By Seamus McGraw

(Continued)

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Reasonable doubt

Though they freely admit that they don't have any evidence to support it, most of those who knew Tara, as well as most of those involved in the investigation, acknowledge that they suspect that Tara was a victim of some sort of crime. Chief Hancock is among them. He believes that in all likelihood Tara was abducted and may have been killed, though he adds quickly that's just speculation.

As Tara's sister, Anita Gattis, would later tell reporters, Tara Grinstead was a grounded, Christian woman, a responsible and well-respected member of the community who would not simply run off.

From the very beginning, Gattis and others who had known Tara over the years feared that she might have been the victim of foul play. They believed and continue to believe that she had been abducted or worse.

From the moment he got into the case, Hancock knew that he would have to tread cautiously in the investigation, authorities have told Crime Library. In any missing person case, Hancock realized, friends and acquaintances can offer all kinds of valuable information, and no one would have been more valuable to help figure out Tara's mindset than Harper, Tara's ex-boyfriend. But Harper was a former Ocilla police officer who still had strong ties to the department. In fact, the night Tara disappeared Harper had been at police headquarters and traveled around the community until the wee hours of Sunday morning in the company of an Ocilla police officer.

Nor was Harper the only cop in Tara's life. Among her closest friends and confidants was Heath Dykes, a captain in the Perry police department. Realizing the potential for allegations that the local authorities might have conflicting loyalties, Hancock quickly summoned the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

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Contact Seamus McGraw at seamusm@ptd.net

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