http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIP.../23/ng.01.html
We at NANCY GRACE want very much to help solve unsolved homicides, find missing people. Take a look at Robert Armfield, 38, from Ludowici, Georgia, shot to death inside his truck November 8, 2002. If you have info on Robert Armfield, call Carole Sund Carrington Foundation toll-free 888- 813-8389.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I really had not thought about keeping reward money separately until Beth Twitty was here a couple of weekends ago. And she`s been doing this for seven months. And she sat down and explained how they`ve got Natalee`s money set-up. So it makes sense that we`re doing this.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We`re walking in the same shoes. And no one wants to be in (INAUDIBLE) unfortunately, we have been placed in them.
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GRACE: We have not given up on the search for a beauty queen turned school teacher, Tara Grinstead. I want to go straight out to Tara`s sister joining us, Anita Gattis.
Thank you for being with us. What is the latest with the investigation?
ANITA GATTIS, TARA GRINSTEAD`S SISTER: Well, as you know, we have an additional $100,000 that has been pledged. And that`s for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever was involved in Tara`s disappearance.
The money that we had before was for safe return. So we are very thankful that we have this money. We hope that there`s someone out there who`s got information. They may have at some point been involved with Tara`s disappearance. They may not be able to put her in a car and bring her home, but they may have some information that would be very helpful to us, the family and law enforcement.
GRACE: Anita, I know that EquuSearch has been out in Texas. They just recovered the body of a little girl, 12-year-old Teke Buggs, there in Brazos River. I understand they`re back working on your case. Have they received any new tips?
GATTIS: I`m not sure if they`ve received any new tips since they went to Texas, but Mr. Miller assured me they would be back in January.
GRACE: Can you tell us about the last tip they received?
GATTIS: The last tip that EquuSearch received had something to do with a wooded area called Queensland. It`s in Ben Hill County. It`s about maybe about 25 miles from Ocilla. And that was where they concentrated their search the last day that they were here.
GRACE: Let me ask you whether police have finally gotten around to questioning various people in her classes. Tara worked all day as a schoolteacher, and she was attending two different colleges at night, one in Valdosta, one in Waycross, Georgia. Have they spoken to the teachers and the other students of those night classes yet, Anita?
GATTIS: I`m not really sure if the GBI has done that yet. My husband has been back in touch with a couple of other students that have not been questioned. So, you know, I have no clue about that. I don`t believe anyone at the Waycross campus has been questioned, and they are adjourned for Christmas break and will not start back until January. Tara actually would have graduated the first week of December with her six-year specialist degree, had she been able to finish school.
GRACE: Anita, if you don`t mind, for the viewers that are just hearing about Tara`s case tonight, bring us up-to-date about her disappearance.
GATTIS: Tara had been to a dinner party, a cookout, watched a ballgame on Saturday, October 22nd. She did not show up for work at Orwin County High School (ph), where she`s a high school history teacher and a middle school assistant principle.
On Monday the 24th, the police were called in at that point. We`re not sure exactly when she disappeared, if it was, you know, sometime during the early hours of the 23rd. We just aren`t really sure...
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GRACE: You know what? Wait, wait, wait. Anita, the background is so loud I can`t quite hear you.
I`m going to go to Pat Lalama, investigative reporter. Pat, help me out, so the viewers can hear about the case of Tara Grinstead.
LALAMA: OK. She had gone to this event, as was mentioned, then afterwards had gone to dinner at a former superintendent`s house. There was a barbecue, lots of fun. Everything seemed fine. And then, as far as everyone knows, she went home.
What was found in her home were the clothes that she was wearing that night and her cell phone was there. What`s interesting is that her car was locked and her home was locked, and her keys and her purse were gone. This is all that has been left to deal with and to look at.
GRACE: There have been extensive searches for Tara Grinstead. Right now to Joe Huston with EquuSearch.
Joe, thank you for being with us. Explain to us what you`re doing to help find Tara.
JOE HUSTON, TEXAS EQUUSEARCH: Well, obviously, we`re still in the process of looking for her. Right now, we`re waiting for the public -- and hopefully this show will help today -- to give us some more leads.
While we were in Georgia, we did receive the lead, as you previously heard. We searched that area. We plan on going back in January. But before we go back, we would like to have additional leads come in before we know what areas to search specifically.
GRACE: This last tip that you got about a wooded area, what did the tip say? Was it about clothing, having seen her there, what?
HUSTON: It was basically just that it was an area of interest. And when we receive a lead like that, we try to cover it as quickly as possible, because if it is an area of interest, and it was a fairly heavily wooded area, it would be an ideal place for somebody to dispose of something if Tara was disposed of.
GRACE: Take a listen to what a family friend had to say.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s time for us to make tougher laws against those that go out and kidnap those that we love. So many times now you can walk into a Wal-Mart or any other place and there`s posters all over the place of missing children or missing loved ones.
And it`s more prevalent now than any other time in our history. So it`s time that we get tough on crime. And we want to make it a way that people won`t think about doing this, you know, that we can stop some of this or we can put people behind bars for long periods of time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re still -- we`re following up on calls we get and stuff. We`re not leaving anything unattended, no matter how small. We`re still checking out that everything that anybody calls in for us.
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GRACE: I`m going to go try Anita Gattis one more time. She`s standing outside down in Georgia. Anita is Tara`s sister.
Anita, as you are facing the Christmas holiday, this has just got to be hell for you.
GATTIS: It really is a horrible time for our family. Last night, we had a tree lighting at Tara`s home. There were approximately 50 or 60 people that were here, brought ornaments. Several girls that had been in pageants that Tara had helped sang some Christmas songs. It was a very special time for us.
We wanted to do something with Tara. And since our family will not be celebrating Christmas, this was just one way that we could let friends, family and students have a little something special for Tara this holiday.
GRACE: Anita Gattis, we`re looking at video of you right now where you decorated your sister`s house. Are you losing hope?
GATTIS: Nancy, I`m not losing hope at all. I have thought from the very beginning that Tara is alive. I still feel that in my heart, in my soul, in my gut. I just want to get her back. I just want to get Tara back home.
GRACE: Before we go to break, Anita, what can we do to help you?
GATTIS: Nancy, you can keep her face, her story in the media. We don`t want anyone to forget Tara. We also need to have this additional reward published. If there`s someone who does have information that maybe he can`t put Tara in a car and drive her back home, but any tip that we get in at this point, even if law enforcement is not following up, as you know, the family certainly will.
GRACE: As we go to break, you can go online to find out about the case,
www.FindTara.com, www.FindTara.com. The reward is up to now $200,000. This flyer says $90,000. The reward is up to $200,000. Tip line: 912-386-2564.
We here at NANCY GRACE want to do our part to help the very neediest this holiday season. United Jewish Community is doing their part. For information, contact 212-284-6500 or go online to UJC.org. Please open your hearts and your wallets this Christmas and Hanukkah.
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Nancy Grace will be taping in Ocilla on 12/23/05
NANCY GRACE transcripts 12/23/05
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