Yes! I know, Payne's grandmother's friend, Melba, had it right. She said that right after the pageant Tara said she was going to visit a former student in Fitzgerald, before going to the BBQ. Ryan Duke lived in Fitzgerald at that time.
Also in Fitzgerald, as a result of an anonymous tip, a pond was drained in February 2015. J.T. Ricketson, special agent in charge of the Georgia Bureau, stated the [FONT=&]pond, located on the north side of Fitzgerald, off of Satilla Street, was drained. They [/FONT]did not find a body, but RIcketson said they found “some items that substantiated original information that came in.” (source: Fitzgerald Gazette)
Curious if the same person who called in the tip about the pond in Fitzgerald, also was the tipster regarding Ryan Duke. It's possible one or both of the tips came in from Ryan Duke himself. He doesn't seem to have a criminal record except a DUI, perhaps the guilt was too much. And/or the Up and Vanished podcast about the case was a constant reminder as to what he had done.
Under the law Duke is innocent until proven guilty, but it seems fairly certain he confessed. I'm guessing the motivation was driven more by stalking than by robbery. A stalker with illusions Tara wanted to be with him, then rebutted, fits the crime scene more than a robbery as a prime motive. A guess, very possible. We'll likely be receiving more information soon.
Tara seems to have been a private person, but it seems she must have mentioned Duke to someone. Given the GBI left a box of letters under her bed after releasing the crime scene, it's not hard to imagine they missed a potential critical clue. Stalking is almost always minimized as a crime by law enforcement. However, over 90% of femicides involved women who were stalked prior to being killed. (source: National Crime database)
In addition to being thankful this was solved, I'm glad her ex-boyfriend Marcus, and other, no longer need to live under an umbrella of suspicion.
