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

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Seattle1 said:
Phil Holloway™
@PhilHollowayEsq

Witness tells #RyanDuke counsel Ashleigh Merchant that #TaraGrinstead was afraid of a local named Anthony Vickers. Vickers was prosecuted for stalking Tara Grinstead circa 2001
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8:52 AM · May 9, 2022

@PhilHollowayEsq

#Defense counsel John Merchant confirms that #TaraGrinstead door had two locks - one being a bolt. This goes to the defense theory of a false confession; that the alleged confession does not match the physical evidence in the case
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8:39 AM · May 9, 2022
Click to expand...
I'm in the gallery shot here. LOL
 
Tuesday, May 10th:
*Trial continues (Day 2) (@ 9am ET) - GA - Tara Faye Grinstead (29) (Oct. 22, 2005, Ocilla, still missing) – *Ryan Alexander Duke (21 @ time of crime/33/now 38) 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.
Trial began on 5/2/22 with jury selection. Trial began on 5/9/22. 12 jurors & 6 alternates.
Court hearings from 10/13/17 thru 4/28/22 & Jury selection Day 1-3 (5/3 to 5/5/22) reference post #440 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...d-29-ocilla-22-oct-2005-arrest.430005/page-22
5/9/22 Monday, Trial Day 1: Jury is sworn in & received instructions from Superior Court Judge Bill Reinhardt. Judge asked Ryan’s brother to leave the gallery as he will be called as a witness. Opening statements by prosecutor & defense counsel Ashleigh Merchant.
State witnesses: Bill Grinstead (Tara's father). Diana Harper, friend of Tara's. Dana Giddens, mentored by Tara. Joe Portier, next door neighbor. Heath Dykes, Perry Police Officer who had an affair with Tara. Ocilla Police Chief Billy Hancock.
for more info see posts #444, 446 to 448, 452, 455 to 457 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...d-29-ocilla-22-oct-2005-arrest.430005/page-23
Trial continues on Tuesday, 5/10/22.
Accomplice:
*Bo Dukes: Found guilty (3/21/19) and sentenced to 25 years. 10/22/20 Update: A hearing set for 11/24/20, in Wilcox County for Dukes. The judge will consider Dukes' request for a new trial.
 
@PhilHollowayEsq

The state's theory of guilt in the #TaraGrinstead trial was spoon fed to them by convicted felonious liar Bo Dukes. This same prosecution team sent him to prison for lying about his involvement in this very case. Yet they want this jury to believe Bo's version now.


7:11 AM · May 10, 2022

@PhilHollowayEsq

Day 2 of #TaraGrinstead trial starts / dry testimony about inner workings of law enforcement mixed with crime scene evidence that has not moved the needle. This is a necessary part of trials even if not the most interesting. I'm watching cross exam for hints of defense strategy
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6:51 AM · May 10, 2022

@PhilHollowayEsq

As expected, Crime scene witnesses for the top of day 2 of #TaraGrinstead trial. Will we hear that anyone of them collected and tested the out-of-place cigarette butts we heard about yesterday?

6:16 AM · May 10, 2022

Phil Holloway™
@PhilHollowayEsq

Day 2 of the #TaraGrinstead trial starts 9am. Best guess is lots of law enforcement type witnesses today. The State’s witness list has crime scene, DNA experts, and fingerprint experts on it. I’m watching the defense cross exam closely for clues on what direction they’re going in


5:37 AM · May 10, 2022
 
Cathy Russon
@cathyrusson

CONFESSION: Agt. Jason Shoudel is expected to be on the stand all day Wednesday in the #TaraGrinstead trial. We expect to hear #RyanDuke's confession. His defense says this was a false confession and they plan to point out the inconsistencies.
@LawCrimeNetwork
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3:08 PM · May 10, 2022

Cathy Russon
@cathyrusson

WATCH LIVE: Court is back in session in the #TaraGrinstead trial. Attorneys are arguing over upcoming Agt. Shoudel's testimony as regards to things Bo Dukes told him.

10:16 AM · May 10, 2022
 
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Wednesday, May 11th:
*Trial continues (Day 3) (@ 9am ET) - GA - Tara Faye Grinstead (29) (Oct. 22, 2005, Ocilla, still missing) – *Ryan Alexander Duke (21 @ time of crime/33/now 38) 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.
Trial began on 5/2/22 with jury selection. Trial began on 5/9/22. 12 jurors & 6 alternates.
Court hearings from 10/13/17 thru 4/28/22 & Jury selection Day 1-3 (5/3 to 5/5/22) & Trial Day 1 (5/9/22) reference post #462 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...d-29-ocilla-22-oct-2005-arrest.430005/page-24
5/10/22 Tuesday, Trial Day 2: State witnesses: Agent Jason Shoudel. GBI crime scene specialist Jeff Roesler. [Not sure of order, my speakers are out]
for more info see posts #466 to 468 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...d-29-ocilla-22-oct-2005-arrest.430005/page-24
Trial continues on Wednesday, 5/11/22.
Accomplice:
*Bo Dukes: Found guilty (3/21/19) and sentenced to 25 years. 10/22/20 Update: A hearing set for 11/24/20, in Wilcox County for Dukes. The judge will consider Dukes' request for a new trial.
 
