By Seamus McGraw

(Continued)

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That, according to sources close to Harper, was untrue, and so Pajadas decided to take the risky step of allowing his client to be interviewed by Van Sustern. In the interview, Harper — who was shot in profile, reportedly in part as a safety precaution because of his job as an independent contractor who has worked in Iraq — challenged the reports and said he had seen Tara about 9 a.m. on Oct. 14 when she turned up at his house. Harper said that Tara had threatened to commit suicide, though after a short interruption in the taping, Harper added that Tara had returned later that day and asked him for a hug, apparently indicating that it would be the last time.

Sources close to Tara have acknowledged that the young woman was "on an emotional roller coaster," after the breakup, but say they saw no evidence that she was suicidal, noting that on Oct. 14, Grinstead had left Harper's house, spent some in a tanning bed and then went for a pleasant visit with relatives.

Theories Abound

But in May, seven months after Tara disappeared and as the drumbeat of innuendo reached a crescendo, Pajadas took the unusual step of releasing a detailed timeline of Harper's activities between the time Tara was last seen and the time she was reported missing.  While authorities are not yet prepared to rule out any possible scenario in the still-unsolved mystery — they have acknowledged among other things that they don't know the precise moment when Tara actually disappeared — they have noted that Harper has been able to back up his account with official documents and witnesses.

Even that, however, seems to have done little to tamp down suspicion about Harper. In fact, the Internet remains abuzz with theories and speculation about the case, and many of those theories do not focus on Harper alone.

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Contact Seamus McGraw at seamusm@ptd.net

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