Current:Home > BackGeorgia man imprisoned for hiding death of Tara Grinstead pleads guilty in unrelated rape cases-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Georgia man imprisoned for hiding death of Tara Grinstead pleads guilty in unrelated rape cases
View Date:2024-12-23 11:09:49
PERRY, Ga. (AP) — A man imprisoned for concealing the death of Georgia teacher Tara Grinstead has pleaded guilty to reduced charges in two unrelated rape cases in a deal that lets him avoid additional prison time.
Houston County Superior Court records show that Bo Dukes agreed to plea deals Nov. 13 to settle charges that he had raped women in 2017 and 2019 after threatening them with weapons. Prosecutors agreed to let Dukes plead guilty to aggravated assault with intent to rape in both cases. He also pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, while more than a dozen other counts were dismissed.
The sentences Dukes, 39, received won’t add to the 25-year prison term he is currently serving for his role in Grinstead’s death and disappearance, The plea deal was first reported by WALB-TV.
A high school teacher and former beauty queen, Grinstead vanished in 2005 from her home in rural Irwin County. Her fate remained a mystery for more than a decade until Dukes’ friend with a similar last name, Ryan Duke, told Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents that he strangled Grinstead and enlisted Dukes to help burn her body.
A jury convicted Dukes of concealing Grinstead’s death in 2019. After recanting his confession, Duke was convicted of the same charge in 2022, but acquitted of murder. Additional charges related to Grinstead’s death are still pending in a neighboring county where the men burned her body in a pecan orchard.
Dukes was also indicted in 2019 in two rape cases with no connection to Grinstead’s death and disappearance.
He was charged with raping a woman while threatening her with a knife on Jan. 19, 2017, just a few weeks before his arrest in the Grinstead case. Dukes was indicted for a second rape after two women accused him of sexually assaulting them at gunpoint on Jan. 1, 2019. Dukes was free on bond at the time, awaiting trial for hiding Grinstead’s death.
A judge last month sentenced Dukes to 10 years in prison for each reduced rape count, plus five years for illegally possessing a gun. According to court records, the plea deal allows the time Dukes serves for Grinstead’s death to also count toward those new sentences.
veryGood! (836)
Related
- She's a trans actress and 'a warrior.' Now, this 'Emilia Pérez' star could make history.
- Lakers unveil 'girl dad' statue of Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna
- Gleyber Torres benched by Yankees' manager Aaron Boone for lack of hustle
- J.Crew’s Epic Weekend Sale Features an Extra 60% off Clearance Styles with Tops Starting at $8
- Democrat George Whitesides wins election to US House, beating incumbent Mike Garcia
- There's good reason to root for the South Koreans to medal in Olympic men's golf
- At Paris Games, athletes can't stop talking about food at Olympic Village
- Olympic medals today: What is the medal count at 2024 Paris Games on August 3?
- Queen Bey and Yale: The Ivy League university is set to offer a course on Beyoncé and her legacy
- Olympics 2024: Pole Vaulter Anthony Ammirati's Manhood Knocks Him Out of Competition
Ranking
- Sister Wives’ Christine Brown Shares Glimpse Into Honeymoon One Year After Marrying David Woolley
- Stock market today: Dow drops 600 on weak jobs data as a global sell-off whips back to Wall Street
- Why USA's Breanna Stewart, A'ja Wilson are thriving with their point guards at Olympics
- Tyreek Hill of Miami Dolphins named No. 1 in 'Top 100 Players of 2024' countdown
- Inside Dream Kardashian's Sporty 8th Birthday Party
- 'SNL' cast departures: Punkie Johnson, Molly Kearney exit
- UAW leader says Trump would send the labor movement into reverse if he’s elected again
- Monday through Friday, business casual reigns in US offices. Here's how to make it work.
Recommendation
-
Homes of Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce burglarized, per reports
-
That's not my cat... but, maybe I want it to be? Inside the cat distribution system
-
What that killer 'Trap' ending says about a potential sequel (Spoilers!)
-
Albuquerque police commander fired, 7th officer resigns in scandal involving drunken driving unit
-
South Carolina to take a break from executions for the holidays
-
Why M. Night Shyamalan's killer thriller 'Trap' is really a dad movie
-
What to watch: Workin' on our Night moves
-
Olympic Athletes' Surprising Day Jobs, From Birthday Party Clown to Engineer