Some more tweets.


Phil Holloway™ ⚖️✈️
@PhilHollowayEsq
·
6h
Also - we may hear and see the alleged confession of #RyanDuke on killing #TaraGrinstead. If so watch the cross exam for clues on why they allege it to be a false confession.


Today’s likely to be a big day in the #TaraGrinstead trial. I expect to hear more about the mysterious 3rd DNA profile on the infamous latex glove. Who could be the donor of that DNA profile?


GBI Agent Rothwell has to explain to the #TaraGrinstead jury how pay phones and 411 directory assistance worked back in the day. Does that make anyone else feel old?

Previously we heard testimony about what pagers and answering machines were and how they worked


Rothwell admits on cross that #TaraGrinstead's car may have left her home during the time frame they say she was killed. He admits to making a lot of "inferences" but won't use the word "assumption"
Admits GBI never investigated she may have died elsewhere but it was "considered"


An embarrassed Rothwell admits he was wrong by stating Bo and Ryan were not "on the radar" until Ryan's arrest. If the police report had been followed up on in 2005 the #TaraGrinstead murder would likely have been solved back then. We established this on @upandvanished
in 2017


GBI Agent Rothwell testifies in the #TaraGrinstead trial. He famously held a press conference when #RyanDuke was arrested saying Duke had "never came up on our radar"-yet now we know that may not have been accurate. The general scenario was known to law enforcement in 2005


It’s worth noting that not all of the discussion between law enforcement and #RyanDuke was recorded. Wouldn’t the #TaraGrinstead jury want to know why? I sure do!


I’m never comfortable altering evidence in a way that prevents a defendant from challenging it in the presence of the jury. Illegal or improper evidence should be excluded of course but when the DA wants to alter it in a way to hide things-if that’s what’s happening- that’s wrong



BREAKING: #TaraGrinstead jury sent home for the day as lawyers clash over what parts of the alleged #RyanDuke “confession” should be played for the jury.

This ruling will have huge implications for the outcome of the trial and and potential appeal.

link: https://twitter.com/PhilHollowayEsq
 
Tweets for Wed, 5/11:

Nina
@AlreadyGonePod
·
17h
back in court this morning, hopefully starting right at 9a - plan is to live tweet as the day progresses

jury is filing in, let's get it started

Randy Hudson of Hudson Pecans talking about Fitzgerald Farms - he's the brother of Dixie Hudson Dukes, Bo Dukes is his nephew

looking at photographs of the orchard and identifying the burn site

the state calls Gary Rothwell retired GBI agent

talking with GBI SAC about the north coast pay - payphone call to Tara's house -

there is an objection from defense about admitting a portion of phone records. Waiting.....

lots of talk and explanation of directory assistance 555-1212 aka 411 - makes me feel old!

Court taking a short break

court resumes - discussion of latex glove - we are finally off the phones

discussion of what was held by the GBI as guilty knowledge and when that information was released publicly

Gary Rothwell giving a look behind the curtain at the huge influx of information that came in on the case when national attention was focused on Ocilla - "Tara's residence toured by national media"

Gary Rothwell - the bigger the file the less you know

Breaking for lunch!

They are sending jurors home! Something came up —-

issues with playing the confession in court - I'm getting caught up here - I'd left the building for lunch

the court is going to run through the confession this afternoon - at least in part - to make sure things run smoothly in front of the jury

still in recess

we are back! about to do dry run of confession w/o jury

the audio being played in court is inconsistent - it's hard to make out. Does anyone know an audio professional that could clean this up?

switching to video....but I don't think the sound will improve :(

link: https://twitter.com/AlreadyGonePod
 
Thursday, May 12th:
*Trial continues (Day 4) (@ 9am ET) - GA - Tara Faye Grinstead (29) (Oct. 22, 2005, Ocilla, still missing) – *Ryan Alexander Duke (21 @ time of crime/33/now 38) 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.
Trial began on 5/2/22 with jury selection. Trial began on 5/9/22. 12 jurors & 6 alternates.
Court hearings from 10/13/17 thru 4/28/22 & Jury selection Day 1-3 (5/3 to 5/5/22) & Trial Day 1-2 (5/9 to 5/10/22) reference post #462 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...d-29-ocilla-22-oct-2005-arrest.430005/page-24
5/11/22 Wednesday, Trial Day 3: State witness: Randy Hudson of Hudson Pecans, he's the brother of Dixie Hudson Dukes, Bo Dukes is his nephew. GBI Agent Gary Rothwell.
for more info see post #470 to 473 & 474 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...d-29-ocilla-22-oct-2005-arrest.430005/page-24
Jury sent home for the day as lawyers clash over what parts of the alleged Duke “confession” should be played for the jury. The parties have been going over what redactions will be made to Duke's confession video to take out the parts referencing Bo Dukes. Judge decided this is going to take the rest of the afternoon. Trial continues on 5/12/22.
Accomplice:
*Bo Dukes: Found guilty (3/21/19) and sentenced to 25 years. 10/22/20 Update: A hearing set for 11/24/20, in Wilcox County for Dukes. The judge will consider Dukes' request for a new trial.
 
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