for Tuesday, May 17th - Day 7
Phil Holloway™
@PhilHollowayEsq
·
3h
BREAKING NEWS: #RyanDuke takes the stand in his own defense in the #TaraGrinstead murder trial!
Ryan Duke says Bo Dukes told him that he was the real killer of #TaraGrinstead
#RyanDuke does admit to helping Bo Dukes destroy #TaraGrinstead's body.
#RyanDuke says Bo Dukes is untrustworthy, was a "dark" person. Says he was afraid of Bo Dukes who came from a politically powerful family
The jury and family of #TaraGrinstead listen intently as #RyanDuke gives details of his life including his past involvement with drugs and with Bo Dukes
#RyanDuke tells the #TaraGrinstead jury he did not like the Army because he was not sure he could kill a person. Says he never hunts because he would not like killing an animal
#RyanDuke says he went AWOL from the Army after witnessing a trainee die after her parachute did not open during Airborne training
#RyanDuke admits to stealing from his brother and repaying his debt-admits to being AWOL & then turning himself in. This is all to show that he feels guilty when he does something bad-didn't appeal his other-than-honorable Army discharge because that was the discharge he deserved
#RyanDuke gives the #TaraGrinstead jury lots of details about Bo Dukes, says Bo was a freeloader who left bondage *advertiser censored* about violent sex acts laying around
#RyanDuke tells the #TaraGrinstead jury that Bo Dukes was a thief who was always broke. Says he paid for Bo's gas so Bo would take him to work
#RyanDuke tells the #TaraGrinstead jury about the weekend Bo Dukes killed her. Jury watching intently as he tells about Bo Dukes drinking tequila on that Saturday afternoon. Ryan also drank some. Got very sick, threw up from tequila shots and passed out in bathroom around 9-10pm
"I was woke up. Bo woke me up" at about 8am on Sunday. Bo was "pale" looked "freaked out" "panicked" Bo "said something that freaked me out".. DA objects when #RyanDuke attempts to say that Bo told him about killing #TaraGrinstead
Outside the presence of the jury, #RyanDuke says Bo Dukes told him "I killed Tara"
The legal wrangling is to decide if the jury can hear this statement
There is ZERO doubt however that this #TaraGrinstead jury knows what #RyanDuke says Bo Dukes admitted. Judge Reinhardt says he will let Ryan tell the jury about Bo's statements
After a break #RyanDuke tells the #TaraGrinstead jury Bo Dukes "said he killed Tara", at first he didn't understand what Bo meant or who he was talking about, Bo said "he killed Tara Grinstead" then went outside to smoke. He did not initially think Bo was serious
#RyanDuke said Bo Dukes took out #TaraGrinstead's wallet and purse and her driver's license. Assumed Bo had merely stolen them. Told Bo he didn't believe he murdered her. "I didn't know what to do" so then he wanted to return Tara's purse to her
#RyanDuke says he took Bo Duke's truck to attempt to return #TaraGrinstead's purse. Bo was laying on the bed. Ryan drove to Ocilla around 9am Sunday. Stopped at pay phone to make 411 call around 9:30am to try to find Tara & her house to find out if she was ok and return her purse
#RyanDuke says he still did not believe Bo killed #TaraGrinstead so he rode the general area where she lived looking for her house, knew to look for her white sports car. Did not find it so he went back to the trailer and woke Bo Dukes. Bo said he would show Ryan what he did
#RyanDuke says Bo Dukes then drove to them orchard. Bo was quiet. Ryan says he was "more and more worried" but was still unsure. They got to the orchard and Bo showed Ryan the body of #TaraGrinstead - says "she's over there"
#RyanDuke says the body of #TaraGrinstead was in a clearing in the woods partially covered with debris. Tara was face down. Bo flipped her over in a violent motion. Bo looked at Ryan and said "I told you", Tara was wearing clothing, a t-shirt and jogging pants.
#RyanDuke says Bo Dukes said "we got something to do" and starts gathering wood from a nearby barn, fills up the pickup with wood and drove back to the body of #TaraGrinstead - Ryan Duke is getting emotional, voice is shaky now. Jury listening closely
#RyanDuke says Bo pushes up the shirt of #TaraGrinstead and fondles her lifeless corpse. The two then put her into the back of the truck. She was "beat up" with bruises on arms & legs. Ryan is tearful & very emotional as he testifies the pair move Tara to a clearing in some trees
I visibly shaken #RyanDuke says Bo Dukes was laughing as he told Ryan to help him "put her on the wood" - Ryan asked to be taken home but Bo "lit her on fire"
"You can't say anything, you can't talk about this" is what #RyanDuke tells the #TaraGrinstead jury Bo said to him after leaving the burning body behind. Didn't see Bo again for a week. Admits not telling anyone.
#RyanDuke says Bo Dukes returned a week later and asked if he had told anyone about #TaraGrinstead, that he was afraid of Bo. Ryan returned to the orchard with Bo and Bo showed him the ashes. Then in November Bo had a party in the orchard. Spoke with Garland Lott
#RyanDuke said Bo told Garland Lott that "we killed #TaraGrinstead" - Bo frequented the "Find Tara" website. Back in High School, Bo would make "suggestive comments" about Ms. Grinstead who Bo had for a teacher
#RyanDuke said he didn't go to the police because he was afraid of Bo, did not know how to untangle himself from Bo
#RyanDuke tells the #TaraGrinstead jury about a Bo Dukes friend group and some "weirdness" when they were all together.
The DA does NOT want this info to come in
Ryan said Bo told the friend group about what had happened to Tara
The DA did not want this info to come out
#RyanDuke says Bo would want Ryan to do cocaine with him, that Bo would burn Ryan's home down if he ever told what happened to #TaraGrinstead, that Bo was a "pyro", watched YouTube videos about fires
#RyanDuke describes multiple suicide attempts and liver problems and "renal failure" over the years since #TaraGrinstead was killed, heavy drug use and dialysis, would relapse into heavy drug use
#RyanDuke testimony now turns to what he says is a false confession. Describes heavy medication use at that point.
#RyanDuke says Bo Dukes messaged him on Facebook telling him the GBI had talked to him and wanted to talk to Ryan and to "keep my name out of it" - stayed up all night prior to meeting with GBI. Took morphine, pot, Vicodin before the interview
#RyanDuke said he was afraid of Bo Dukes when he confessed to GBI. Before he left home to meet GBI he decided to take the blame because he was afraid of Bo, didn't think Bo would ever fess up
link:
https://twitter.com/PhilHollowayEsq
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