Ryan Duke Trial: Defendant's full testimony to defense

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: To Mr. Gibbs, he'll swear you in and direct your testimony. Mr. Duke, you swear the testimony you're going to give today will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you, God? [00:00:11] Ryan Alexander Duke: I do. [00:00:12] Speaker 1: Please be seated, sir. If you would, please state your full name for the record and for the jury. [00:00:30] Ryan Alexander Duke: Ryan Alexander Duke. [00:00:33] Speaker 1: Mr. Duke, did you murder Tara Grinstead? [00:00:36] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did not. [00:00:38] Speaker 1: Did you break into her home on October 22nd or 23rd, 2005? [00:00:43] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir, I did not. [00:00:46] Speaker 1: Have you ever been inside her home at any point in your life? [00:00:49] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir, I have. [00:00:51] Speaker 1: Did you ever have a sexual relationship with Ms. Grinstead? [00:00:55] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did not. [00:00:57] Speaker 1: Did you ever strike Ms. Grinstead? [00:01:00] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir, I did not. [00:01:02] Speaker 1: Did you ever choke Ms. Grinstead? No, sir, I've never choked anyone. Have you ever been inside Ms. Grinstead's car? [00:01:10] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir, I have not. [00:01:13] Speaker 1: Did you ever take a pair of gloves or a glove to Ms. Grinstead's home? [00:01:17] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir, I did not. [00:01:20] Speaker 1: Did you see Ms. Grinstead's body after she died? [00:01:23] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did. Where did you see it? In the pecan orchard. [00:01:30] Speaker 1: Did somebody take you to the body? [00:01:31] Ryan Alexander Duke: They did. [00:01:33] Speaker 1: Who took you to the body? [00:01:34] Ryan Alexander Duke: Bo Dukes. [00:01:37] Speaker 1: Did Bo Dukes tell you that he killed Tara Grinstead? [00:01:40] Ryan Alexander Duke: He did. [00:01:42] Speaker 1: Do you know how Ms. Grinstead died? I do not. Were you asked to help dispose of her body? I was. Who asked you to do that? [00:01:53] Ryan Alexander Duke: Bo Dukes. [00:01:55] Speaker 1: Did you help Bo Dukes move Ms. Grinstead's body in the orchard? [00:01:59] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did. [00:02:01] Speaker 1: Were you afraid that he'd hurt you or your family if you told anyone about it? I was. Is that why you didn't come forward prior to February of 2017? Yes, sir. I'm going to take a step back. I'm going to talk a little bit about your life leading up to October of 2005. Yes, sir. So where were you born, Mr. Duke? [00:02:23] Ryan Alexander Duke: I was born in Daniel Bryan, dormant in Medical Center. [00:02:29] Speaker 1: And what were your parents' names? [00:02:31] Ryan Alexander Duke: Karen O'Neill and Fred Duke. [00:02:34] Speaker 1: And has your dad, has he since passed away? [00:02:37] Ryan Alexander Duke: He has. [00:02:40] Speaker 1: Were your parents married, divorced? [00:02:43] Ryan Alexander Duke: They divorced when I was two or three years old. [00:02:47] Speaker 1: Did you live with your mom and your dad growing up? [00:02:49] Speaker 3: Let me ask both of you, gentlemen, please to speak up. [00:02:52] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, Your Honor. [00:02:53] Speaker 3: Thank you. [00:02:54] Speaker 1: Thank you, Your Honor. Did you live with your mom or your dad when you were growing up? [00:02:58] Ryan Alexander Duke: I lived with my grandparents up until I was 12, 13. I lived with my mom, and I split time between them and my dad. [00:03:10] Speaker 1: And was that here in the area? [00:03:12] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [00:03:15] Speaker 1: Did your mom, did she eventually get remarried? [00:03:18] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [00:03:19] Speaker 1: And who'd she marry? [00:03:20] Ryan Alexander Duke: William O'Neill. [00:03:23] Speaker 1: You mentioned that you lived with your dad. Where was that? Where'd you live with him? [00:03:27] Ryan Alexander Duke: Greene County, Georgia, Greensboro. [00:03:30] Speaker 1: Did you attend school up there at all? [00:03:32] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did. I attended middle school. [00:03:37] Speaker 1: Did either of your parents have any substance abuse issues when you were growing up? [00:03:41] Ryan Alexander Duke: My mom did. [00:03:44] Speaker 1: It goes to his state of mind, his general upbringing, just what his experiences were as a person growing up. [00:03:50] Speaker 3: Which is irrelevant. Let me ask you to reframe it. That's a statement. [00:03:59] Speaker 1: Did anyone in your family drink quite long? Yes, sir. And who was that? My mom. [00:04:05] Speaker 4: Jackson, judge. Irrelevant. He's talking about things that occurred when he was younger. It's irrelevant. [00:04:12] Speaker 1: I'll move on. Where'd you go to high school, Mr. Duke? [00:04:15] Ryan Alexander Duke: I went to Irwin County High School. [00:04:18] Speaker 1: Did you play sports in high school? [00:04:20] Speaker 4: Jackson, judge, relevance. [00:04:22] Speaker 1: It's, again, just sort of filling out Mr. Duke's character. These are basic background questions, Your Honor. I don't know. [00:04:28] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did some my senior year. I had worked as soon as I was able to work. [00:04:36] Speaker 1: So did you have a job? [00:04:37] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did. Where'd you work? Harvey's, the local grocery store. [00:04:43] Speaker 1: Here in Ocilla? [00:04:44] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [00:04:46] Speaker 1: Did you have a girlfriend at any point in high school? [00:04:48] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did. [00:04:50] Speaker 1: And did you have a good group of friends? [00:04:52] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir, I did. [00:04:54] Speaker 1: Who were some of those friends that you spent time with in high school here in Ocilla? [00:04:58] Ryan Alexander Duke: Deion Smith, Kristen Daniels, Stephen Giddens, Robert Upton. What about Bo Dukes? Was he a friend of yours in high school? We didn't start hanging out until my senior year. Tell me about Bo. I don't have much good to say. [00:05:16] Speaker 1: What would you, how would you, let me ask you this. Did Bo have a good reputation among your group of friends? [00:05:24] Ryan Alexander Duke: I don't think so. [00:05:25] Speaker 1: What was his reputation among your group of friends? [00:05:29] Ryan Alexander Duke: He was, he would call scenes. He'd just show out just to kind of make anybody, you know, to make a scene, to make other people uncomfortable. [00:05:41] Speaker 1: Was he considered a trustworthy person? [00:05:44] Ryan Alexander Duke: No. [00:05:44] Speaker 1: Did he ever say things that were weird or out of the ordinary that, you know, maybe dark things? [00:05:53] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, he did. [00:05:54] Speaker 1: Did he do that with some frequency? [00:05:56] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes. [00:05:58] Speaker 1: Do you know anything about Bo's family? [00:06:00] Ryan Alexander Duke: I do. [00:06:02] Speaker 1: Is his family well known in the Ocilla area? [00:06:04] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. I think everybody knows him. [00:06:07] Speaker 1: Did you know his grandpa? [00:06:08] Ryan Alexander Duke: I didn't personally. [00:06:11] Speaker 1: Did you know anything significant about his grandpa? [00:06:14] Ryan Alexander Duke: Bo talked a lot about the things his... [00:06:17] Speaker 1: And I'll rephrase the question. Were you aware of, were you aware of his grandpa's occupation? [00:06:29] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, he was a state senator for 20 plus years, I think. [00:06:33] Speaker 1: Were you aware of any significant legislation or other political acts that he accomplished during his tenure? [00:06:39] Ryan Alexander Duke: He got funding to start the GBI. He got funding for the tech school and other works in the counties. [00:06:49] Speaker 1: What year did you graduate high school? [00:06:51] Ryan Alexander Duke: 2002. [00:06:53] Speaker 1: Did you go to college after high school? [00:06:55] Ryan Alexander Duke: I spent a year at AVAC. [00:06:59] Speaker 1: And how did you do in college at AVAC? [00:07:01] Ryan Alexander Duke: Not great. [00:07:03] Speaker 1: Did you... How did you do your first semester? [00:07:07] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did okay the first semester. The second, I just wavered. [00:07:13] Speaker 1: Is there anything particular that, I guess, impacted you when you were a day back? Anything? [00:07:17] Ryan Alexander Duke: Well, I'd rather party and go out than do my school work. [00:07:24] Speaker 1: So you said you stayed in college for about a year. How did you end your time in college? [00:07:30] Ryan Alexander Duke: I withdrew. [00:07:32] Speaker 1: And that was a... Was that a voluntary decision? [00:07:35] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was. [00:07:38] Speaker 1: And so if you stayed there about a year, I guess, did you leave AVAC in about spring, summer 2003? [00:07:44] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [00:07:46] Speaker 1: Where did you live when you were in college at AVAC? [00:07:49] Ryan Alexander Duke: I stayed at home. [00:07:52] Speaker 1: With... Who did you live with? [00:07:54] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was my parents, my mom and my stepdad. [00:07:57] Speaker 1: And where did you live? What part was it? In Osceola, Tifton? [00:08:00] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was in Pleasure Lake, in the rural county, Irwin County. [00:08:05] Speaker 1: Once you withdrew from college, where did you work? What did you do? [00:08:10] Ryan Alexander Duke: I got a job at Stewart Finance. It's a small loan company. They had offices all over the state. [00:08:18] Speaker 1: And what office did you work out of? [00:08:20] Ryan Alexander Duke: The Valdosta office. [00:08:23] Speaker 1: And what job did you have at Stewart Finance? [00:08:25] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was debt collection. [00:08:28] Speaker 1: Did you start that job, I guess, was it shortly after you left AVAC? [00:08:32] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [00:08:33] Speaker 1: So it was probably about the summer, June, July of 2003? [00:08:37] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. That'd be about right. [00:08:39] Speaker 1: And did you enjoy that job? [00:08:41] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. Not particularly. [00:08:43] Speaker 1: Why didn't you like that job? [00:08:46] Ryan Alexander Duke: Well, it's hard to collect debt. Anybody that's ever had to have done it, you have to, sometimes you have to repossess people's property. [00:08:58] Speaker 1: How did you feel about doing that? [00:09:00] Ryan Alexander Duke: I wasn't very good at it. I didn't enjoy it. [00:09:05] Speaker 1: Did you feel sorry for some of the people you had to repossess things from? [00:09:09] Speaker 4: How could this possibly be relevant? [00:09:11] Speaker 1: It's, again, just building character, Your Honor, talking about his general character. I sustain that. Okay. When you were working at Stewart Finance, where did you live? [00:09:20] Ryan Alexander Duke: When I started, when I started, I was commuting back and forth. I was still at home. Then I moved to Valdosta. [00:09:27] Speaker 1: And when you moved to Valdosta, did you have any roommates? [00:09:30] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did. [00:09:32] Speaker 1: And who were those roommates? [00:09:34] Ryan Alexander Duke: Hank McMahon and Bo Dukes. [00:09:37] Speaker 1: And did you guys party a lot when you were living in Valdosta? [00:09:41] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. Did you guys drink? Yes, sir. They both were either in school. I know Hank was in school. That's all Bo did. [00:09:52] Speaker 1: Did anyone do any drugs? [00:09:54] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [00:09:55] Speaker 1: What drugs did folks do? [00:09:56] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was marijuana and cocaine. [00:10:01] Speaker 1: And your job at Stewart Finance, was that a full-time or part-time job? [00:10:05] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was full-time. [00:10:06] Speaker 1: How long did you work at Stewart Finance? When did you finish, stop working there? [00:10:10] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was about a year, the next summer. [00:10:13] Speaker 1: So this would have been about summer 2004? [00:10:16] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [00:10:17] Speaker 1: And what did you do after you ended your job at Stewart Finance? [00:10:21] Ryan Alexander Duke: That's when I went into the Army. [00:10:24] Speaker 1: And when did you join the Army? Was that in the summer, fall of 2004? [00:10:31] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was, I think I went and signed up in the summer, and I started in the fall of that year of 2004. [00:10:40] Speaker 1: Were you dating anyone at the time that you started, when you joined the Army? [00:10:45] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir, I was. [00:10:46] Speaker 1: Who was that? [00:10:47] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was Lindsay Ross, McMahon. [00:10:50] Speaker 1: Were you dating her while you were in basic training in the Army? [00:10:53] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [00:10:54] Speaker 1: Did you communicate with each other during basic training? [00:10:58] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. Phone calls when you got a break and letters, mostly. [00:11:04] Speaker 1: Why did you join the Army? [00:11:06] Ryan Alexander Duke: I thought it would be good for me to be part of something bigger than myself. You know, I thought that would kind of give me direction. [00:11:16] Speaker 1: When you joined the Army, did you have the opportunity to pick a job? [00:11:21] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. You pick your job before you go in to basic. [00:11:27] Speaker 1: And what job did you pick? [00:11:28] Ryan Alexander Duke: I picked the one with the biggest bonus, the infantry. [00:11:33] Speaker 1: And you say biggest bonus. I guess there was a, like a, was it like a signing bonus? [00:11:36] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [00:11:40] Speaker 1: How did basic training go for you? [00:11:42] Ryan Alexander Duke: The physical aspect, I've always enjoyed that. Other than that, I had a hard time. [00:11:49] Speaker 1: What part about it did you, or did you struggle with any part of it? [00:11:53] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. It was this, the mental aspect of it, the readiness to use violence. [00:12:01] Speaker 1: How did you feel about the violence that came with the job once you were in basic training? [00:12:05] Ryan Alexander Duke: I wasn't sure I was capable of violence. [00:12:09] Speaker 1: Did you have any veterans as your instructors while you were in basic training? [00:12:12] Ryan Alexander Duke: We did, and we had, you do course training, and a lot of the course trainers had just come back from deployment. And did they tell any stories about when they were serving? Yes, sir, they did. [00:12:29] Speaker 1: And did any of those stories impact you in any way? [00:12:31] Ryan Alexander Duke: They did. [00:12:32] Speaker 1: And how did those stories impact you? [00:12:34] Ryan Alexander Duke: It made me think I wasn't capable, or I wouldn't be able to do what was necessary. [00:12:43] Speaker 1: Did you think you'd be able to kill somebody if it came down to it? [00:12:46] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. [00:12:48] Speaker 1: Did you ever hunt growing up? [00:12:49] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir, I did not. [00:12:51] Speaker 1: Did you ever own a gun? [00:12:52] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. [00:12:55] Speaker 1: To this day, have you ever killed an animal yourself? [00:12:58] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. [00:13:00] Speaker 1: So did you make it through basic training? [00:13:02] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did. [00:13:04] Speaker 1: Was there like a graduation ceremony? [00:13:06] Ryan Alexander Duke: There was, yes, sir. [00:13:09] Speaker 1: And did your girlfriend, Lindsay, did she come to the graduation? [00:13:11] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir, she came with my mom and my stepdad. [00:13:15] Speaker 1: Did you get a break or anything like that after the graduation? [00:13:18] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir, it was right at Christmas and New Year's, so we got a two-week break before I'd signed up for additional training. So I would go back, report back in January. And did you see any friends over the break, 2004? I did. [00:13:37] Speaker 1: Where did you see those friends at? [00:13:39] Ryan Alexander Duke: Bo invited me to a party out at the orchard. [00:13:43] Speaker 1: And is this the same orchard that we talked about earlier that's been talked about in this case? [00:13:46] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir, it is. [00:13:48] Speaker 1: Did anything out of the ordinary happen at that party? [00:13:51] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir, I had asked Bo if Hank was going to be there because that was Lindsay's ex-boyfriend at the time. I didn't want to cause a scene. You know, I wanted everybody to have a good time. [00:14:03] Speaker 1: And what did Bo tell you? [00:14:05] Ryan Alexander Duke: He told me he wouldn't be there, or he didn't invite him. [00:14:09] Speaker 1: When you got to the party, was Hank there? [00:14:12] Ryan Alexander Duke: He wasn't there when I arrived, but it was right after I got there, he came. [00:14:18] Speaker 1: And what happened when he got there? Did anything happen? [00:14:20] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yeah, he pulled me aside and confronted me about Lindsay. [00:14:25] Speaker 1: And what happened during that confrontation? [00:14:27] Ryan Alexander Duke: Well, I told him I was sorry about how things had happened. I didn't do anything to try to hurt him. I told him if he felt like he needed to swing, that was okay. You know, I wouldn't retaliate. [00:14:41] Speaker 1: And did he hit you or anything like that? [00:14:42] Ryan Alexander Duke: He did not. [00:14:46] Speaker 1: And once you finished this break at Christmas 2004, did you return to the Army? [00:14:51] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir, I did. [00:14:53] Speaker 1: And what did you do? Did you have any more training when you got back? [00:14:56] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. After reporting back, I reported for jump school. [00:15:01] Speaker 1: And this was your airborne training? [00:15:03] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [00:15:05] Speaker 1: Did you make it through that training? [00:15:06] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did not. [00:15:08] Speaker 1: What happened? Why didn't you finish that training? [00:15:10] Ryan Alexander Duke: There was a girl in the unit before me that had jumped out of a plane, and her sheet didn't open. And she panicked and didn't open the reserve. She's an 18-year-old girl. Died. [00:15:24] Speaker 1: How did that impact you? [00:15:27] Ryan Alexander Duke: It shook me up real bad. [00:15:30] Speaker 1: Did you stay in airborne school after that incident? [00:15:33] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir, for about a week. Well, no, sir. I asked to be taken out of training, and I told him I needed to talk to somebody. I didn't feel like I could do that anymore, that I either needed retraining or I needed to talk to somebody. [00:15:51] Speaker 1: And what happened when you told them that you wanted out of airborne school? What happened? [00:15:55] Ryan Alexander Duke: They put me on a holding pattern where you're basically just waiting for another assignment. [00:16:01] Speaker 1: And where were you at when this occurred? [00:16:03] Ryan Alexander Duke: This is at Fort Benning in Columbus. [00:16:07] Speaker 1: And so they placed you in what you call sort of a holding pattern. How long did you stay at Fort Benning in this holding pattern? [00:16:14] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was four or five days, and then that's when I left, and I went AWOL. [00:16:20] Speaker 1: And you said you went AWOL. How did you leave Fort Benning? [00:16:25] Ryan Alexander Duke: I walked in my car, got in it, and drove and left. [00:16:29] Speaker 1: No one tried to stop you or anything? [00:16:31] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. [00:16:32] Speaker 1: Where did you go once you left Fort Benning? [00:16:35] Ryan Alexander Duke: I went to Augusta, where my dad and my brother were living. [00:16:40] Speaker 1: And once you got there with your dad and your brother, how long did you stay in Augusta? [00:16:43] Ryan Alexander Duke: It wasn't long, less than a month before they moved back here. [00:16:49] Speaker 1: Once they left Augusta, where did they move in particular? Was it Osceola? [00:16:54] Ryan Alexander Duke: In Fitzgerald, across from the hospital. [00:16:58] Speaker 1: And is that the trailer that we've heard about in this case, the trailer across? [00:17:00] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir, it is. [00:17:03] Speaker 1: And when they moved into the trailer, did you follow them as you moved with them into the trailer? [00:17:07] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir, I did. [00:17:10] Speaker 1: And during this particular time period, you considered yourself AWOL from the military? [00:17:17] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir, I was. [00:17:20] Speaker 1: Were you working at all during this time period? [00:17:22] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did odd jobs of mowing the grass. I did some roofing with my uncle, whatever, you know, so I could contribute, pay bills. [00:17:33] Speaker 1: During this time period, did you forge any checks? [00:17:37] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did. I took some checks from my brother. It was three checks. [00:17:42] Speaker 1: Okay. How many, you know, so you said three checks. How much money was each one of those checks for? [00:17:49] Ryan Alexander Duke: Around $50. [00:17:52] Speaker 1: And you forged those checks, did you cash those checks? [00:17:57] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did. [00:17:58] Speaker 1: And did that cause your brother's account to overdraft? [00:18:02] Ryan Alexander Duke: It did. [00:18:04] Speaker 1: Did you ever pay any of that money back to your brother? [00:18:06] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did. [00:18:07] Speaker 1: Did you pay the overdraft fees and the initial amounts of the checks? [00:18:12] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did. [00:18:15] Speaker 1: So you were AWOL from the Army. Did you eventually follow up with the Army or did they contact you? [00:18:21] Ryan Alexander Duke: I called and I was told to report to Fort Sill and report myself AWOL. [00:18:26] Speaker 1: And where is Fort Sill? [00:18:28] Ryan Alexander Duke: It's in Oklahoma. [00:18:34] Speaker 1: And did you comply with that? Did you go, in fact, to Fort Sill, Oklahoma? [00:18:38] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir, I did. I took a Greyhound. [00:18:43] Speaker 1: And what happened to you at Fort Sill? [00:18:44] Ryan Alexander Duke: I was arrested. [00:18:46] Speaker 1: And did they put you in jail? [00:18:50] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was, yes, sir, but it wasn't a lock-up type. I was placed under guard, but it wasn't a jail type placement. It was just so they was worried, I guess, that people would run. I'm not sure. But I was placed in another holding pattern to be out-processed while I was doing my brig time. [00:19:15] Speaker 1: How long did you stay at Fort Sill? [00:19:18] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was two or three weeks. [00:19:23] Speaker 1: And were you eventually discharged from the Army? [00:19:27] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir, I was. [00:19:28] Speaker 1: And what type of discharge did you receive? [00:19:31] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was other than honorable. [00:19:33] Speaker 1: Did you have the ability to appeal that decision? [00:19:38] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. They told me after six months I could appeal and receive a general discharge. [00:19:43] Speaker 1: Did you ever, in fact, appeal the discharge? [00:19:46] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. I felt I got the discharge I deserved. [00:19:53] Speaker 1: When did you officially leave the Army? [00:19:56] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was in August of 2005. [00:20:02] Speaker 1: Where did you go after you left Fort Sill, after you were discharged from the Army? Where did you go? [00:20:06] Ryan Alexander Duke: I came back to Fitzgerald. [00:20:09] Speaker 1: And who did you live with? [00:20:11] Ryan Alexander Duke: My dad and my brother. [00:20:13] Speaker 1: Were they still living in the trailer across from the hospital? [00:20:16] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [00:20:19] Speaker 1: When you moved back in with your dad and your brother in the trailer, did you work? [00:20:26] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. I got a job at MDI in Fitzgerald. [00:20:34] Speaker 1: Once you were back living in the trailer with your dad and brother, did you start hanging out with Bo Dukes at all? [00:20:43] Ryan Alexander Duke: Not much. My dad hated Bo. Stephen wasn't very fond of him, so he wouldn't come around. He'd come by and pick me up. We'd hang out sometimes. [00:20:55] Speaker 1: When your dad was living in the trailer, did Bo ever stay the night, did you recall? [00:21:01] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. [00:21:06] Speaker 1: And approximately when did you start working at MDI in Fitzgerald? [00:21:10] Ryan Alexander Duke: It had been September of that year. 2005? [00:21:14] Speaker 1: Yes, sir. What was your job at MDI? [00:21:17] Ryan Alexander Duke: I worked in blending. [00:21:20] Speaker 1: And explain just briefly what that, what kind of job that was. [00:21:24] Ryan Alexander Duke: You take a raw material, sometimes it's like chopped up wine corks, and you mix it with a sand-based petroleum and make plastic pellets. And they used those pellets to make molds for cell phones, for laptops, that type of stuff. [00:21:45] Speaker 1: Did you get any promotions while you were at MDI? [00:21:48] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. I was promoted to blending foreman. [00:21:51] Speaker 1: Did you supervise any other employees? [00:21:54] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did, yes, sir. [00:21:57] Speaker 1: What was your typical schedule when you were at MDI? [00:22:01] Ryan Alexander Duke: Mostly 12-hour shifts from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., five days a week. [00:22:08] Speaker 1: Was it Monday through Friday? [00:22:09] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [00:22:14] Speaker 1: What did you think about that job? Did you like your job at MDI? [00:22:16] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did. [00:22:19] Speaker 1: And while you were working at MDI, did you continue living with your dad and your brother? [00:22:24] Ryan Alexander Duke: My dad moved at some point in this time frame. I'm not sure of the exact date. He moved to Eufaula, Alabama. [00:22:37] Speaker 1: Once your dad moved out, did you still hang out with Bo some? [00:22:44] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yeah, it increased how much he'd come by. [00:22:50] Speaker 1: How often would you say you were seeing Bo during this time period? [00:22:55] Ryan Alexander Duke: It started out just the weekends, then he just kind of progressively moved in. [00:23:02] Speaker 1: Did he start staying the night at your trailer? [00:23:05] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [00:23:06] Speaker 1: How often would you say that he slept over? I mean, did you say it became ultimately every night he was staying over? [00:23:13] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. It started as we'd hang out, be drinking or whatever, and he'd stay the night until he just kind of never left. Did Bo pay any rent? He did not. [00:23:25] Speaker 1: Did he pay any utilities? [00:23:26] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. [00:23:27] Speaker 1: Did Bo ever buy groceries for the trailer? [00:23:30] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. [00:23:32] Speaker 1: Did Bo have a job that you're aware of? [00:23:34] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. [00:23:36] Speaker 1: Did Bo ever have any money? [00:23:38] Ryan Alexander Duke: No. [00:23:40] Speaker 1: How many bedrooms did this trailer have? Two. And was this a single-wide or double-wide trailer? It was a single. It was a pretty small trailer? [00:23:49] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [00:23:51] Speaker 1: Did your brother have a room in the trailer? [00:23:53] Ryan Alexander Duke: He did. [00:23:55] Speaker 1: Did Bo have a room in the trailer? [00:23:57] Ryan Alexander Duke: He did. Did you have a room in the trailer? I slept on the couch mostly. [00:24:04] Speaker 1: Why did Bo have a room, although he paid no bills, no rent, no utilities? Why did he have a room, but you were sleeping on the sofa? [00:24:14] Ryan Alexander Duke: It's just where I slept. [00:24:18] Speaker 1: Did you feel like Bo was using you during this time period? [00:24:21] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir, I did. [00:24:24] Speaker 1: Did Bo ever leave out any kind of reading materials in the trailer? [00:24:27] Ryan Alexander Duke: He did. He'd leave pornographic material out, and I had to repeatedly ask him not to do that. [00:24:35] Speaker 1: Were these materials of a particular nature? [00:24:39] Ryan Alexander Duke: I found them offensive. It was bondage. I don't know how to put it. [00:24:48] Speaker 1: Did the magazines that you saw, did they depict violent sex acts? Yes, sir. How did you feel when you saw those magazines? It was gross, you know, offensive. Did you ask Bo to stop leaving the magazines out? [00:25:00] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did. [00:25:04] Speaker 1: During this time period while you were working at MDI, how much money were you bringing home every week, on average? [00:25:10] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was anywhere between $500 and $600 a week. [00:25:14] Speaker 1: And so you had plenty of money during this time period? [00:25:17] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [00:25:17] Speaker 1: Did you have enough? Did you have what you would have considered enough money to meet all your needs at this time? [00:25:25] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [00:25:27] Speaker 1: Did Bo steal from you during this time period? [00:25:30] Ryan Alexander Duke: He did. [00:25:31] Speaker 1: What did he steal from you? [00:25:32] Ryan Alexander Duke: Of anything that was left out. You know, you just learned not to leave anything out, you didn't want gone. [00:25:42] Speaker 1: Did you ever accuse him of stealing? [00:25:43] Ryan Alexander Duke: It didn't have to be. You know, it was me and my brother and him. You know, he's the only one that would have stole. [00:25:52] Speaker 1: At this point, were you buying food for him to eat? [00:25:56] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. I was buying food for the whole house. [00:25:59] Speaker 1: Were you putting gas in Bo's truck? [00:26:01] Ryan Alexander Duke: I was. [00:26:02] Speaker 1: You were paying the rent? [00:26:04] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes. [00:26:04] Speaker 1: Utilities? [00:26:05] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes. [00:26:07] Speaker 1: Were you basically fully supporting Bo financially at this point? [00:26:11] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. He told me his family wouldn't help him, that they didn't want nothing to do with him. Did you at least sometimes get to use Bo's truck? He would. The reason I put gas in his truck, so he could take me to work. I didn't have a vehicle at the time. [00:26:30] Speaker 1: I want to talk now about Saturday, October 22, 2005. Do you remember that day, Mr. Duke? [00:26:38] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir, I do. [00:26:41] Speaker 1: Did you work the Friday night before? [00:26:43] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir, I did. [00:26:44] Speaker 1: And that was your typical schedule, the Monday through Friday? [00:26:47] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. I'd have got off work about 7, 7.30. I might have got home around 8.30 that morning. [00:26:56] Speaker 1: And, excuse me, where did you sleep when you got home? [00:27:01] Ryan Alexander Duke: In the couch. [00:27:07] Speaker 1: What time did you wake up on Saturday morning? [00:27:10] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was late afternoon, 5, maybe 6 o'clock. I kept a normal schedule, you know, to just kind of, so I wouldn't have to flip back and forth from day and night. [00:27:26] Speaker 1: And at this point in your life, did you ever drink alcohol? [00:27:29] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [00:27:31] Speaker 1: How often? How much did you drink and how often did you drink? [00:27:34] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was usually just on the weekends, you know, to kind of just wind down. [00:27:40] Speaker 1: Drinking, hanging out with friends? [00:27:42] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [00:27:44] Speaker 1: Did you smoke pot at all during this time period? [00:27:46] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir, I did. [00:27:47] Speaker 1: How often would you say that you were smoking pot during this time period? [00:27:50] Ryan Alexander Duke: That was probably every day. [00:27:52] Speaker 1: How much pot would you smoke on just an average day? [00:27:57] Ryan Alexander Duke: Maybe a joint or two. [00:28:01] Speaker 1: Did you have to have drugs or alcohol to function at this point in your life? [00:28:04] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir, I didn't. [00:28:05] Speaker 1: Were you addicted to drugs or alcohol at this point? [00:28:08] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir, I was not. [00:28:13] Speaker 1: You woke up around 5 to 6 p.m. Saturday evening. Who was at your house when you woke up? [00:28:19] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was my brother, Stephen Duke, Bo Dukes, and Ben McMahon. [00:28:27] Speaker 1: What were they doing when you woke up? [00:28:30] Ryan Alexander Duke: I think they had started drinking. They was all kind of having a little get-together. They was football on the TV, you know. [00:28:41] Speaker 1: What were they drinking? [00:28:42] Ryan Alexander Duke: Tequila. [00:28:44] Speaker 1: Did you like tequila? [00:28:45] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir, I do not. [00:28:47] Speaker 1: How does tequila affect you personally? [00:28:50] Ryan Alexander Duke: It usually makes me sick. [00:28:54] Speaker 1: Would you have ever driven after drinking tequila? [00:28:56] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. [00:28:59] Speaker 1: Did you, and I think you mentioned this, but did you have a car at this time? [00:29:02] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir, I did not. [00:29:03] Speaker 1: Did you have a cell phone? [00:29:05] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. [00:29:05] Speaker 1: Did you have any credit cards? [00:29:07] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. [00:29:08] Speaker 1: Did you even have a bank account? [00:29:09] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. [00:29:14] Speaker 1: So you recall that, did you drink tequila with the rest of them? [00:29:18] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did. They kind of, you know, come on and take some shots. You know, it was the first time I had seen Ben in a long time. [00:29:27] Speaker 1: Did you also drink some beer while you were drinking tequila? [00:29:29] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [00:29:32] Speaker 1: Do you recall anybody else coming over to the trailer that evening? [00:29:36] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. [00:29:39] Speaker 1: How did you handle the tequila and the beer that night? [00:29:41] Ryan Alexander Duke: I got sick. Did you throw up? Yes, sir. [00:29:49] Speaker 1: What is the last thing that you remember happening on Saturday, October 22, 2005? [00:29:55] Ryan Alexander Duke: I just remember us taking tequila shots and the next thing I know, you know, I'm out. [00:30:03] Speaker 1: Do you know approximately what time that night that you passed out? [00:30:10] Ryan Alexander Duke: It would have been 9, 10 o'clock. [00:30:13] Speaker 1: Where did you pass out at, if you remember? [00:30:15] Ryan Alexander Duke: In the bathroom, hugging the toilet. [00:30:20] Speaker 1: Do you remember anything else whatsoever about the night of Saturday, October 22, 2005, that you haven't already told the jury? [00:30:28] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir, I do not. [00:30:33] Speaker 1: Let's talk about the next day, Sunday, October 23, 2005. [00:30:38] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [00:30:39] Speaker 1: Do you have a clear memory of waking up that morning? [00:30:42] Ryan Alexander Duke: I was woke up. Bo woke me up. [00:30:48] Speaker 1: Where were you when Bo woke you up? [00:30:50] Ryan Alexander Duke: I was still in the bathroom. [00:30:53] Speaker 1: What were you doing in the bathroom? [00:30:54] Ryan Alexander Duke: I was asleep on the floor. Do you know what time of day it was? It was maybe 8, 8.30 in the morning. It was daylight. So you could see the sunlight from where you were? Yes, sir. [00:31:12] Speaker 1: Bo, you said, woke you up. What did he look like? When you opened your eyes and saw Bo, what do you recall? How did he look? [00:31:19] Ryan Alexander Duke: He looked panicked, freaked out. He was pale. You know, he was already pale. [00:31:25] Speaker 1: Did he, how did his eyes look? [00:31:32] Ryan Alexander Duke: He was, looked like he'd been up all night. [00:31:37] Speaker 1: His eyes, bloodshot? [00:31:38] Ryan Alexander Duke: Bloodshot. He was sunken. [00:31:42] Speaker 1: So did he, did he generally, did he look different than he normally did? [00:31:45] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir, he did. [00:31:48] Speaker 1: You mentioned he was panicked. I guess, is, how would you describe just his overall demeanor when he woke you up? [00:31:53] Ryan Alexander Duke: He was upset, shaking almost, just, you know, until something was wrong. [00:32:04] Speaker 1: What was he wearing when he woke you up? [00:32:06] Ryan Alexander Duke: Blue jeans, a t-shirt, maybe a sweater. [00:32:10] Speaker 1: What did he say to you when he woke you up? [00:32:16] Speaker ?: Objection. Here he's not. [00:32:18] Speaker 1: And, Your Honor, this particular, this next statement is a statement against interest. And it is, I guess, if you want to go through the analysis. So the declarant's unavailable. Bo is unavailable to testify. We know that he's going to take his Fifth Amendment against the, this particular statement. [00:32:38] Speaker 4: I'm having a speaking objection now, which is what the Prince Council had asked us not to do. So I'd ask that we discuss it at the end. [00:32:43] Speaker 3: I'm going to sustain that objection at this point. [00:32:46] Speaker ?: Thank you. [00:32:50] Speaker 1: Bo woke you up, and what happened next? [00:32:56] Ryan Alexander Duke: He woke me up. It's hard to explain without saying what he said. But he said something that freaked me out. And then he went into the living room. [00:33:08] Speaker 1: And what was your initial reaction to what it was he said to you? [00:33:13] Ryan Alexander Duke: I was disbelieving. You know, Bo didn't have a, he'd say shit just to kind of push you buttons or, you know, try to make you uncomfortable. [00:33:27] Speaker 1: And what was your reaction? Did you say anything about him? [00:33:31] Ryan Alexander Duke: I, I didn't believe him. I asked him what, you know, what he said or who he was talking about. [00:33:38] Speaker 1: I, I, and what, Your Honor, I think, can we approach for a moment? Sure. Sure. [00:34:16] Speaker ?: I, I, and what, your Honor, I think, can we approach for a moment? I, and what, your Honor, I think, can we approach for a moment? I, and what, your Honor, I think, can we approach for a moment? I, and what, your Honor, I think, can we approach for a moment? I, and what, your Honor, I think, can we approach for a moment? I, and what, your Honor, I think, can we approach for a moment? I, and what, your Honor, I think, can we approach for a moment? I, and what, your Honor, I think, can we approach for a moment? I, and what, your Honor, I think, can we approach for a moment? [00:34:25] Speaker 3: I, and what, your Honor, I think, can we approach for a moment? Right here, line up and go, rest up and please have a seat in the very room. All right, let's put all this on the record. Uh, make sure we're clear. Start over, please, Mr. Gill. Yes. Yes, sir. And, uh, hang on a second. Mr. Jackson, make sure when the jury comes back up that they remain in the grand jury room until we get ready to start back. [00:35:58] Speaker 1: Thank you. Yes, sir. Go ahead. So, um, the initial question that I asked Mr. Duke was. What did he say? What did Bo say when he woke you up? All right. So, the statement that Bo said to him was, and the quote is, I killed Tara. Is that right, Mr. Duke? [00:36:14] Speaker 3: Yes, sir. Is that what your testimony would be? Yes, sir. All right. [00:36:18] Speaker 1: Go ahead. And so, he says that. And so, our position is that number, number one, I think most, I think the clearest issue here is that it's, you know, subject to hearsay exception. It's a statement against interest. Um, and that there are three elements for it to be, uh, considered a statement against interest. First, the declaring is unavailable. And Mr. Dukes, uh, through his attorney, has indicated that at least with respect to those types of substantive questions that he intends