OCILLA, Ga. — Bombshell information rocked the courtroom in Ocilla as the third day of testimony continued in the Ryan Duke murder trial. Most of the morning’s testimony came from retired GBI Special Agent Gary Rothwell.
“We were shocked to find our crime scene – so to speak – Tara’s residence, was being toured by national media,” said Rothwell.
He testified that made it difficult to investigate her disappearance. He also detailed how evidence collected at Grinstead’s home was transported to the crime lab, including the latex glove that contained DNA from both Grinstead and Duke.
Prosecutor J.D. Hart asked Rothwell about the 2017 arrests of Ryan Duke and Bo Dukes.
The former agent admitted their names had come up in the investigation more than a decade before. But agents didn’t follow up, assuming Ocilla Police had cleared them.
“That is a question that has bothered me for years and I have talked to other agents and reviewed the documents and come to a recollection of what happened, but it is not an excuse for what happened,” said Rothwell. “The information was received as if it had been addressed by local law enforcement as unfounded. That was a presumption we should have never ever made, but it happened and it's my fault.”
After lunch, Judge William Reinhardt dismissed the jury for the day and began a detailed conversation with attorneys about Ryan Duke’s 2017 recorded confession. The defense and prosecution both object to different portions of the confessions.
The jury will hear at least parts of the confession in court Thursday.
You can watch all of Wednesday's testimony below: