They also say he falsely confessed because he feared Bo Dukes, Ryan’s former friend and roommate, who the defense implied is responsible.