to plead the fifth amendment. So, um, under 804A, he is unavailable for purposes of hearsay rules. Um, the second element is that the statements, the statement subjects the declarant to criminal liability. So, I think saying that I killed Tara certainly, um, implicates criminal liability. Um, the third element is that the statement is corroborated by circumstances indicating its trustworthiness. All right. What about that one? There are two bases here. The first of which, Mr. Duke testified at the very, you know, when I first started asking questions, whether Bo Dukes took him to the orchard. And so, Mr. Dukes will testify shortly, um, in just a few minutes, that right after this, uh, Bo Dukes, in fact, took him to the orchard and showed him, uh, Tara Grinstead's body. And so, that is the first piece that corroborates the statement. He is, he is confirming the fact that what he said was true, uh, through his actions, through showing him the body of Tara Grinstead. That confirms, that corroborates the statement that he made that I killed Tara. Uh, second. And this comes from the, uh, 11th circuit case from 2009, US versus US infrastructure incorporated. That's 576 F third 1195. And that, uh, court, 11th circuit held that, uh, courts have found that in self and culpatory statements are sufficiently corroborated where the evidence presented at trial supports the veracity of the out of court statement, where the declarant makes the statement to someone with whom he shares a close relationship. And as we've established through Mr. Dukes, uh, testimony up to this point, he was in a close, friendly relationship with Bo Dukes. Bo Dukes was in fact living in his home. Um, and so for those two reasons, the fact that he thereafter showed the body and also had a close relationship. [00:38:29] Speaker 3: Of course, your evidence has been, not only from this witness, but others, that he's totally untrustworthy. I mean, that was one of the last statements he made. That's right. He says stuff all the time. That's right. Doesn't that cut against what you're saying? [00:38:43] Speaker 1: Well, no, your honor, because, excuse me, um, it does not because at the time that he makes this statement, um, he is, I mean, there's, there's, it's, it's sort of a, it's an excited statement. You know, he's, he's not thinking this through. He comes home. He sees Ryan. He sort of blurts this out. Um, he's clearly upset. He's distraught. Um, and so for that reason, it satisfies, um, the statement against interest exception. Now, I have other ones as well. Other exceptions. Let me, uh, let me hear from you. [00:39:13] Speaker 3: The state. Um, we got, uh, I'll give you the last. Go ahead. Yes. [00:39:19] Speaker 4: Specifically as it relates to that third element of a statement against interest. That isn't here. I think defense council's own argument last or yesterday was that a statement can't corroborate itself. That's exactly what they're trying to do. They're trying to use this defendant's statement who obviously there's bias to corroborate another portion of the statement. And so we, um, would argue that that. [00:39:39] Speaker 3: I ruled against that argument yesterday already. Listen, this has all got to be sorted out. I, I'm on, I'm on a ladder. Uh, and it needs to be, um, we'll see what happens when Mr. Dukes gets here, if he's called to testify. But I won't allow him to answer that last question. May. And describe the events that happened after that. Yes, Your Honor. And, and I will tell you, there will, there will be some other similar questions. I anticipate. So after this statement is made, they're in the bathroom together. They moved from the bathroom to the, uh, to the living area. If they all implicates himself in this death and disappearance, I'll admit. And it is. [00:40:03] Speaker 1: The statements are, you know, they're, um, I think they fall under that. They, they, they are, they are talking directly about this. Oh, okay. So, um, I think they're talking directly about this. Oh, okay. So, um, I think they're talking about this. Um, I think they're talking about this. Um, I think they're talking about this. Um, I think they're talking about this. Um, I think they're talking about this. Um, I think they're talking about this. Um, I think they're talking about this. [00:40:15] Speaker 3: Um, I think they're talking about this. Um, I think they're talking about this. Um, I think they're talking about this. In this death and disappearance, I'll admit. [00:40:22] Speaker 1: And it is. The statements are, you know, they're, um, I think they fall under that. They, they, they are, they are talking directly about this. [00:40:30] Speaker 4: Um, sorry. I wanted to clarify. Um, because John has already made some rulings related to the House and County stuff because of the fact that there's no statements from vote that have been brought in. [00:40:40] Speaker 3: That's, that's why motion and lemonese are, are, are, are tough. Uh, things, things change. That's right. So those will have to be revisited, of course, depending on whatever, whatever other evidence comes in the record, uh, at the time Mr. Dukes may be presented, uh, or the time for this cross-examination. Okay. [00:41:01] Speaker 4: So I guess what I wanted to clarify is if on cross-examination, I, um, ask questions of the defendant about these allegations he's now making for the first time, um, I don't want to be the one that's claimed now to open the door to the Houston County thing. They're the ones that are putting in both statements, not us. And so I just want to make sure I'm still going to be allowed to ask questions, um, without that door being opened, assuming I only ask about what comes out during direct. Sure. [00:41:29] Speaker 3: That, that's got to have some competent evidence to come in. That's stuff from Houston County that I have not heard. So don't you ask him about that. No, I'm not, I'm not asking you this question. [00:41:40] Speaker 4: No, I'm not going to ask about Houston County. Right. I just, again, the whole point is they're now introducing statements of both and then they're going to claim that because I cross-examined him that that's opened the door to Houston County stuff later. No, it doesn't open the door. [00:41:51] Speaker 3: All right. We'll be in recess about five or 10 minutes for bathroom break. You can step down, Mr. Duke. Thank y'all. Thank y'all. [00:42:28] Speaker ?: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. All right, ladies and gentlemen, we'll come to order and get ready. Start back. Thank y'all. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. [00:50:08] Speaker 3: All right, ladies and gentlemen, we'll come to order and get ready to start back. Thank you. Everybody's in here, right? 18, everybody's in. You can come on back and stand, Mr. Duke. [00:51:04] Speaker ?: Thanks. [00:51:08] Speaker 3: All right, go ahead and be seated. You got any water or anything? You all right? Okay. Ms. Hart, you need to wait on your co-counselor? [00:51:19] Speaker 4: We're good. It doesn't go for you. [00:51:20] Speaker 3: All right. Ask the jury to join. [00:51:29] Speaker ?: All right. [00:51:59] Speaker 3: All right. Please be seated. All right, we're getting back to it. Mr. Gibbs, you can circle back around to those previous questions since our bench comes. Thank you. Thank you, Your Honor. [00:52:14] Speaker 1: All right, I'm going to go back just a little bit. You testified earlier that the morning of Sunday, October 23rd, you woke up in the bathroom at your trailer. [00:52:26] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [00:52:27] Speaker 1: And you testified, Bo Dukes woke you up. [00:52:31] Speaker 3: I don't know about Jackson. I think he's just recalling the prior testimony, but just be mindful of that. Certainly. [00:52:39] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. He woke me up that morning. [00:52:41] Speaker 1: What did Bo Dukes say to you when he woke you up that morning? [00:52:44] Ryan Alexander Duke: He said he killed Tara. [00:52:55] Speaker 1: And what was your, I guess, what was your first reaction? [00:52:59] Ryan Alexander Duke: I didn't know who he was talking about or what he was talking about. I was waking up after being drunk, being sick. [00:53:09] Speaker 1: And what did you do after, or what did Bo Dukes do after he made the statement? [00:53:17] Ryan Alexander Duke: He left the bathroom and went to the living room or kitchen. [00:53:20] Speaker 1: I believe I left my notes up there. [00:53:32] Speaker ?: Do you have a hand? No, there is. [00:53:35] Speaker 1: Here we go. Here we go, Your Honor. We're good. [00:53:52] Speaker ?: Thank you, man. [00:53:54] Speaker 1: And so what was your initial reaction when you said, I killed Tara? [00:53:58] Ryan Alexander Duke: I didn't know who he was talking about or what he was talking about. And what did you say? What was your response? It was that, what, who, what, you know, just. Were you confused? Yes. [00:54:19] Speaker 1: And what did you say to him? [00:54:22] Ryan Alexander Duke: I asked him what he was talking about. I asked him who he was talking about. [00:54:29] Speaker 1: And what did, did Bo respond to that question? [00:54:31] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, he said he killed Tara Grinstead. [00:54:35] Speaker 1: And what happens next? He makes a statement, what happens next? [00:54:38] Ryan Alexander Duke: That's when he leaves the bathroom. Or he says he needs to talk. [00:54:45] Speaker 1: And where did he, where did he go from the living room? [00:54:49] Ryan Alexander Duke: From the living room? [00:54:50] Speaker 1: From the, from the bathroom. [00:54:52] Ryan Alexander Duke: He left the bathroom and went to the living room. And when I come out of the bathroom, he was smoking a cigarette. [00:55:00] Speaker 1: And were you alarmed at this point? [00:55:04] Ryan Alexander Duke: Oh, yes and no. I mean, it's, it's Bo, so it's hard to. [00:55:13] Speaker 1: Did he make off-color jokes like this? [00:55:16] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir, all the time. [00:55:20] Speaker 1: And did you get a cigarette, get a drink, anything like that? [00:55:22] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. I probably grabbed a soda and smoked a cigarette, you know. [00:55:29] Speaker 1: And what did you say to Bo once you got in the living room? [00:55:32] Ryan Alexander Duke: I asked him what, what's, what's he talking about, what's going on? [00:55:37] Speaker 1: How did Bo respond? [00:55:38] Ryan Alexander Duke: He made the statement that he killed Tara again. [00:55:45] Speaker 1: And at this point, what was your response? What did you, did you ask him any questions about it? [00:55:50] Ryan Alexander Duke: I told him I didn't believe him, you know. [00:55:57] Speaker 1: Did he do or say anything in response to that? [00:56:00] Ryan Alexander Duke: He got out a wallet that had the driver's license in it. [00:56:06] Speaker 1: Did he have, when he got the wallet, excuse me, you said he got the wallet out. [00:56:11] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was, there was a purse sitting on the table. [00:56:16] Speaker 1: And do you remember anything specifically about the purse or the wallet? [00:56:20] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir, I remember I could see the driver's license through the sleeve of the wallet. [00:56:26] Speaker 1: And whose driver's license did that appear to be? [00:56:29] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was Ms. Grinstead's. [00:56:35] Speaker 1: Did you know Ms. Grinstead from high school? [00:56:37] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [00:56:39] Speaker 1: Did you know she was a teacher? [00:56:41] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir, I had passed her in the hall. [00:56:44] Speaker 1: Did you ever have any classes with her? [00:56:46] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir, I did not. [00:56:52] Speaker 1: At this point, you see the driver's license of Ms. Grinstead and the wallet you're holding. Were you alarmed at this point? [00:57:01] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, I assumed he just stole the pocketbook or purse from somewhere. [00:57:08] Speaker 1: And did you say anything to him in response once you had the purse, saw the purse and had the wallet? [00:57:15] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yeah, I still didn't believe he had committed a murder. [00:57:19] Speaker 1: Did you tell him that? [00:57:20] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir, I did. [00:57:26] Speaker 1: At this point, what does Bo Dukes do? [00:57:28] Ryan Alexander Duke: He gets up and goes to his bedroom. [00:57:32] Speaker 1: Did he say anything else or just get up and go out? [00:57:34] Ryan Alexander Duke: He just gets up and walks out. [00:57:39] Speaker 1: And what did you do next? What was your action or words in response? [00:57:45] Ryan Alexander Duke: I was just kind of didn't know what to do. You know, I was just kind of stuck there for a few minutes. [00:57:55] Speaker 1: Did you ultimately decide to take some kind of action? [00:57:57] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did. I was going to return her purse. I'd say I assumed he had just stole it. [00:58:05] Speaker 1: And when you say return her purse, how did you intend to return her purse? Or did you have a plan? [00:58:12] Ryan Alexander Duke: I didn't have a plan. I didn't know where Mr. Winstead lived. I don't know exactly my train of thought. I was just going to return the wallet, you know, and pocketbook. [00:58:25] Speaker 1: Did you decide that you would drive somewhere, that you would take the purse somewhere? [00:58:32] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. I was going to try to return her purse. So I went to the bedroom and asked Bo if I could borrow the keys. He didn't answer me. So I just grabbed his keys and got in the truck. [00:58:44] Speaker 1: Where were the keys at when you got them? [00:58:47] Ryan Alexander Duke: They were laying on the floor. [00:58:52] Speaker 1: And was it common for you to use his truck around this time period? [00:58:55] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was. I'd always ask him. You know, he didn't care. Usually I'd ask for a ride, but he wouldn't, you know, want to get up or