Police make second arrest in Tara Grinstead case

BEN HILL COUNTY, Ga. — Police have made a second arrest in the 2005 disappearance of Georgia teacher and former beauty queen Tara Grinstead.

Bo Dukes is charged with concealing a death, hindering apprehension and tampering with evidence. He is now out on bond.

The arrest comes one week after a major break in the decade-old case. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation and local Georgia authorities arrested Ryan Alexander Duke on Feb. 24 and charged him with murder, burglary, aggravated assault and concealing a death.

The GBI said that someone walked into a sheriff's office last month with information that led to several new interviews and Ryan Duke's arrest.

"Through these interviews, enough probable cause was discovered so we could swear out an arrest warrant charging Ryan Alexander Duke with the murder of Tara Grinstead," Ricketson said.

Ryan Duke attended the high school where Grinstead worked and graduated three years before her disappearance, according to the GBI.

Since his arrest, dozens of GBI agents have been digging for Grinstead's remains at a pecan farm in Ben Hill County.

Channel 2’s Tony Thomas learned that agents were first told about the property last week, but just zeroed in on specific locations on Tuesday. GBI Special Agent in Charge J.T. Ricketson said since Duke’s arrest last week, interviews with "people who were involved" led his team to the land. The landowner is not involved, he said.

"This is a possible site where she may have been disposed of," Ricketson said. "We are finding some things and we are collecting some evidence. We are hopeful that we can find her remains and that's why we're there."

Grinstead, a teacher and former beauty queen, was reported missing from her Ocilla home in October 2005.

Cox Media Group