Bo Dukes/Tara Grinstead trial | High school friend testifies about alleged party confession

and can I get you to introduce yourself to the jury for me I don't go on a lot dar Elliot hello TT mister lot in what town do you currently live fixed girl did you grab them fit show no where'd you grow up you know so how 34 do you know the defendant in this case babies I do how do you know that we were he was a year older and I was so we were hung out a lot on the weekends now you say he was a year younger older older did y'all go to the same high school yes and what my school is that or what County High School what year did you graduate high school 2003 so do you know what you're very graduated from high school um would have been 2002 now what about some bucks someone by the name of Brian Duke do you know him yes um the same way I went to the same high school together he was older not was and you know what your Ryan graduates would have been 2002 now tell me do you know what the nature of the relationship was between value and Ryan oh they were relatively good friends when you say relatively good friends can you tell me where they each other then do you watch the two of them yes would you say they were best friends probably yes was it uncommon to see one without the other no it was not uncommon to see one without the other just when you were against for lack of better term partying or hanging out was it usually the two of them together yes there would be at the same social gathering now you've got terrified that you went to school with them and that y'all I think you use the phrase hung out we're y'all part of I guess the same social circle in Irwin County yes and most of us being from a small town understands that search was not real big okay have you ever been to when Ryan when you're in high school Jeff go to Ryan's home out there in our own County yes and where did Ryan grow up pleasure late what about the do you ever go to face home yes and where did bangla natok he lived over eclipse hero at high school in Irwin County you know so did they ever come to your home for parties yes no during the time period that y'all were in high school I want to talk about that a little bit can you tell me some of the people that were in your peer group that all hung out together there's a lot probably c-clip missing Rhys Jones late sermons Keith Harper being mapa hand though dudes Ron dukes you want female suit Jessica day Laura Bradford Kelly I don't know there's a bunch I went into your book that gives me an idea where was in high school the main place that y'all would have parties or hang out on the weekends probably my house no one kind of moved forward to after school tell me again what year did you graduate high school 2003 and when you graduated from high school did you initially go to any school or BB sort of degrees I went to a Beck what kind of degree were you going towards the day back I really wasn't going for one at the time okay did you ever in fact get a degree from a back no did you want it getting any sort of degree or certificate from a back yes where did you get your degree I got a bachelor's degree in occupational health and safety from columbia Southern University I'm an assistant production manager for a modern dispersion south girl no that degree helped me get promoted in this into this position I was the safety director there for three to four years now back in 2005 did you know someone by the name of Tara Grinstead yes and how she taught me to us in high school do you know personally yes other banks or Ryan Duke ever had Tara as a teacher I do not have you ever been to a tea party where beg Duke's was present as well as Tara Grinstead no have you ever been to a tea party where Ryan Duke was present as well as Tara Grinstead now understanding miss Grinstead was a fairly young teacher at the time was it anything unusual that some of the her male students might have a crush on I'm pretty sure several it obviously is very pretty and may have had a crush on her do you recall any conversations or just in general whether or not they or Ryan ever discussed miss gray no no no do you recall when Miss Grinstead with missing yes it was two years after a graduating high school she was missing um the [ __ ] [ __ ] remember I might come back I was working I come back home and that's where not her that she was nobody had seen her that she was missing do you know how long it was after she went missing that you learned about it I'm sure it was probably the same day or day after everybody else in this littered about it to my next question everyone still have known that Tara Grinstead was missing probably have you ever had an occasion to hear either Ryan or beau Dukes discuss the disappearance of Tara grant says Tom yes there was a comment made at a party that attended to now this party that she went to you how long after she went missing did this party occur two or three weeks and where did this party help the had the pecan orchard at which they said in pitch drove so do you know to my best knowledge Randi Hudson holder had you ever been before no no not that I can recall so as far as the partying at this pecan orchard where y'all all just sort of standing in the field on trucks what was the long there was part vehicles around there was a fire and we were standing around was there drinking at parting I'm pretty sure there was more than luckily do you know whether or not you had partaken any other substances that might have impaired your knowledge at that party or luckily again understanding we're talking about some time ago any idea of anything else you might have taken at the time that might have affected your thought process at the time good now you said that you heard a comment made I kind of set the scene to make sure I'm clear do you recall sitting here today weird better and Brian work at the time this comment that made I'm not exactly sure but best man notably they were sitting in a vehicle whose vehicle with that I'm not sure where were you standing outside of the vehicle and was anything specific going on that brought up Tara Grinstead that you cannot call no I think it was just still pretty fresh and most of the people there she probably told us that we were still you know just discussing are you able at this point to distinguish between what Brian said and what I know the comments that were made were they being made by just one person or by both of them the statement was made by one do you recall he made that statement I do not the other person who was sitting there do you recall if they had any response to that statement BIGBANG's it wasn't a great upon statement the other one just kind of chuckled in agreement so to be clear saving it's made the other person doesn't say what are you talking