by Seamus McGraw

OCILLA, GA (Crime Library)  — Family and friends of missing high school teacher and beauty queen Tara Grinstead have been on an emotional roller coaster this week. It's not just because of the heightened grief they feel as the holidays approach, but because twice in the past week, they've had their hopes lifted by possible sightings of the missing woman, only to find that the reports are at best inconclusive and at worst, just plain wrong.

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"It is tough," said one family member who has spent countless hours searching for the young woman who vanished Oct. 22, after spending the day helping young contestants prepare for an annual beauty pageant and the evening with friends.

The first possible Tara sighting came last weekend when a truck driver told authorities that he had seen a woman at a Coneco truck stop 30 miles outside of Birmingham, Alabama who seemed to match the description of the 30-year-old high school teacher.

According to law enforcement sources, the driver told police that the anonymous young woman had struck up a conversation with him and asked to use his cellular phone — Tara had uncharacteristically left her cell phone behind at her home when she vanished.

Tara Grinstead

John Bankhead, a spokesman for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Tuesday that his agency had contacted authorities in Alabama, and they had investigated but found little reason for hope. By the time Alabama authorities arrived, Bankhead said, the woman had vanished.  "We've got a number of these sightings, obviously, and I don't know why this one got more publicity than the next one," Bankhead said. "It's probably because this one had more concrete information."

In this case, the driver was able to provide a detailed description both of the woman and of his encounter with her. GBI has since sent fliers and additional information about Tara 's case to Alabama, but authorities there believe that the woman described by the truck driver may be another woman, a local, who had recently been released from jail.

"I need to leave myself open," Bankhead said, "but I think they know who this truck driver spoke to," and she was not a missing beauty queen.

Meanwhile, authorities are also probing at least one more potential sighting. Details on that incident are sketchy, but according to sources familiar with the investigation, authorities have received a report that a woman who seemed to resemble Tara was spotted sobbing in the passenger seat of a dark colored SUV. Her hands were reportedly covered with some kind of garment, leading some to suggest that it was possible that she was shackled. Authorities are investigating the report, but so far, it has yielded no solid information and there is little hope that it will. Even so, a private investigator hired by the family and the GBI have been probing the report.

Next Page

New Search Planned for Tara Grinstead

Taras Family, Friends Hoping for a Miracle

Search for Tara Grinstead May Go Beyond County, Known Friends

One Aspect of the Search for Tara Grinstead Has Been Completed, But the Probe Continues

Beauty Queen & Teacher Tara Grinstead Goes Missing

Return to full Tara Grinstead coverage

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