help me or, you know. [00:59:06] Speaker 1: Did you, when you got the keys from Bo, did you tell him where you were planning to go? [00:59:10] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did not. [00:59:12] Speaker 1: What was Bo doing? When you went in the bedroom and you got the keys, what was Bo doing? [00:59:18] Ryan Alexander Duke: He was laying down facing the wall. I assumed he was asleep, but I don't think he was. [00:59:24] Speaker 1: Was he, was this a, was he laying on a bed in there? [00:59:27] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [00:59:33] Speaker 1: And did you, at this point, did you know where Terry Grinks had lived? [00:59:37] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did not. [00:59:39] Speaker 1: So, you get Bo's keys to the truck. What do you do next? [00:59:42] Ryan Alexander Duke: I drive to, towards Osceola. [00:59:46] Speaker 1: And this, the trailer you lived in, it was on, it was across the road from the hospital? [00:59:51] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. It had been Votec Road. [00:59:53] Speaker 1: So, you took Votec Road from Fitzgerald to Osceola? [00:59:56] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. I did. [00:59:57] Speaker 1: And about what time of day was this when you drove from Fitzgerald to Osceola? [01:00:01] Ryan Alexander Duke: It had been about 9 o'clock in the morning. [01:00:06] Speaker 1: And, so where were you driving? You didn't know where Ms. Grinks had lived, so where were you driving? [01:00:11] Ryan Alexander Duke: I knew it was in the area. I had been to Mr. Boykin's house. I knew it was around the corner or down the street, something like that. [01:00:21] Speaker 1: And Mr. Boykin, who was that? [01:00:22] Ryan Alexander Duke: He was a teacher at the school. He had a daughter. I was around my age, too. Maybe a little bit younger. [01:00:30] Speaker 1: And you'd been over to their house previously? [01:00:32] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:00:37] Speaker 1: And you recalled the general vicinity where they lived? [01:00:39] Ryan Alexander Duke: I thought so at the time. [01:00:43] Speaker 1: So, you're driving from Fitzgerald to Osceola. What do you, where do you, I guess when you come to Votec Road, where do you go next? [01:00:53] Ryan Alexander Duke: I go all the way to the stop sign and take a lift. [01:00:57] Speaker 1: Is that on 319? [01:00:58] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. On 319 to go up to the red light. [01:01:02] Speaker 1: And you come to the red light at the intersection of 319 and Highway 129 and Irwin Avenue? [01:01:07] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:01:07] Speaker 4: I'm just going to ask, I'm going to finish the leading and ask to not leave the defendant in this place. [01:01:12] Speaker 3: Please, let me imagine. Thank you. [01:01:16] Speaker 1: Where did you, you said you turned left off of Votec Road? [01:01:20] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. I turned left on 319 to go towards the red light. At the red light, I hung a right of my pegs. [01:01:30] Speaker 1: And what did you do after that? [01:01:33] Ryan Alexander Duke: That's when I saw the store. I thought I could just make a phone call, you know. [01:01:40] Speaker 1: And, excuse me, what was the name of that store, if you recall? [01:01:47] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was the Swanee Sweetie, I think at the time. Or Sweetie Mart or something like that. [01:01:54] Speaker 1: And you saw the store, you stopped at the store. And what was the purpose of that? [01:02:00] Ryan Alexander Duke: To call, try to call, get in contact with Ms. Grinstead to make sure she was alright or return her purse. [01:02:09] Speaker 1: Did you know Ms. Grinstead's phone number? [01:02:12] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did not. [01:02:13] Speaker 1: Had you ever spoken to her by phone at any point in your life? [01:02:17] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir, I did not. [01:02:21] Speaker 1: You stopped at the Swanee Swifty store, and did you use the pay phone? [01:02:26] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir, I did. [01:02:28] Speaker 1: And, excuse me, about what time was it when you used the pay phone? [01:02:33] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was around 9.30. [01:02:36] Speaker 1: And did you try to call Ms. Grinstead? [01:02:39] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir, I didn't have the number. I called 411 to get the phone number. [01:02:45] Speaker 1: When you called 411, did you place a separate call, or were you connected automatically to her house? [01:02:51] Ryan Alexander Duke: It started ringing, so it connected. [01:02:55] Speaker 1: Did anybody answer? [01:02:56] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. [01:02:57] Speaker 1: Did you get the answering machine? [01:02:59] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir, it said the call was not answered or disconnected. [01:03:04] Speaker 1: At this point, how are you feeling? You've called her house, no answer, how are you feeling? [01:03:09] Ryan Alexander Duke: I was, still wasn't, you know, I didn't think what happened had happened. You know, I was still kind of. [01:03:19] Speaker 1: At this point, did you believe that Bo had killed Tara Grinstead? [01:03:22] Ryan Alexander Duke: No. [01:03:25] Speaker 1: What did you do next after you made the phone call? [01:03:27] Ryan Alexander Duke: I thought I knew the area around where Ms. Grinstead lived, so I rode around a couple blocks. And I knew her car. I think most people would have recognized the little white sports car. And like I said, I rode by a couple houses or a couple blocks and didn't see the car. And that's when I went back to Fitzgerald. [01:03:53] Speaker 1: How long did you drive around the area where you thought her house might be? [01:03:57] Ryan Alexander Duke: Maybe five minutes. It's not a big area. [01:04:01] Speaker 1: And after you drive around and you don't see her car, what do you do next? [01:04:07] Ryan Alexander Duke: I go back to Fitzgerald. [01:04:09] Speaker 1: And where do you go in Fitzgerald? [01:04:11] Ryan Alexander Duke: I go back home. [01:04:12] Speaker 1: Go back to the trailer of Boston Hospital? [01:04:15] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:04:16] Speaker 1: When you got back to your house, was Bo at home? [01:04:20] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. He was still in his room. [01:04:23] Speaker 1: Did you go into the bedroom and look at him and talk to him? [01:04:27] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. I went there and I grabbed his leg, shook him. He wasn't asleep. I asked him what he was talking about, telling me what's going on. And he told me he'd show me. [01:04:43] Speaker 1: He says he'll show you. What does he do next? [01:04:48] Ryan Alexander Duke: That's when he gets dressed, comes out, tells me to come on and get in the truck. [01:04:55] Speaker 1: While you're in the trailer, before you go and get in the truck, is there any other conversation between the two of you? [01:05:01] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir, not, which was odd. [01:05:05] Speaker 1: Did Bo talk a lot? [01:05:07] Ryan Alexander Duke: He did, but not that day. [01:05:10] Speaker 1: How was, at this point, you've come back to the trailer, he's up, you're about to get in the truck. What's his demeanor like at this point? [01:05:18] Ryan Alexander Duke: He's still, you can tell something's wrong. You still don't know what, but something's off. [01:05:30] Speaker 1: Did you get in the truck with Bo? [01:05:32] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did. [01:05:33] Speaker 1: And who was driving the truck? [01:05:35] Ryan Alexander Duke: Bo was driving. [01:05:38] Speaker 1: And the two of you, did you leave the trailer and go for a ride? [01:05:41] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:05:42] Speaker 1: Where did you go? [01:05:43] Ryan Alexander Duke: He started driving towards Rochelle, Abbeville, towards the orchard. [01:05:51] Speaker 1: And that's outside of Fitzgerald? [01:05:54] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:06:00] Speaker 1: Driving. Are you smoking cigarettes, anything like that on the drive? [01:06:03] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. Usually you've got the radio on, the window's down, so both of us are smoking. [01:06:13] Speaker 1: During this drive, the time you're in the truck driving from the trailer to the orchard, is there any conversation between you and Bo? [01:06:19] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir, he didn't say anything. [01:06:21] Speaker 1: Did you ask him any questions? [01:06:23] Ryan Alexander Duke: I don't think I did, but I don't recall 100%. [01:06:27] Speaker 1: What are your emotions during this drive, while you're en route to the orchard? [01:06:35] Ryan Alexander Duke: I'm getting more and more worried. I can tell something's wrong, but I still think Bo's screwing with me. You know, he did that a lot. [01:06:47] Speaker 1: Where did Bo ultimately take you on this drive? Where did you end the drive? [01:06:51] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was, he turned into the orchard, the Hudson Farms. [01:06:59] Speaker 1: And is this the orchard? You mentioned earlier, back in 2004, you had attended a party at an orchard. Was this the same orchard? [01:07:06] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:07:06] Speaker 1: And so you recognized it when you, did you recognize it when you pulled up? [01:07:10] Ryan Alexander Duke: I knew it was that area. I couldn't have, back then I couldn't have pointed it out. I mean, if. [01:07:19] Speaker 1: What does it look like when you're, when you're pulling into the orchard? What, what does it look like? What do you see? [01:07:25] Ryan Alexander Duke: This is kind of a little wooded beaten path. It just, it just looks like a, you know, a trail back in the woods. [01:07:33] Speaker 1: So there's not like a, like a, a paved road or like even like a formal dirt road? [01:07:38] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. There was, you know, unless you knew where that road was at, you'd have missed it. [01:07:43] Speaker 1: Are there any, um, was there a gate or anything like that that had to open to get into the orchard? [01:07:49] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir, not that I remember. [01:07:53] Speaker 1: At this point in your life, do you know how many times you'd been to the orchard previously? [01:07:58] Ryan Alexander Duke: Two or three. [01:08:00] Speaker 1: And were all those occasions for parties that Bo had hosted? [01:08:04] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:08:08] Speaker 1: What's the weather like this day? When you, when you get to the orchard, what's the weather like? What's it like outside? [01:08:15] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was, it was a nice fall day. You know, it was a lot like today, just cooler. [01:08:21] Speaker 1: Was it, was it sunny outside? [01:08:24] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:08:29] Speaker 1: You pull off the road onto the path of the orchard. What happens next? [01:08:35] Ryan Alexander Duke: Uh, we drive down the trail, uh, goes all the way to the end of the trail, to the back of the orchard. And it kind of corners, you know, you have to turn left. Uh, and he drove down a little further, and there was a clearing off the passenger side, and he stopped. [01:08:58] Speaker 1: When Bo stops the truck, does he say anything to you? [01:09:02] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, he said, she's over there. [01:09:05] Speaker 1: Does he motion or gesture anywhere? [01:09:08] Ryan Alexander Duke: I don't think so. He just, he said that as he, as he was getting out of the truck. [01:09:18] Speaker 1: And so he got out of the truck? [01:09:20] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:09:21] Speaker 1: And did you follow him? Did you get out of the truck as well? [01:09:23] Ryan Alexander Duke: I got out. Uh, I wasn't, didn't sure he made a, kind of like a beeline to where he was going, and off the, into the clearing. [01:09:34] Speaker 1: Was he, was he, did he seem hesitant? [01:09:37] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. [01:09:40] Speaker 1: At this point, how are you feeling at this point? When you're at the orchard, he's asked you to get out of the truck, says she's over there. What are you, what are you feeling? [01:09:46] Ryan Alexander Duke: I still think he's screwing with me. You know, I think this is a joke. [01:09:52] Speaker 1: And, but he was out of the truck, where specifically, where does he walk? [01:09:56] Ryan Alexander Duke: He walks around the front of the truck, into the clearing. And I take a couple steps towards him, and that's when I can, I see part of her. [01:10:08] Speaker 1: And when you say there's a clearing, are you in the, are you around, are pecan trees around you? [01:10:13] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir, it's in the woods. I mean a clearing in the woods. It was not in the orchard. [01:10:19] Speaker 1: How far, you said you saw something, where Bo went? [01:10:24] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:10:25] Speaker 1: How far away did, did Bo walk away from the truck when you stopped? [01:10:29] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was maybe 20 feet, 25. [01:10:35] Speaker 1: And what specifically, as you're walking towards where Bo is, what specifically do you see? [01:10:43] Ryan Alexander Duke: I just remember seeing a spot of white, that was, it's kind of covered up. [01:10:51] Speaker 1: You say covered up, covered up with what? [01:10:53] Ryan Alexander Duke: Leaves and limbs and other, I mean just, you know, covered up. [01:11:00] Speaker 1: Debris from the trees? [01:11:01] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:11:03] Speaker 1: Pine straw, things like that? [01:11:04] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:11:04] Speaker 3: Is there any action I'm leaving? That's the same object. [01:11:09] Speaker 1: You walk towards this spot. Can you tell if it's a person at some point? [01:11:16] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. Not, not