By Marilyn Bardsley
OCILLA, GA (Crime Library) It's difficult to cover a story adequately without going to the epicenter of activity, so Monday afternoon I drove the 3-plus hours from Crime Library's headquarters in Savannah to Ocilla, Georgia, to meet the people of the community and interview individuals who were particularly close to Tara Grinstead, the gorgeous young history teacher who mysteriously disappeared sometime after having dinner with friends late Saturday night, Oct. 22.
I arrived at the "Command Post" for the efforts to find Tara (which is actually the Irwin County Senior Citizen Center which has been temporarily pressed into service until Tara comes home) just in time to watch Court TV's Nancy Grace broadcast segment on Tara. The huge hall was completely packed with the scores of volunteers and rescue workers who methodically organized and executed the search. All eyes were on a big-screen TV that catapulted this small Georgia city into the national spotlight.
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| Tara and her dog, Dolly Madison |
Tara disappeared either Oct 22 or 23, but her neighbors and police did not understand she was missing until Monday, Oct. 24 when she did not show up at the Irwin County high school where she taught 11th grade history. In the space of one week the story of her disappearance went from local to regional to national coverage on the same news shows that saw their ratings increase with stories like the Natalee Holloway case in Aruba.
The entire "Command Post" operation has been very well organized both in the search and publicity efforts. A huge van from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency stands outside with state-of-the-art mapping equipment so that the teams of helicopters, planes, ATVs, search volunteers, canines and horses are deployed in the most efficient manner. Inside are the many citizen volunteers who feed the searchers, arrange for media interviews, supply fliers, photos and a host of other important support services. And there are two local professional photographers, Jannis and Andy Paulk, who have created and updated www.findtara.com.
There is an excitement that comes with watching Anita Gattis, Tara's very attractive and articulate sister and local friends of Tara being interviewed on Court TV, MSNBC and Fox News night after night. The national publicity reinforces the determination of the volunteers and brings in additional resources from outside the immediate community. The reward fund has rocketed from $20,000 a few days ago to $80,000.
But there is also a downside.
Next Page
Tara Grinstead on Emotional Roller Coaster
Tara Grinstead's State of Mind
Search for Tara Grinstead Involves Entire Community
Beauty Queen & Teacher Tara Grinstead Goes Missing
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