Silence About A Body Is A Last Power Over Families
Canning argues that a person facing prison could still offer relief by saying where a victim is.
Dateline NBC · Talking Dateline: The OrchardThe remark came as reporters Andrea Canning and Blayne Alexander discussed the Georgia case of Tara Grinstead, a small town teacher and former beauty pageant contestant who is presumed dead. Her remains have never been found, Ryan Duke was tried and acquitted, and no one has been convicted of killing her.
Canning said that in no-body cases she has covered, those responsible almost never reveal where the victim is. Alexander called the silence "unnecessarily cruel and almost like a power grab."
For Alexander, withholding the location keeps a final form of control over the family. As Alexander put it, "this is the last bit of power I have," even for someone already headed to prison.
Canning framed her point as a hypothetical about a person already facing prison. She made a direct appeal, saying, "Just give the family some peace so they can at least bring home their loved one."
The man tried in Grinstead's death was Ryan Duke, and he was acquitted. Grinstead's inner circle believes Duke killed her, though he denies it, and former investigator Gary Rothwell also believes Duke was responsible.
A different man, Bo Dukes, was convicted on charges related to her death, including concealing a death and making false statements. He was never charged with killing her, though some members of the public suspect him. Canning said Tara's friends and family saw the outcome as injustice rather than an ending.
Questions people ask
Who was Tara Grinstead?
Tara Grinstead was a teacher in small town Georgia and a former beauty pageant contestant whose disappearance became a major investigation. She is presumed dead, but her remains have never been recovered.
What happened legally to Ryan Duke and Bo Dukes?
Ryan Duke was tried in connection with Tara Grinstead's disappearance and acquitted. Bo Dukes was convicted of charges including concealing a death and making false statements, but he has never been charged with killing her. Investigator Gary Rothwell believes Ryan Duke was responsible, while some members of the public suspect Bo Dukes.
Was a motive ever established?
Duke initially said he entered Grinstead's home looking for money or something to support a drug habit, according to a producer on the case. He later took back that account at trial, leaving investigators and journalists to describe the motive as unresolved.