then. Like I said, I've just seen something that didn't belong there. [01:11:25] Speaker 1: When you get, when you get close, when you get closer, are you able to tell whether it's a person? [01:11:30] Ryan Alexander Duke: You, you could tell it was, yeah. [01:11:35] Speaker 1: Was, could you tell if it was a man or a woman? [01:11:38] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir, not then. [01:11:40] Speaker 1: Was the person laying on their back or their stomach? [01:11:43] Ryan Alexander Duke: They were laying face down. [01:11:47] Speaker 1: You approached, I guess, do you come to stand near Bo in that area? [01:11:51] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir, I stopped. Did you, I stopped at the clearing. I said, as soon as I stopped or I saw something, I froze where I was. [01:12:07] Speaker 1: How far away were you standing? [01:12:10] Ryan Alexander Duke: 10, 12 feet. [01:12:13] Speaker 1: Does Bo do anything once you've approached within 10 feet or so? [01:12:18] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. He reaches down. He, he grabs her arm and just flips her over. [01:12:31] Speaker 1: Was it a, was it a violent motion that he made? [01:12:34] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:12:36] Speaker 1: How was the, how was the, how did he move her? How did he turn her? [01:12:40] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was, like I say, he just reached down like you would open a cellar door and just, or crank a lawnmower, I guess. [01:12:52] Speaker 1: Does he look at you? [01:12:54] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. He looks at me and says, I told you. [01:13:00] Speaker 1: Can you see if the person is wearing clothes? [01:13:04] Ryan Alexander Duke: They were wearing clothes. She was wearing clothes. [01:13:07] Speaker 1: At this point, can you tell if it's a man or a woman? [01:13:10] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:13:13] Speaker 1: Could you see her face at this point? [01:13:15] Ryan Alexander Duke: Somewhat, yes, sir. [01:13:17] Speaker 1: Did you, were you able to identify who this was at that time? [01:13:21] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. If he wouldn't have told me, I wouldn't have known who it was. [01:13:27] Speaker 1: And, you said that she's wearing clothes. Can you identify what the clothing was on the body? [01:13:34] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was, it was a t-shirt. Some type of jogging pants, maybe. [01:13:43] Speaker 1: Do you remember if she was wearing any kind of shoes, do you recall? [01:13:47] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir, not that I remember. I thought she was, though. [01:13:52] Speaker 1: At this point, Bo said, I told you. Does Bo say or do anything else at this point? [01:13:59] Ryan Alexander Duke: He starts walking back to the truck. Tells me we got something to do. I was froze. I remember him telling me several times to come on. [01:14:18] Speaker 1: Did you eventually follow him? [01:14:20] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:14:21] Speaker 1: Where did y'all go? [01:14:22] Ryan Alexander Duke: We got back in the truck. He turned around, started to go back towards the entrance to the orchard. [01:14:34] Speaker 1: And, excuse me, where do you go? Do you leave the orchard or what do you do? [01:14:40] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir, there was a type of barn area. He goes over there, parks, gets out of the truck, starts putting, or breaks open the door and starts putting wood in the back of the truck. [01:15:01] Speaker 1: And you said he broke open the door, and you said he broke open the door, do you recall, was the door to the barn locked? [01:15:06] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:15:09] Speaker 1: And what's in the barn? [01:15:11] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was wood. [01:15:14] Speaker 1: And what does, what does, what does, what does Bo do next? [01:15:18] Ryan Alexander Duke: He starts putting wood in the back of the truck. [01:15:22] Speaker 1: Did you help him load the wood? [01:15:24] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:15:27] Speaker 1: How much wood did you load into the truck? [01:15:29] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was, uh, it was filled the back of the truck up. [01:15:38] Speaker 1: And this was a full-size pickup truck? [01:15:40] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:15:45] Speaker 1: What were you feeling, what were you thinking at this point? [01:15:48] Ryan Alexander Duke: I was just in shock. You know, I don't, it's like I was separated from myself. [01:15:58] Speaker 1: So you, you and Bo, you load the wood into the truck, what happens next? [01:16:04] Ryan Alexander Duke: He turns around again, goes back to the, to where Ms. Grenstead was. [01:16:11] Speaker 1: And you, the two of you drove over there in the truck? [01:16:14] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:16:15] Speaker 1: Once you arrive back at where the body is, what happens next? [01:16:28] Ryan Alexander Duke: He gets out of the truck. He tells me to come on, because, you know, I'm, I'm just, I'm, I don't know. I said it was like I was watching myself. I was, was there, but I wasn't. He, he tells me to come on, get out of the truck. And, uh, that's where he goes back to where she's at. Ms. Grenstead says that. [01:16:55] Speaker 1: So you get out of the truck, you're following over there? [01:16:57] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:17:01] Speaker 1: And, how was Bo's demeanor at this point when you're back at the body? [01:17:07] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yeah. He, he's almost excited. You know, he's cheerful. You know, it's, I don't know the right word. [01:17:26] Speaker 1: You walk back over to the body, does Bo do anything for the body? [01:17:33] Ryan Alexander Duke: He, he tells me to help him pick her up. [01:17:38] Speaker 1: Did he touch the body or anything before? [01:17:40] Ryan Alexander Duke: He did. [01:17:42] Speaker 1: What did he do? [01:17:44] Ryan Alexander Duke: He, He pushes up her shirt. Starts following her. [01:17:56] Speaker 1: Did he look at you when he did that? [01:17:59] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was like I wasn't there. You know, I, I remember telling him to stop. And I remember how he looked at me. You know, it was like I'd never seen him before. [01:18:13] Speaker 1: How did he look? [01:18:19] Ryan Alexander Duke: I can't describe it. I, I don't have the words to describe it. [01:18:25] Speaker 1: Did you say anything? [01:18:30] Ryan Alexander Duke: Other than to tell him to stop touching her. [01:18:33] Speaker 1: Did he stop? [01:18:36] Ryan Alexander Duke: I think so. [01:18:38] Speaker 1: Did he, did he cover her back up? Did he pull her shirt back down? [01:18:41] Ryan Alexander Duke: No. [01:18:44] Speaker 1: What happened next? [01:18:46] Ryan Alexander Duke: He tells me to come home. We got to move her. [01:18:51] Speaker 1: And what do you do? What the, what do the two of you do? [01:18:54] Ryan Alexander Duke: I, I grab her by, by her feet. And help pick her up. [01:19:01] Speaker 1: Did Bo help pick her up as well? [01:19:03] Ryan Alexander Duke: He did. [01:19:06] Speaker 1: Did he pick her up by the arms? [01:19:08] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:19:12] Speaker 3: I sustained that objection, Mr. Gibson. [01:19:14] Speaker 1: What happened next? [01:19:16] Ryan Alexander Duke: Picked her up and placed her on the, the tailgate of the truck was down. Placed her on the back of the truck. [01:19:34] Speaker 1: How does she, how does she look when you came over to her? [01:19:40] Ryan Alexander Duke: She was beat up. She had bruises on her arms and legs. I said it. I wouldn't have recognized her. [01:20:02] Speaker 1: At the time you helped and pick her up. Could you, could you identify who she was at that point? [01:20:08] Ryan Alexander Duke: No. [01:20:14] Speaker 1: How was her hair? [01:20:16] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was, [01:20:16] Speaker ?: it was, [01:20:16] Ryan Alexander Duke: it was over her face. [01:20:25] Speaker 1: So you and Bo put her on the tailgate of the truck and what, what happened next? [01:20:29] Ryan Alexander Duke: He tells me to get back in the truck. [01:20:35] Speaker 1: Did you get back in the truck? [01:20:37] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:20:42] Speaker 1: And then what, what do the two of you do next? [01:20:46] Ryan Alexander Duke: He, he drives, he drives further down into the old shoe. [01:20:59] Speaker 1: do you drive, I guess what direction in the orchard? Are you, are you driving in the pecan portion of the, the pine tree area? [01:21:14] Ryan Alexander Duke: It's kind of in the middle. You know, it's in between the pecan trees and the woods. [01:21:25] Speaker 1: And where do you ultimately drive to? Do you, do you come to a stop at some point? [01:21:30] Ryan Alexander Duke: It's basically the, the orchard ends. And it kind of, you know, does another U-turn and backs up into a clearing. [01:21:41] Speaker 1: And is the clearing in the, uh, area with pine trees or with pecan trees? [01:21:47] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was in the pine thicket. [01:21:52] Speaker 1: Had you ever been to that particular location before? [01:21:55] Ryan Alexander Duke: Nurse. [01:21:59] Speaker 1: So Bo pulls in, does a U-turn, you said, um, what happens then? [01:22:04] Ryan Alexander Duke: It's when Bo starts to unload the wood. [01:22:09] Speaker 1: Did Bo say anything to you? [01:22:11] Ryan Alexander Duke: He told me to get out, help him. [01:22:15] Speaker 1: Did you get out of the truck? [01:22:16] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did. [01:22:19] Speaker 1: Did you, did you, did you help him unload the wood? [01:22:22] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did. [01:22:24] Speaker 1: What'd y'all do with the wood? [01:22:26] Ryan Alexander Duke: Just started to kind of stack it, lay it out. [01:22:32] Speaker 1: Was it near the truck? [01:22:34] Ryan Alexander Duke: Wasn't far. [01:22:38] Speaker 1: You unload the truck, get the wood out. What happens next? What do you do? [01:22:44] Ryan Alexander Duke: Just want to figure out what he, you know, he's thinking of burning. [01:22:51] Speaker 1: What happens next? What's your, what's your reaction at this point? [01:22:54] Ryan Alexander Duke: I vomit. I'm dry even, I'm crying. [01:23:02] Speaker 1: Does Bo say anything? [01:23:04] Ryan Alexander Duke: He starts laughing at me. [01:23:10] Speaker 1: Did you say anything to Bo? [01:23:13] Ryan Alexander Duke: I don't think I could say anything at that point. [01:23:18] Speaker 1: Once the wood's stacked up, what do y'all do next? [01:23:23] Ryan Alexander Duke: Bo tells me to help him put her on the wood. [01:23:28] Speaker 1: Did you help him move the body? I did. And once you placed the body on the wood, what happened next? [01:23:46] Ryan Alexander Duke: Back out, almost out of the clearing. Kind of. [01:23:52] Speaker 1: You back out like you mean you walked back out? [01:23:55] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yeah. I told Bo, I can't be here. You've got to take me home. [01:24:04] Speaker 1: What happened next? [01:24:05] Ryan Alexander Duke: He just started putting wood on top. [01:24:10] Speaker 1: And then what happened? [01:24:15] Ryan Alexander Duke: He lit her on fire. [01:24:22] Speaker 1: What was his expression, his demeanor that happened? [01:24:27] Ryan Alexander Duke: It's like he wasn't there. [01:24:37] Speaker 1: At some point, did you get back in the truck or what happens? [01:24:40] Ryan Alexander Duke: I think I'd get in the truck. I'm not sure exactly when Bo gets in the truck, too. [01:24:53] Speaker 1: How much time passed between the time that Bo started the fire? [01:24:57] Ryan Alexander Duke: Maybe a minute, two minutes. [01:25:04] Speaker 1: Bo eventually, does Bo eventually get back in the truck? [01:25:07] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:25:10] Speaker 1: And what happened after that? [01:25:12] Ryan Alexander Duke: We leave the orchard. [01:25:16] Speaker 1: When the two of you get in the truck and leave the orchard, was the fire still burning when you left? [01:25:22] Ryan Alexander Duke: I didn't look back. I think so. [01:25:27] Speaker 1: Was this time when you helped move the body onto the pile of wood, was that the last time that you saw Mr. Greenstead's body? [01:25:34] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was. [01:25:38] Speaker 1: At any point, either when you arrived at the orchard or when you were leaving the orchard, did you see Mr. Greenstead's car anywhere? [01:25:45] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did not. [01:25:50] Speaker 1: Where do the two of you drive after you leave the orchard? [01:25:54] Ryan Alexander Duke: He takes me back to the trailer. [01:25:58] Speaker 1: On the way home from the orchard, does Bo say anything to you? [01:26:03] Ryan Alexander Duke: He tells me you can't say anything. You can't talk about this. [01:26:12] Speaker 1: At any point, did Bo tell you what happened to Mr. Greenstead? [01:26:15] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. [01:26:18] Speaker 1: Did you ask Bo what happened to Mr. Greenstead? [01:26:21] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. [01:26:26] Speaker 1: Why didn't you ask Bo what happened? [01:26:29] Ryan Alexander Duke: I don't think I had to. [01:26:35] Speaker 1: When you get to the trailer, what do the two of you do? [01:26:40] Ryan Alexander Duke: I get out of the truck. Before I'm really even out of the way of the door, he starts backing out. [01:26:54] Speaker 1: Did Bo leave? [01:26:56] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. He was spinning wheels. [01:27:00] Speaker 1: When was the next time that you saw Bo? [01:27:03] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was over a week later. [01:27:08] Speaker 1: When you saw him about a week later, where did you see him at? [01:27:12] Ryan Alexander Duke: He came and knocked on the door to the trailer. [01:27:19] Speaker 1: Between the time that Bo dropped you off at the trailer and that week spans where you saw him