Tara Grinstead Search: Family & Friends makes plea on Nancy Grace
Tara Grinstead’s family came on CNN’s Nancy Grace to make a public plea for the where abouts and any clues that people may have in to her disappearance. They do bring a couple of issues to light in that her car door was found unlocked, her keys and purse were missing and her radio clock by her bed on the floor.
GATTIS: Well, her car was left unlocked. Tara never leaves her car unlocked when she is at home. Her cell phone was in the charger. Her door was locked, but her keys and her purse were missing.
GRACE: Keys and purse missing. I understood that there was a radio clock by her bed on the floor.
GATTIS: That`s correct. The GBI found it under the bed when they were looking for evidence. And there was also a broken lamp on her bedside table.
More from the interview with regards to Tara Grinstead’s disappearance. For more information go the the website for Tara Grinstead; findtara.com
GRACE: Thirty-year-old Tara Grinstead now history teacher following a beauty pageant winner missing. Please help us bring home Tara Grinstead.
Let`s go straight out to a reporter with “The Tifton Gazette.” Joining us is Dusty Vassey. Dusty, bring us up to date.
DUSTY VASSEY, “TIFTON GAZETTE”: Tara Grinstead went missing last Saturday night — well, that was last time anyone saw her — at 11:00 PM. She went to a beauty pageant, where she was helping people do their makeup. And she was reported missing after Monday morning when she didn`t show up to work where she`s a local high school teach.
GRACE: Dusty, where did she work, exactly?
VASSEY: She was a history teacher in Irwin County High School in Osceola, Georgia.
GRACE: And how long had she been there?
VASSEY: I`m not sure how long she had been there.
GRACE: You know, I want to go straight out to Tara`s sister, joining us also from Osceola, Georgia. Anita Gattis is with us. Anita, how long had your sister been at that school?
ANITA GATTIS, SISTER OF MISSING WOMAN: Eight years.
GRACE: What can you tell me about the night she went missing, Anita?
GATTIS: She had helped some girls in the afternoon work on their makeup, their hair for a beauty pageant. She went to the beauty pageant. She went to a local superintendent`s house for dinner, watched a football game. We assume she went back home. And after that, we do not know.
GRACE: What, if anything, was unusual about her home, Anita?GATTIS: Well, her car was left unlocked. Tara never leaves her car unlocked when she is at home. Her cell phone was in the charger. Her door was locked, but her keys and her purse were missing.
GRACE: Keys and purse missing. I understood that there was a radio clock by her bed on the floor.
GATTIS: That`s correct. The GBI found it under the bed when they were looking for evidence. And there was also a broken lamp on her bedside table.
GRACE: Now, Anita, the clock — would she have left it that way? I mean, if I came home tonight and I saw my clock by the bed, laying on the floor, I would turn around and walk out of that apartment because that would be wrong. Would she have left it that way?
GATTIS: I don`t think so because the clock is about six hours off in time.
GRACE: I`m sorry. I couldn`t hear you. Repeat?
GATTIS: The clock, the time is about six hours off, which is another confusing fact.
GRACE: Time six hours off. OK, back to Dusty Vassey with “The Tifton Gazette.” You got a broken lamp. You`ve got the radio clock lying on the floor under the bed. What about the clothes she wore that evening to the party, the get-together?
VASSEY: I`m not really sure about her clothes.
GRACE: What about it, Anita?
GATTIS: All of her clothes were back at home, so she did go back home and change clothes.
GRACE: Now, there was something about a jack o`lantern on the front porch?
GATTIS: Right. Tara`s house was decorated really cute for Halloween. The jack o`lantern was still plugged in, and it was lit up.
GRACE: OK. Question. Back to Anita Gattis, Tara Grinstead`s sister. Everybody, you`re taking a look at Tara Grinstead, age 30, 5-3, 125 pounds, brown hair, brown eyes, a 9th grade social studies teacher in Osceola, Georgia. If you have any information, 229-468-7494.
As we go to break, a “Case Alert.” Sad news to report tonight. Remains discovered in Portland Harbor, Maine, this morning are those of 24- year-old Lynn Moran. We profiled her story last week. Lynn last seen the night of October 10. Police believe she accidentally fell into the water and drowned.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We love Tara, yes we do! We love Tara, how about you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We love Tara, yes we do! We love Tara, how about you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We love Tara, yes we do! We love Tara, how about you?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: A Georgia family trying anything they can think of to bring home 30-year-old Tara Grinstead. That was a pep rally held locally last week, trying to raise money and awareness of this missing 30-year-old beauty. Rosie, if you could show the picture of Tara Grinstead, age 30, 5- 3, 125 pounds, brown hair, brown eyes. Tip line, 229-468-7494. Reward up to $25,000.
To Anita Gattis, the sister of Tara. What is your family doing trying to find your sister?
GATTIS: We had embraced the help of this community, who has just been absolutely phenomenal. I had no idea how much they loved my sister until I arrived in Osceola on Monday. We have hired a private individual, who we hope will bring us some additional information that maybe the GBI and the local law enforcement have not been able to get.
GRACE: You mean a private eye?GATTIS: Yes.
GRACE: Excellent move. The reward is up to $25,00, everyone. Very quickly, Anita, it`s my understanding someone was arrested for knocking on her door recently, like some love-sick student?
GATTIS: Yes, she had a former student she had a restraining order against, and he did attempt to break into her house and he was arrested.
GRACE: Is he being questioned?
GATTIS: I think he has been.
i think the investigation needs to turn there heads to the family , like the parents and all land ,homes, buildings,and automobiles that the family has . the famliy is guilty of something i can fill it , don’t get me wrong , because i know they love her but , the crime that has been committed just seems two perfect . and there iss no such thing as a perfect murder. the modive just hasn’t seen the light yet . but my money is on the family
Comment by mark cooper | November 7, 2005
Mark I was APPALLED by your spelling, much less your accusations that the family has something to do with her disappearance. Not to mention the fact that you already know it’s a murder! Anyway, I hope they find her alive soon!
Comment by FLcracker | November 9, 2005
THIS IS A STRANGE CASE.SEVERAL QUESTIONS I HAVE:
WAS THE DOG LEFT WITH FOOD?,EXACTLY WHAT CLOTHES WERE MISSING? THE FACT THAT THE HOUSE WAS LOCKED,WAS SOMEONE WHO HAD ACCESS OR KNOWLEDGE TO GET IN ALREADY THERE?-THE FACT THAT THE DOG APPARENTLY DID NOT BARK SEEMS TO SUGGEST IT WAS FAMILIAR WITH WHOEVER DID THIS. MARCUS HARPER’S ALIBI SEEMS TOO GOOD,WITH ACCESS TO IRAQ HAS HE SHIPPED ANYTHING UNUSUALLY SIZED? HOW DID INVESTIGATORS KNOW THE BEDSTAND LIGHT HAD BEEN TURNED ON? LAST-HAS ANYONE LOOKED IN PLACES IN PLAIN SIGHT FOR HER?
Comment by DAVID BARNES | December 12, 2006