Ryan Duke of Georgia was acquitted of murder in the death of teacher Tara Grinstead.

Ryan Duke was found not guilty of murder by a Georgia jury in the 2005 death of Tara Grinstead, a school teacher and beauty pageant participant.

Duke was judged not guilty of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, or burglary, but convicted of concealing a death. After a nine-day trial, the jury took around two hours to make a decision. Tara Grinstead left, and Ryan Duke, both from Georgia.

Duke acknowledged to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) that he murdered Grinstead in 2017, but throughout the trial, he claimed that he did not murder her, blaming his old best buddy Bo Dukes. During the trial, he was questioned if he killed Grinstead.

“I didn’t,” Duke said.

Duke told the GBI five years ago that he broke into Grinstead’s residence to steal money for drugs and killed her when she surprised him.

In a video revealed to the jury, Duke told GBI investigators, “I was taking from her bag and she snuck up on me.” “She sneaked up on me, and I smacked her. It was a response. I took off running. I was at a loss on what to do.”

Duke told authorities that after fleeing, he attempted contacting Grinstead’s house from a payphone, and when she didn’t respond, he returned to discover her dead. Investigators were informed by him: “I’m not going to lie. I can’t live with myself because I’m so sick of it.”

During the trial, Duke said that Bo Dukes awakened him up in the mobile home where they were residing on the night of Grinstead’s death in 2005. “He stated he killed Tara,” Duke testified. Dukes then handed him Grinstead’s bag and wallet, he claimed.

Dukes was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2019 after a jury found him guilty of assisting Duke in removing Grinstead’s body from the house and burning it in a pecan grove. Dukes denied murdering Grinstead and was not prosecuted.

Attorney Philip A. Holloway, who has been following the case for years, that the jury arrived at the “right decision” based on the facts and testimony provided throughout the trial.

“I do not feel guilt was shown beyond a reasonable doubt,” Holloway said. “I also believe that the conviction on point six contradicts the findings on the other charges. Furthermore, I believe it should be dismissed owing to the statute of limitations. The fundamental question is what the judge believes. On Monday, we’ll find out.”

Duke is due to be sentenced on Monday.