again, did you tell anybody what happened? [01:27:28] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir, I didn't. [01:27:30] Speaker 1: Why didn't you tell anybody what happened? [01:27:32] Ryan Alexander Duke: I didn't think anybody would have believed me. [01:27:39] Speaker 1: When you and Bo were at the orchard, did either of you wear gloves? [01:27:45] Ryan Alexander Duke: Not that I remember. [01:27:50] Speaker 1: At this point, did you have latex gloves in your house? [01:27:56] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. My brother kept some for changing out the cat litter, taking the trash out. [01:28:05] Speaker 1: Did you also use Bo Duke's truck to take off household trash from time to time? [01:28:10] Speaker 4: No, again, I'm going to object to leave. This is an offender in a criminal case, and he's continuing to leave. I would just ask that he not late. [01:28:17] Speaker 3: How did you – Okay, that's enough. Thank you. [01:28:20] Speaker 1: Sorry, Your Honor. Did you have – How did you take out your trash at your house? [01:28:40] Ryan Alexander Duke: We usually put it in the back of Bo's truck. There wasn't a trash service, so we'd put it in the truck and take it to the dump. [01:28:58] Speaker 1: You mentioned that about a week later, Bo came over to your house and he knocked on the door. What happened next? [01:29:06] Ryan Alexander Duke: He had knocked on the door and stepped back, I guess, so I'd come outside and talk to him. [01:29:14] Speaker 1: And what did he say? [01:29:16] Ryan Alexander Duke: He asked if I was all right, if I had said anything. [01:29:23] Speaker 1: And what was your response? [01:29:25] Ryan Alexander Duke: He said, no, I'm not okay. [01:29:31] Speaker 1: Did you invite Bo to move back in or stay at your trailer? [01:29:36] Ryan Alexander Duke: I didn't. He asked to stay. He said he didn't have anywhere else to go. [01:29:42] Speaker 1: Did you want him to stay at the trailer? [01:29:43] Ryan Alexander Duke: I didn't. [01:29:46] Speaker 1: But you didn't tell him no, that he couldn't stay? Judge. Did you tell him no? [01:29:51] Ryan Alexander Duke: I didn't. I let him stay anyway. [01:29:59] Speaker 1: At this point, did you still have a job? [01:30:01] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:30:07] Speaker 1: Did you ever discuss Mr. Greenstead at any point after this? [01:30:13] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. Oh, yes, sir. He'd bring it up. [01:30:22] Speaker 1: Bo would bring it up? [01:30:24] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. He'd remind me you can't say anything. You can't talk about this. Nobody would believe you anyway. [01:30:33] Speaker 1: Were you afraid of Bo? [01:30:35] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:30:38] Speaker 4: Were you afraid of Bo? It's suggesting the answer. [01:30:42] Speaker 3: Overruled that. [01:30:44] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:30:45] Speaker ?: Why? [01:30:47] Ryan Alexander Duke: I don't know what Bo's capable of doing. [01:30:52] Speaker 1: Was there anything that he did other than things we've talked about previously that made you afraid? [01:31:01] Ryan Alexander Duke: He just didn't know what he would do. I mean, as I said, he had killed somebody and there's no reason enough to be scared of somebody. [01:31:15] Speaker 1: Did you ever go to any, did you ever go out to the orchard again? [01:31:19] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes. [01:31:21] Speaker 1: When did you go out to the orchard again? [01:31:23] Ryan Alexander Duke: I had asked Bo to take me to get some groceries, and he started going that way towards the orchard. [01:31:34] Speaker 1: Did he go all the way out there? [01:31:36] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir, he did. [01:31:38] Speaker 1: Tell me about that trip. What happened? [01:31:41] Ryan Alexander Duke: He went out there, took me out there to where he had initially burned his grandsteads and showed me the ashes. [01:31:54] Speaker 1: What did the spot look like? [01:31:56] Ryan Alexander Duke: Just like a small campfire. [01:32:07] Speaker 1: Other than this trip you just described, did you ever go to the orchard again? [01:32:11] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. One more time. [01:32:13] Speaker 1: When was that? [01:32:15] Ryan Alexander Duke: Bo had a party. It was in, I guess, November. [01:32:22] Speaker 1: Was that of 2005? [01:32:24] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:32:29] Speaker 1: Why did you go to the party? [01:32:32] Ryan Alexander Duke: I didn't want to go. Bo convinced me that him having a party and me not being there would be weird. It would be out of the ordinary. [01:32:47] Speaker 1: Do you remember any other people that were at the party? [01:32:51] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. There were several people there. I remember Garland Lott being there. [01:32:58] Speaker 1: Did you talk to Garland Lott at the party? [01:33:00] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did. I hadn't seen Garland in a while. We were friends, you know. [01:33:06] Speaker 1: Did you say anything to him about Ms. Grinstead or anything that happened at the orchard? [01:33:10] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. We were talking and just kind of catching up. And I don't know how it come up about Ms. Grinstead. You know, she was missing. It was about the time Bo walked up. And I put his arm around me and said we killed her and we burned her. [01:33:42] Speaker 1: Was that while you were talking to Garland? [01:33:43] Speaker 3: Is that while you were talking to Garland? Yes. [01:33:52] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:33:53] Speaker 1: Do you recall if there were any other conversations after this with Bo about the disappearance of Ms. Grinstead? [01:34:10] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. Bo would tell me, you can't talk about it. You can't bring it up. But he was constantly doing that. [01:34:22] Speaker 1: Do you know if he followed the case like in the news? [01:34:25] Ryan Alexander Duke: He did. He would be on the website or, you know, constantly if I went to work and come back and any update, you know, he kept an eye on it. [01:34:41] Speaker 1: You said the website. Do you know what website? [01:34:43] Ryan Alexander Duke: Like it was Bonterra. [01:34:48] Speaker 1: Did Bo have Ms. Grinstead as a teacher? [01:34:51] Ryan Alexander Duke: He did. [01:34:52] Speaker 1: Did he ever make any comments about Ms. Grinstead specifically? [01:34:59] Ryan Alexander Duke: He did. He made suggestive comments about her. [01:35:04] Speaker 1: When would that have been? [01:35:06] Ryan Alexander Duke: That was back in high school. [01:35:15] Speaker 1: So this time period of October 22nd, 23rd, 2005, you were living with your brother. Did you continue to live with your brother after that? [01:35:24] Ryan Alexander Duke: For a little while. It wasn't long we had to move because of the problems we had out there. I was getting complaints. [01:35:37] Speaker 1: And when you moved out of the trailer, where did you move to? [01:35:42] Ryan Alexander Duke: A white house across from Taylor's in Pitchstirl. I don't know the street. [01:35:48] Speaker 1: When approximately was that that you moved into that house? [01:35:52] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was that year. Maybe December, January. [01:35:58] Speaker 1: When you were living in this house, did you have a roommate? Did anybody live with you? [01:36:03] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was Bo. Was it just the two of you? Yes, sir. [01:36:08] Speaker 1: Did Bo pay any rent for utilities? [01:36:11] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. Bo never contributed. [01:36:15] Speaker 1: Did he clean the house? [01:36:17] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. [01:36:19] Speaker 1: Did you continue to pay for everything? [01:36:22] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:36:24] Speaker 1: Did you still work at NDI at this point? [01:36:26] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir, I did. [01:36:30] Speaker 1: What were your feelings about this arrangement? [01:36:33] Ryan Alexander Duke: I wasn't sure how to untangle myself from Bo. [01:36:47] Speaker 1: Why didn't you go to the police at this point? [01:36:50] Ryan Alexander Duke: I'd say I was afraid of Bo. Afraid of what he might do. I mean, I didn't think I'd be believed. [01:37:02] Speaker 1: At this point, were you spending time with any friends or family? [01:37:07] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. [01:37:07] Speaker 1: Did you, did the two of you ever have friends over to that house? [01:37:29] Ryan Alexander Duke: Rarely. There was one occasion where a couple of guys came over. [01:37:36] Speaker 1: Who was that? Who was that? [01:37:38] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was Zane Deal, Cliff Benson, and not sure who the third person was. [01:37:46] Speaker 1: Is there anything that stands out from that visit? [01:37:48] Ryan Alexander Duke: I just remember it being strange. You know, there being a kind of weird tension in the room. [01:37:57] Speaker 1: Did you ever find out what the tension was? [01:38:01] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yeah, I asked Bo what was there, what was, that was weird. What was that about? [01:38:06] Speaker ?: No, I'm going to judge at this point. It doesn't sound like we're talking about any statements against interest. He's talking about a weirdness between three friends. [01:38:15] Speaker 1: This goes to the present sentence impression, Your Honor, and the effect of the statement that Bo will make on the listener, Mr. Duke. [01:38:23] Speaker 3: Can you get the last sentence? [01:38:27] Speaker 4: This has been sufficient foundation for us, and when Bo made a statement to him to show the presence of the impression of the judge. [01:38:35] Speaker 3: If you're oriented on that time period, then we'll take it from the bank. [01:38:42] Speaker 1: Did you discuss the visit of these friends at your house with Bo? [01:38:48] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir, I did. It had been that next year sometime, between January and the summer. I know we, or I moved out of the house, that's June, maybe, May. [01:39:04] Speaker 1: And that's when the friends visited, is that what you're saying? [01:39:07] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir, it was prior to that. [01:39:09] Speaker 1: And you testified there was tension that you asked Bo about? [01:39:14] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir, it was. I remember they all three sat in a love seat together. You know, it was just strange when there was a couch, you know, and I was in a recliner, and there was a couch, and none of them, you know, they all sat together. [01:39:32] Speaker 1: And did you talk to Bo about this visit at some point? [01:39:35] Ryan Alexander Duke: I asked him, that was weird, what was that about? [01:39:39] Speaker 1: When was that conversation? [01:39:40] Ryan Alexander Duke: Right after they had left. [01:39:42] Speaker 1: And what did Bo tell them? [01:39:44] Speaker 4: I'm going to interject again. Present sense impression relates to someone who is, at the time, observing something and the impact it has on them as they're observing an event. That is not what's going on here. This is him asking Bo about an event he observed, and Bo explaining that to him, allegedly. That is not what present sense impression is. [01:40:05] Speaker 1: You might have to worry. Yes, Your Honor. So, first of all, it goes to what the, I guess, the nature of this conversation was. It goes to the impact it had on Mr. Duke as a listener. It's also, excuse me, it's also non-hearsay as the question, the reason it's being asked for the effect on Mr. Duke, what he perceived this particular statement to mean to him. Did you get the last statement as far? [01:40:35] Speaker 4: They're asking about a statement that Bo Duke's made that they've now accused of committing the murder. It's absolutely being offered for the truth of the matter, asserted. And again, Craig's impression is when someone is observing an event and they make a comment about that particular event, the impression it had on them at that time. This is not that situation. [01:40:54] Speaker 3: I'm going to overrule that, Jeff. If you'll restate the question. [01:40:59] Speaker 1: What did, what was Bo's response to your question? [01:41:02] Ryan Alexander Duke: Bo said he told them that I had killed Tara. [01:41:23] Speaker 1: Other than the two times you've described, did you ever go back to the orchard after this? [01:41:29] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. [01:41:34] Speaker 1: How long did you continue to live with Bo Dukes? [01:41:40] Ryan Alexander Duke: Three or four months, maybe six. [01:41:44] Speaker 1: Did you move away? [01:41:48] Ryan Alexander Duke: I moved back home with my parents. [01:41:51] Speaker 1: Why did you move back home? [01:41:53] Ryan Alexander Duke: I had lost my job. [01:41:57] Speaker 1: Why did you lose your job? [01:42:00] Ryan Alexander Duke: I couldn't pass a drug test and that had come up, so I quit. [01:42:09] Speaker 1: At this time, were you doing any drugs? [01:42:12] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:42:13] Speaker 1: What drugs were you doing at this point? [01:42:15] Ryan Alexander Duke: Just drinking, taking pills, anything I could get my hand on at that point. [01:42:23] Speaker 1: By this point in spring, summer of 2006, how often were you taking one at a time? How often were you drinking? [01:42:32] Ryan Alexander Duke: Almost every day. [01:42:35] Speaker 1: How often were you doing drugs? [01:42:38] Ryan Alexander Duke: Almost every day. [01:42:40] Speaker 1: Other than the pills, what drugs were you doing? [01:42:43] Ryan Alexander Duke: Pot. I said pills, you know. [01:42:49] Speaker 1: What pills were you taking around this time? [01:42:52] Ryan Alexander Duke: Oh, it was pain medication. [01:43:01] Speaker 1: When you lived with your parents, where were they living at the time? [01:43:06] Ryan Alexander Duke: They were still living at Pleasure Lake. [01:43:13] Speaker 1: Once you moved out of the house with Bo, when was the next