about or anything about nature no what was the statement that was made the statement that I recall was when we cured and burned everybody basically at the time that they said that they killed and burned her body did you have any idea where they meant this it occur where the murder occurred or where the body burning occurred no did you make an assumption about where you thought the body might have been burned I did making this something I went Roscher I just knew where I was that when this statement was made do you know anybody else that would have been an ear shot of that statement being made I do not I can't even recall who was all about that social gathering at that time any doubt in your mind however that you heard these two people's laughing about killing and burning Tara Grinstead body no after you heard this statement just a few weeks after she had been murdered did you tell anyone about what you and her I went back and I told my roommate what I'd heard what was your remaining leg rubbers no Roberts where does he work now he worked for Ursula star he's the editor who was not did you tell told him as a friend till we were we were best to clean up best friends and encourage you to go to the authorities yes we discussed it and he felt that I needed to you know tell somebody so be clear ever told you to keep this quiet Robert says he's never told me to keep this quiet who did you tell so I told Andi and Jenna's pulk I was currently working for them at the time as a photographer and we basically went around into photographs at Little League World Series action photos of players Jameson Annie Hall did they live in a cell at the time is long yes why would you have gone to them to tell them about this comment well I went to denden I went to work the next day to filter through some photos I believe and and I just I told them I I trusted them why don't you just go oh well I didn't have the best reputation and no sauce so I didn't go till I was for her Jasleen any affiliation with any searches or any websites that were big breath to try to find her I believe they were assisted in development of websites to you know get the word out about Tara and parties that we're helping when you told Janice and Andy what you'd been told at this party did they encourage you to go to law enforcement they took a state I don't recall them encourage me to go to law enforcement they took us a statement if I best remember Janice either handwritten or typed out a statement and then we're stay turned over to did you ever speak directly with law enforcement after Janice and Andy had you either type and write out the state I was never interviewed bellow footer you were never interviewed by law enforcement did you ever go out to that location and where the bonfire had been when you were told this yes and with whom did you go so whenever with a best of my knowledge with Janice and Andy and Nelson went out there and I can't recall anybody else but so I really don't know when you say Nelson Hitty main bulk it was a sheriff he was a sheriff deputy yes now when y'all went out there did you have any reason to believe she had actually been burned in the courtroom I didn't have any reason to believe it though you know what sure I could have just not sure when y'all go out to you the orchard you and Janice talk and Annie Hall and Nelson Paul tell us kind of how that happens so we just go out there and we just kind of just looked around the air where the fire was in the location where we was at at that party there were there was a bonfire there that night so you don't mean the fire firms you mean the where she worth your bonfire weird the bump are words that we were gathering yes and from best of my knowledge it was in a completely different location know that information that you've just told us is that's something you've learned just learn something up learn since the rest of Rhonda after you've written or typer sign this statement I understand it's been a long time ago but after the statement is done and you go out to the future with someone from law enforcement when was the next time you were contacted by law enforcement about this case I was contacted by I'm Jason shaneoh today they arrested Rhonda from 2005 until 2017 did you ever speak with another officer anybody else from law enforcement about what you heard Bev and Ryan say that night never did anyone ever approach you in that time period never were you what why didn't you come forward and try and tell somebody again after that day I just assumed that uh I took the best tips um at the time and it was just a statement possibly made by some drunk young people and it just wasn't really anything turned out to be nothing and I want to make sure I'm understanding what you're saying and tell me if this is not right but but it sounds like you're saying you assumed it's handled I assumed it was handed by long Twitter yes which Jason should L came to the state with you the day Ryan Duke was arrested did you cooperate the path yes did you give him a statement yes since that I've never physically met with him though it was all telephone conversation you did speak with him again in army yes have you cooperated with law enforcement and in this returnees office in any way you've been asked to cooperate best of my knowledge the location of where that he can orchard was that you have the bonfire are you fairly familiar with that area at baylin's mill highway yes mr. la I could have changed what's from previously tenderness states 26 and 27 and asked you to take a look at both of those for me and tell me if you're able to identify on either of those the general area that where that bonfire her and tell me which one's best for you I believe justin is gonna be the best so that's gonna be States 26 judge math Huckle into step down for me you can you just step on down here for the jury I'll make sure the court can pick up what you're saying so I know lots hot bottom if you'll be sure to talk loud enough we won't get in trouble okay alright so mystery you 626 is that oriented correctly or how do you want me to worry about probably about it okay so this road that we see running in the middle of stage 26 do you know the name of that road highway okay and can you share with some baylin's mill excuse me on this state's 26 where the pecan orchard is the picketers will be all this area here where was the bonfire the general location the bonfire golf had that night here so way down here on the south end yes that's all the questions I had after this comment was maybe 2005 did you continue to be friends with baby cries I didn't hang out with them probably a couple more times maybe a handful but not very much I was I kind of started taking a different direction in my life I guess you would say when you