Sneak peek: The Tara Grinstead Mystery | Forensic Files

[Music] when the sun goes down in a pecan orchard it's a little spooky [Music] it's a lot like being in a scary movie
they're majestic in one sense but they are very creepy what happened in this orchard
was senseless [Music] tara grinstead and our best friends tara started wanting to be in beauty
pageants only to help her raise money for college her inspiration was to be a teacher
[Music] tara was a very well-liked high school teacher the students loved her she was young she
was vibrant she was very passionate about what she did on october 22nd 2005 tara began her day
doing exactly what she loved dressing up the little girls for the sweet potato pageant and ocilla
after the pageant she went to a cookout the last thing i know she was on the phone went home
and then nobody's seen her since there were so many stories so much speculation the possibilities were running through
my head of what it could be [Music] my heart always hoped that she just needed a few days to herself and as the
days and the months and even the years went on i knew something had happened [Music]
i first reported on this story in 2008 almost three years after tara had gone missing back then hardly anyone believed
this case could ever be solved in a town that is as small as it is how could someone keep this a secret for
so long i don't know [Music] so you call the police department this is john mccullough
i know who killed tara grinstead does anyone call you back no hey man how come nobody wants to
listen to me so many tips came in that some weren't followed up they never actually called anyone a
suspect or even a person of interest nearly 27 years with the georgia bureau of investigation i've never encountered
such a complex and difficult case we literally got tips from all over the world [Music]
but then in 2017 a woman came forward with a remarkable story about her boyfriend
but could it be trusted he said i can't handle it anymore and he starts telling me everything
[Music] i made him take me to the orchard you said right then we're going we're going
[Music]

A former beauty queen vanishes. One man said he had answers. Why didn’t anyone listen? "48 Hours" correspondent Peter Van Sant reports Saturday, August 20 at 10/9c on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.

Crime. Social justice. Impact. "48 Hours" investigates the most intriguing crime and justice cases that touch on all areas of the human experience including greed and passion. "48 Hours," which premiered in 1988, has developed a rich history of original reporting and impact journalism that has helped exonerate wrongly convicted people, caused cold cases to be reopened and solved, and along the way changed lives.

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Brief Summary

Tara Grinstead, a teacher, vanished in 2005; a 2017 tip reignited the investigation.

Key points

Tara Grinstead's Disappearance. Tara Grinstead, a beloved teacher, went missing after a pageant in 2005. Her case remains unsolved.
A Shocking Confession. In 2017, a woman came forward with a startling story about her boyfriend's involvement in Tara's case.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

What happened in this orchard was senseless.

0:40WatchAug 17, 2022

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