Could the Tara Grinstead case have been solved sooner, according to Gary Rothwell?

Yes, by his own account. Retired GBI agent Gary Rothwell says a couple who ran a website about the search told him that soon after the disappearance Bo Dukes and Ryan Duke were overheard at a party claiming responsibility. The tip reached law enforcement but was overlooked, and Rothwell says the case could have been solved at least nine years before it was.

• Rothwell retired in 2012 after seven years on the case and later apologized to Grinstead's father and stepmother.

▸In their words

“I consider myself a competent investigator and we could have solved this case” Gary Rothwell · at 1:05:26 — open in the transcript →

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on Dateline NBC (2026-11-03). Read the whole episode summary →

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