say a different direction if you tell us what you mean by that I got a job over in Douglas and I started school at South Georgia College so all my friends in urban County I just I was spending more time in Douglas in that area so as you're sitting here tonight are you able to tell this jury to me today are you able to tell this jury specifically who all was at the bonfire where Ryan and they have made that statement I'm not do you never have the knowledge of being present at the home of a and Ryan the night Tara Grinstead was murdered oh it's none other than what you heard Benny would Ryan say it what brings a joke about that day had do you have any other personal knowledge about how Tara Grinstead was murdered I do not and the person that we've been discussing begged Deeks who was one of the two people joking around about that he in the courtroom today yes and could you please identify for the jury he's fearful shut the rector's likely church who had dinner father or it just punked I guess the question if I ask you anything you not do not understand let me know not to try to trick you before you standards being asked before you answer when did you first the first time I met bonuses I believe around my freshman year in high school maybe yeah I think he would have been a sophomore at that time correct and you said you graduated 2003 correct and by about 2005-2006 you were in the Douglas around that time all 2006 probably more yeah but during that time though you may not have been best friends you were close friends we were acquaintances spend time together sexually yes other parties yes right yes and you and said the statement that was made 3 viewer car and I was and then the big you were outside of the yes so you truly being overheard the statement it was not made I don't know if it was made towards me or if I did overhear this thing it is a situation where they said hate garlic no this is what not a way to have a confession towards me thank you and your testimony was someone didn't know who made the comment she had killed him someone chuckle about it is that the end of it into what you've heard yes yes but pointed out I do believe and agree and know that it was an agreed upon statement but yeah both Ryan but you say that in the sense that when the person said to be burned killed the other person said nothing to negate that fact correct suggests thank his district attorney had stated to you who said that one time everybody is still correct when you've heard this state it bothered breath Creek it bothered you in you to get serious we're at the correct and you win two people you trust it because you believe that based on prior actions whatever perception may be you may not have had the best reputation correct if you still went to someone who trusts it and you do so I believe you said the next day yeah I believe it was in these days and the statement that was prepared did you write that yourself or did chance Paul Jenna's pump when she wrote that snake were they best of my knowledge they were my words 14-plus it's a best of your recollection you remember signing off on that anyway million or something the best of my recollection that did but uh yeah but I can't I can't hundred percent be sure that statement is provided to law correct that's my nose and what's that girl I can't be Sheriff's Office correct and believe that because eventually you end up with not only Nelson Hall who you said is with his death Sheriff's Office and don't walk around filled the bumper correct I know you said you've never been sat down you know is that right correct much like what happened then you talk about age until you called you and asked very very specific questions you walked or everything to happen but when you are out left field that day did you talk with Nelson hope then about the statement you'd over I don't work called discussing it could have happened yeah I don't I don't recall discussing it with him serious um the best of my judgment at the time I guess yes maybe possibly the best of my nose yeah I didn't I didn't give it to him myself so [Music] not that I'm aware of yeah but I don't believe or never recall them making a statement that they were related but in summary the day after you heard the state of Minnesota stirred you prepare to state the contents of which state information Brian dude Boden's may have something yeah for disappearance mr. Prince yes and that was given the law that's in my nose surgery leave the statements here so they can never anything correct or remember this not really were you back in ten how you were Douglas working 2006 did you have Christmas I'm sure up went to a relative's house but you know I don't recall you know what anybody's our old friends or anything like that you don't remember ever being at any parties or any places where mr. doose we've been anybody could make it no you said earlier you had dragged out you ever personally observed into it so intoxicated without I can't recall any instance of him being in that manner so but I'm pretty sure all of us at that age group at one time or another drank enough where we didn't remember yes couple things fits council reference the fact that there were two unknown persons making statements I think you clarified but I'm going to be sure who were the two people who were making this agreement of this discussion about murdering and burning Tara Grinstead body it was both Bo and bad news if anyone seen either one of them seem to be taking more responsibility than the other not that I can recall either of them seem in any way disturbed by what would happen not at the time now Vince counsel asked you about if you never been so intoxicated you don't remember what happened - not before - your recollection have you ever been so intoxicated you claims of partner someone I've never been that intoxicated for - your recollection do you remember being so intoxicated you claim to burn someone fine never did you find the state didn't fund it funny well well you've talked about a little bit the nature of the relationship between both Ryan on that night when they were joking around about this other thing seems scared of the other person never either of them seemed to be covering up for the other person nope either of them seem to think that this was an inappropriate comment to make not at the time wasn't that was their reaction like I said once said another chuckled in agreement thanks for the question you step down thank you you believe that there you're pretty good staple company your rival to the sand

Channel: 13WMAZ

Views: 62,402

Keywords: georgia, central georgia, local news, georgia news, georgia weather, georgia crime, macon, warner robins, 13WMAZ, WMAZ

Id: ZQCCVW3U3cA

Length: 29min 23sec (1763 seconds)

Published: Tue Mar 19 2019