time that you saw him? [01:43:18] Ryan Alexander Duke: Several years later. [01:43:22] Speaker 1: How many years was it? [01:43:24] Ryan Alexander Duke: I'm not sure. He had just got out of basic training and he come by. [01:43:32] Speaker 1: He came by, excuse me, at the time that he came by, were you living with your parents? [01:43:38] Ryan Alexander Duke: I was living, yes, sir. I was living in a trailer with my grandmother at the time, where I was living in 2017. [01:43:50] Speaker 1: Bo visited you. What was the purpose for the visit? [01:43:59] Ryan Alexander Duke: I'm not sure. He had some drugs. He wanted me to do some coke with him. I didn't want to. So it was a fairly short visit. [01:44:14] Speaker 1: Between the time that you moved out of the house in Fitzgerald and then this next time that you're seeing Bo, had you talked to him on the phone at all? [01:44:22] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. [01:44:23] Speaker 1: Had you had any other kind of communications like social media, text messages, anything? [01:44:28] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. Not between then. [01:44:32] Speaker 1: Did the two of you discuss Ms. Grinstead during this visit? [01:44:37] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. [01:44:42] Speaker 1: Did he make any kind of threats? [01:44:45] Ryan Alexander Duke: He implied that this place would go up like wildfire. It was kindling. [01:44:54] Speaker 1: And tell me about that statement. What was the context of that? [01:44:59] Ryan Alexander Duke: I don't know if it was before, but Bo was the pyro. You know, he liked to set fires. He liked to, he would, I would come home from work and he'd be watching YouTube videos of fires. [01:45:16] Speaker 1: And when he said this place, did he indicate what he was talking about? [01:45:20] Ryan Alexander Duke: He was talking about my home. [01:45:26] Speaker 1: How did your experience involving Ms. Grinstead's body impact you? [01:45:32] Ryan Alexander Duke: I think it ruined me. [01:45:37] Speaker 1: Did you have nightmares about it? [01:45:39] Ryan Alexander Duke: I still do. [01:45:42] Speaker 1: Did you try to commit suicide at some point? [01:45:44] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. I did. [01:45:47] Speaker 3: Did you try to commit suicide? [01:45:54] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. On multiple occasions. [01:45:59] Speaker 1: When was that? [01:46:01] Ryan Alexander Duke: I think the first time was not long after I left MDI. So it had been 06, early 07. [01:46:11] Speaker 1: That was when you were back living with your family? [01:46:13] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:46:17] Speaker 1: Was it just one suicide attempt or were there others? [01:46:20] Ryan Alexander Duke: There were multiple. [01:46:23] Speaker 1: When was the next? [01:46:27] Ryan Alexander Duke: A couple years later, maybe a year or two later. [01:46:31] Speaker 1: How did you try to kill yourself? [01:46:34] Ryan Alexander Duke: Sleeping pills. [01:46:39] Speaker 1: Once you were back living with your family out of Pleasure Lake, were you working? [01:46:44] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. I always had a job somewhere. [01:46:48] Speaker 1: Were they consistent jobs, like full-time type jobs? [01:46:54] Ryan Alexander Duke: Sometimes. I've had a hard time keeping work because of my drug and alcohol problems. [01:47:03] Speaker 1: Did you develop any health problems throughout this time period? [01:47:07] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. Eventually, my kidneys, I went into full renal failure and started having liver issues as well. [01:47:17] Speaker 1: What led to that? [01:47:18] Ryan Alexander Duke: The drinking, the drugs, taking the sleeping pills. [01:47:25] Speaker 1: When was the renal failure you mentioned? What year was that? [01:47:31] Ryan Alexander Duke: 2009, 2010. I get the dates mixed up now. [01:47:37] Speaker 1: At that point, were you drinking? [01:47:39] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:47:40] Speaker 1: How much were you drinking a day? Just approximately? [01:47:45] Ryan Alexander Duke: Usually a fifth of liquor. I drank until I passed out. [01:47:51] Speaker 1: Did you take any pills? [01:47:53] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. I did. [01:47:55] Speaker 1: Did you smoke any marijuana? [01:47:57] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. I did. Almost every day. [01:48:01] Speaker 1: Did you receive treatment for the kidney failure? [01:48:04] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. I was on dialysis. [01:48:08] Speaker 1: How long were you on dialysis? [01:48:10] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was a couple years. I'm not exactly sure. [01:48:19] Speaker 1: And at some point, it sounded like you were able to, were you able to end the dialysis? [01:48:23] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. My kidney function got to where they were working okay, that I didn't need it. [01:48:33] Speaker 1: Did you continue to drink? [01:48:35] Ryan Alexander Duke: I do good for a little while and then fall right back into it. [01:48:42] Speaker 1: Did you continue to smoke marijuana? [01:48:45] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. Almost every day. [01:48:47] Speaker 1: And did you continue to take pills? [01:48:49] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. Almost every day. [01:48:53] Speaker 1: After the, after you had the renal failure and went through the dialysis, did you have any other suicide attempts? [01:49:01] Ryan Alexander Duke: I don't think so. My, I'd say my memory isn't as good as it was. [01:49:10] Speaker 1: At this point in your life, did you have friends in your life? [01:49:15] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. Other than my family. [01:49:19] Speaker 1: How often did you see your family? [01:49:22] Ryan Alexander Duke: They lived next door, so it was pretty regular. [01:49:27] Speaker 1: Did you, did you have any pets? [01:49:30] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. I had three cats and a dog. I've had multiple strays over the years. [01:49:41] Speaker 1: You spoke to Agent Sheldell about this case in February, or did you speak to Agent Sheldell about this case in February, 2017? [01:49:49] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:49:54] Speaker 1: In the, we'll just say the few months leading up to that meeting with Agent Sheldell, how much were you drinking at that point per day? [01:50:03] Ryan Alexander Duke: I was back drinking again, so it was pretty regular. [01:50:09] Speaker 1: Were you still smoking marijuana at the time? [01:50:11] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Almost daily. [01:50:14] Speaker 1: What about pills? Were you taking any pills? [01:50:17] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. Pain medication, blood pressure, cholesterol, depression, anxiety medication. [01:50:26] Speaker 1: The, the pills that you took, did you have a prescription for those? [01:50:31] Ryan Alexander Duke: Some of them, not the pain medication. [01:50:34] Speaker 1: Where did you get the pain medication? [01:50:36] Ryan Alexander Duke: It was, it was fairly easy to get off the street. [01:50:44] Speaker 1: The pain pills in particular, how did those affect you? [01:50:48] Ryan Alexander Duke: They kind of lifted you up, you know, like a morning coffee, and just kind of picked you up, helped you deal with, if you was in pain, it helped you deal with it, but it was a, it was a upper. [01:51:07] Speaker 1: Do you, excuse me, did Agent Sheldell and Agent Holland initially come to see you at your house? [01:51:15] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:51:18] Speaker 1: And did you tell them anything about Ms. Grinstead at that time? [01:51:21] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. [01:51:26] Speaker 1: Did you discuss a, a plan to meet with them at some other point? [01:51:30] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. They had asked me to come the next day and have an interview, or they wanted to talk to me about a case they were investigating. [01:51:47] Speaker 1: Were you contacted by Bo Dukes after you spoke, initially spoke with Agent Sheldell and Agent Holland at your house? [01:51:54] Ryan Alexander Duke: I was. [01:51:57] Speaker 1: How did you communicate with Mr. Dukes? How did you communicate with Mr. Dukes? [01:51:59] Ryan Alexander Duke: I got a Facebook message from him that he wanted to talk to me on Messenger. [01:52:07] Speaker 1: And were you already, I guess, Facebook friends with Bo at that point? [01:52:10] Ryan Alexander Duke: I was not. [01:52:16] Speaker 1: Did Bo Dukes send you any kind of message? [01:52:18] Ryan Alexander Duke: He did. [01:52:20] Speaker 1: Do you recall what the, excuse me, do you recall what the message was? [01:52:25] Ryan Alexander Duke: He, like I said, he reached out and told me, told me that the GBI had talked to him. He knew they wanted to talk to me and to keep his name out of it. [01:52:44] Speaker 1: And that was the, just to make sure I have the time right, that was the same day that you spoke to Agent Sheldell and Holland at your house? [01:52:51] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:52:52] Speaker 4: What time did you meet with Agent Sheldell on February 22nd? [01:53:22] Ryan Alexander Duke: I think it was around 1230, 1 o'clock, something like that. [01:53:28] Speaker 1: Did you have a car at that time? [01:53:29] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. [01:53:33] Speaker 1: Before you went to meet with Agent Sheldell, did you take any kind of medications or drugs? [01:53:39] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did. [01:53:41] Speaker 1: If you would, tell a jury what those medications or drugs were. [01:53:45] Ryan Alexander Duke: I took a morphine pill, I took a Percocet, probably a couple of Vicodin, smoked some pot. You know, I was up all night, I was shook up. [01:54:01] Speaker 1: Were those, did you have those pills, were they at your house? [01:54:05] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:54:12] Speaker 1: Did you have a car at the time? [01:54:13] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir, I did not. [01:54:15] Speaker 1: How did you get to the interview? [01:54:17] Ryan Alexander Duke: My mom and my stepdad gave me a ride. [01:54:26] Speaker 1: Why did you take the pills that you took? [01:54:29] Ryan Alexander Duke: I knew I wasn't coming home, you know, so I just took what I had. [01:54:39] Speaker 1: At this point, were you afraid of Bo Duke's? [01:54:43] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:54:45] Speaker 1: Did you believe that he had killed someone before? [01:54:48] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:54:51] Speaker 1: When you met with Agent Sheldell that day, did you confess to killing Ms. Greenstead? [01:54:56] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did. [01:54:57] Speaker 1: Was that true? [01:54:59] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. [01:55:01] Speaker 1: When did you decide that you were going to take the blame for Ms. Greenstead's death? [01:55:06] Ryan Alexander Duke: Sometime before I left home. [01:55:10] Speaker 1: So it was that same day that you gave the statement? [01:55:12] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir, that morning or afternoon. [01:55:15] Speaker 1: Why did you decide that you were going to take the blame for Ms. Greenstead's death? [01:55:21] Ryan Alexander Duke: Because I don't think Bo will ever tell the truth. [01:55:28] Speaker 1: When you spoke to Agent Sheldell, did you know, or do you know today how Ms. Greenstead actually died? [01:55:34] Ryan Alexander Duke: I do not. [01:55:37] Speaker 1: Did you tell Agent Sheldell that you broke into Ms. Greenstead's home? [01:55:41] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did. [01:55:42] Speaker 1: Was that true? [01:55:43] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. [01:55:45] Speaker 1: Did you tell Agent Sheldell that you hit Ms. Greenstead in her house during an attempted burglary? [01:55:51] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did. [01:55:52] Speaker 1: Is that true? [01:55:54] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. [01:55:55] Speaker 1: Did you tell Agent Sheldell that Ms. Greenstead died from a single blow? [01:56:01] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did. [01:56:02] Speaker 1: Is that true? [01:56:04] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. [01:56:06] Speaker 1: Did you tell Agent Sheldell that you and Bo Dukes disposed of Ms. Greenstead's body? [01:56:11] Ryan Alexander Duke: I did. [01:56:11] Speaker 1: Is that true? [01:56:13] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:56:17] Speaker 1: At some point after you confessed to Agent Sheldell, did you change your mind about taking the blame for Ms. Greenstead's death? [01:56:27] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:56:29] Speaker 1: When did you change your mind about that? [01:56:31] Ryan Alexander Duke: I had a visit scheduled with my dad. [01:56:35] Speaker 1: Why did you change your mind? [01:56:37] Ryan Alexander Duke: I couldn't lie to my father. [01:56:44] Speaker 1: Did you break into Ms. Greenstead's house on October 22nd or 23rd, 2005? [01:56:49] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. I did not. [01:56:51] Speaker 1: Have you ever been inside her home at any point in your life? [01:56:54] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. [01:56:56] Speaker 1: Did you ever strike Tara Greenstead? [01:56:58] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. [01:56:59] Speaker 1: Did you ever choke Tara Greenstead? [01:57:01] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. [01:57:03] Speaker 1: Did you help Bo Dukes dispose of her body? [01:57:05] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. [01:57:06] Speaker 1: Did you murder Tara Greenstead? [01:57:08] Ryan Alexander Duke: No, sir. I did not. [01:57:10] Speaker 1: Did Bo Dukes tell you that he killed Ms. Greenstead? [01:57:13] Ryan Alexander Duke: Yes, sir. He did. [01:57:16] Speaker 1: I have no further questions, Your Honor. [01:57:18] Speaker 3: All right. Thank you, Mr. Gitt.