GA - TRIAL OF Ryan Alexander Duke & Bo Dukes - Tara Grinstead, 29, Ocilla, 22 Oct 2005 *Guilty/Not Guilty*

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September hearing date possible for Ryan Duke’s defense in Tara Grinstead case

IRWIN CO., Ga. (WALB) - A hearing in the case against Ryan Duke for the death of Tara Grinstead in 2005 in Irwin County could happen in September.

Defense attorneys said a motions hearing could happen September 13. The district attorney’s office told WALB that the hearing date is not set in stone at this time.
[.....]

Bo Dukes was also indicted in Grinstead’s death in Wilcox and Ben Hill counties. He was convicted in Wilcox County in March for hindering the apprehension or punishment of a criminal, concealing a death and two counts of making a false statement.

Dukes was sentenced to 25 years in prison. He will still be tried in Ben Hill County.
 
Sorry, I'm feeling really lost here. All the warrants in this case specify information that is clearly and blatantly contradictory of initial crime scene reports and investigations in the days directly following the crime.

The scene was supposedly neat and orderly, no signs of break in or burglary, her clothes from that evening were found in her bedroom and they took it as a sign that she came home peacefully. The glove at the scene was specifically noted as being strange because everything else was so meticulous that if someone HAD committed foul play, it would be odd to leave something so obvious there.

I also seem to recall that it was mentioned the glove did not retain DNA or fingerprints, but now they have that information suddenly where there was none before?

What is going on?
 
Doubleposting, but this episode of Disappeared directly contradicts the story they're now posting.

"There was no sign of forceful entry, there was no clear indication that any kind of struggle had occurred inside."


I really cannot understand the discrepancy.
 
Friday, Sept. 13th:
*Status & Motion Hearing (@ 9am ET) - GA - Tara Faye Grinstead (29) (Oct. 22, 2005, Ocilla) – for *Ryan Alexander Duke (33/21 @ time of crime) arrested (2/23/17), indicted (4/2017) & arraigned (5/4/17) with 2 counts of felony murder & 1 count of malice murder, aggravated assault, burglary & concealing death of another. Plead not guilty. Held without bail.
Court hearings from 10/13/17 thru 3/27/19 Reference post #225 here:
GA - TRIAL OF Ryan Alexander Duke & Bo Dukes - Tara Grinstead, 29, Ocilla, 22 Oct 2005 *GUILTY*
3/28/19 Update: GA Supreme Court just ordered delay in Duke trial. Supreme Court will look at appeal. The defense filed a motion with the GA Supreme Court appealing some pre-trial rulings. Both sides agree jury selection should NOT start Monday (4/1/19) as was scheduled. They will hear arguments on May 7. Trial postponed indefinitely in Irwin Co. as the GA Supreme Court grants a stay.
5/7/19 Update: The GA Supreme Court did not make a decision today in the Duke case. Under the Constitution, the court has 2 court terms (4 to 6 months: Sept-Nov) to make a decision. If no decision is made by then, then whatever decision is made by the trial court will stand.
6/8/19 Update: The Supreme Court of Georgia is slated to release an opinion on June 10. 6/10/19: Supreme Court of Georgia has dismissed Ryan Alexander Duke’s application to appeal a pre-trial decision by an Irwin County court that denied his request for state funds to pay for expert witnesses when his case goes to trial. The high court concluded that it does not have the authority. The case now goes back to the local Irwin County judge to either hold the murder trial or he must formally ask for the Supreme Court to decide the funding question. No date available as of 7/2.
7/15/19: Defense attorneys for Ryan Duke are asking the state to once again fund expert witnesses and an investigator. Next hearing on 9/13.
Accomplice:
*Bo Dukes: Found guilty (3/21/19) and sentenced to 25 years.
 
@Gardenista - very hard to hear - I had my speakers full blast. Can you give a gist of what happened - I got thru to 38 minutes left - and then the video stopped! o_O

Any future court dates on there? TIA! :)
 
Prosecution, defense agree to send Ryan Duke case back to Georgia Supreme Court

IRWIN COUNTY, Ga. — Ryan Duke's case is most likely headed back to the Georgia Supreme Court.
[.....]
After about two and a half hours of arguments, both sides told [Judge] Reinhardt that they'd like the Georgia Supreme Court to hear the funding arguments before the trial begins.

[DA] Hart told Reinhardt that the Grinstead family would also like to see the funding issue decided pre-trial.


and of course no next court date in article....
 
I think this is the right call in the interest of justice (for me, it is an interesting concept who is liable for cost in this scenario) and to prevent an appeal regarding this topic.
 
I'm interested in what Emily Dukes has to say and why Merchant believes her testimony will provide such crucial evidence for Ryan's defense. Being a convicted felon is likely to bruise her credibility with the members of the jury, and they have the right to dismiss anything or everything she says while on the stand. For Merchant to request the funds to fly her down here from New York, her testimony must be quite compelling....
 
This quote is from an article covering Friday's motion hearing, it was published in today's edition of the Ocilla Star (our local newspaper). I don't know who the editor's "source" is or their level of credibility.

A source told The Star the Georgia Supreme
Court could hear the case involving the request
for funding before the end of the year, though
that won’t be determined until the “certificate”
is signed and submitted.
That same source said Duke’s murder trial is
most likely to begin in the first half of 2020, barring
any additional unforeseen issues.​
 
@Suglo - any updates in the court site for next hearing? TIA!
animated-smileys-waving-002.gif
 
Niner said:
@Suglo - any updates in the court site for next hearing? TIA!
animated-smileys-waving-002.gif
Click to expand...
I finally found a website to access court records in Georgia (Irwin County) but a search of his name doesn’t produce anything. I then went back and searched in every county in Georgia and only found one closed case from 2005 - it looked like a DUI case.

I’ll keep looking and let you know if I find any future court dates although it sounds like both sides agreed to send the issue of funding back up to the state Supreme Court so that could take another six months or so to be decided. My best guess is that if the courts deny the motion for funding, his defense attorneys will step down and he will get the public defender who will then have to get up to speed on the case. I really don’t see this matter going to trial any time soon.
 
Thanks for checking Suglo! And you are quite right - forgot they sent the funding issue back to the Supreme court....

and we wait.....
impatient1.gif
 
I’ve not seen post in either of the 3 threads of Bo Dukes indictment for 2017 rape in Houston Co, which was reported earlier today. This is separate from 2019 rape.
 

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Or cause a heckofalota doubt!


Stina_108 said:
I'm interested in what Emily Dukes has to say and why Merchant believes her testimony will provide such crucial evidence for Ryan's defense. Being a convicted felon is likely to bruise her credibility with the members of the jury, and they have the right to dismiss anything or everything she says while on the stand. For Merchant to request the funds to fly her down here from New York, her testimony must be quite compelling....
Click to expand...
 
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