Who Is Bo Dukes? New Details About The Man Sentenced To 25 Years For Covering Up Tara Grinstead's Murder
He's not from the Dukes of Hazard.
Instagram Georgia teacher Tara Grinstead went missing on October 22, 2005. She was a high school teacher, former beauty queen and active in coaching young girls competing in pageants. It was discovered that she was missing on October 24th, a Monday morning when she did not show up to work at Irwin County High School. Her co-workers called the police. The police went to Tara's home. They found her cell phone in the house and car outside of the house but her purse and keys were gone. The local authorities immediately called the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) because they felt something was wrong and beyond the resourses of the small town police department. The GBI did not find any signs of forced entry or a struggle. Tara Grinstead was declared dead in absentia in December 2010. In February 2017, the GBI held a press conference to announce that they had received a tip in the disappearance of Grinstead that led to the arrest of Ryan Duke for the murder and concealment of Grinstead. In March 2017, Duke's former classmate Bo Dukes (no relation) was charged with attempting to conceal a death, hindering apprehension and tamperingg with evidence. More recently, Dukes gave an horrific confession about just what happened to Tara Grinstead. Who is Bo Dukes?
1. The confession
Bo Dukes was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the role he played in disposing of the remains of Tara Grinstead. During his sentencing, Dukes gave a tearful apology to Tara's family, saying: "To Tara Grinstead’s family, I am truly sorry. Your long suffering has been unimaginable. My actions are cowardly, callous and cruel. I was more interested in self-pity and self-preservation than doing the right thing for Tara and for you. I pray for your forgiveness. I apologize to those who were cast under a cloud of suspicion for so long. Reputations with their friends and family destroyed. I can never undo that damage and I sincerely apologize. To local communities, I’m sorry for the years of uncertainty, of suspicion and mistrust placed even on the law enforcement community by my actions. I apologize to my own my own family… my mother, and to Brooke Sheridan and her family. My actions and failures I am responsible for alone. I failed Tara Grinstead, I failed her family, I failed the local community and I hope these proceedings have given some closure to the many people hurt by my actions. I want each of you to know I am truly remorseful. Thank you."
2. He was a former student
A woman named Brooke Sheridan went to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation with information about Bo Dukes, her boyfriend. In an interview with 48 Hours, she told correspondent Peter Van Sant:"I felt like I was gonna be sick. I didn't know who I was staring at. I didn't know who he was." Dukes told Sheridan that his friend Ryan Duke had told him that he had killed Tara Grinstead in 2005 and then convinced him to help him dispose of her body. Both Bo Dukes and Ryan Dukes were former students in Grinstead's history class.
3. He had a criminal record
Bo Dukes was arrested in 2013 for embezzling a large amount of money from the U.S. Army. Wendy McFarland, a friend and colleague of Grinstead's said that Bo "was always the kid who went to the beat of a different drum." She further described him as not the best kid, but nothing about his behavior in high school suggested that he'd grow up to be a felon.
4. The crime
Ryan Duke broke into Tara Grinstead's home using a credit card. He strangled her to death. He then convinced his friend Bo Dukes to help him hide the body. They transported Grinstead's body to a pecan orchard owned by Dukes' uncle Randy Hudson. The two men spent two days burning her body and then buried it.
5. He commented on the crime online
Bo Dukes oddly implicated himself in a number of ways during a taping of the podcast Up and Vanished. He also took part in discussions about Tara Grinstead's disappearance and assumed murder online.
Amy Lamare is a Los Angeles based freelance writer covering entertainment, pop culture, beauty, fashion, fitness, technology, and the intersection of technology, business, and philanthropy. She is deeply devoted to her chocolate Labrador and an avid long distance runner. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook.