AMW On The Scene--Possible Clues?

Weeks before Tara's birthday, America's Most Wanted got the only on-camera interview with the director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, who said that the agency has interviewed a number of people and is reviewing the evidence they have. He added that they are still treating Grinstead's case as a missing person's, but are growing more concerned as the days go by.

AMW was in Ocilla, Ga. the first week of November to speak with Tara Grinstead's family and friends about the missing woman. Tara's sister, Anita Gattis, told an AMW producer that even though there were no signs that a struggle took place at Tara's home, a few things aroused her suspicions.  

At her home, Ocilla Police Chief Billy Hancock said investigators found the clothes she was wearing the night she went missing, as well as her car and cell phone. Her purse and keys were missing. Family and friends say Tara never went anywhere without her cell phone. 

There have also been reports that a latex glove was found on Tara's front lawn, which police say has been submitted to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for testing. 

Anita told AMW that a clock Tara kept near her bed was found under the bed -- and the time was six hours off. She said that a broken lamp was tilted against a wall, which would've been unlike Tara, who Anita says is very meticulous.

Elements about Tara's car also bother Anita. The car was found in Tara's driveway with the doors unlocked--something that Tara never did. And according to Anita, the car seats were pushed too far back for Tara. Tara is only 5'3" and kept the seats much closer to the steering wheel. As strange as these things may seem, they haven't provided police with any information as to Tara's whereabouts or what may have happened to her.

A Semi-Charmed Life

Witnesses say Tara attended the annual Sweet Potato Festival and beauty pageant on October 22 in Fitzgerald, Ga., and then went to a friend's house for dinner. Hancock says Tara said she was going straight home, but she hasn't been seen or heard from since.

Friends and family say they tried unsuccessfully to contact Grinstead the Sunday after she was last seen. When she didn't show up for work at Irwin County High School that Monday, co-workers contacted police and reported her missing. Students and co-workers say the 11th-grade teacher was popular at the school and that it was unlike her to not show up for work.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has taken the lead in the investigation and authorities say Grinstead's disappearance is being treated as a missing persons case. Officials say they are considering the possibility that Grinstead, who lived alone, was abducted.

There are also reports that Tara may have left town because she had been upset over her break-up with a man she dated for six years. Family and friends say Tara thought she would marry her former beau, but was heartbroken when their relationship ended late last year. Close friends say she recently found out that he had started dating a much younger woman.

Police have questioned the ex-boyfriend as well as a student who was recently arrested for harassing Tara when he was found trying to enter her home. Investigators have also questioned everyone who knows Tara and have conducted several searches, but still have no leads in the case. 

Although many who knew her thought she had the perfect life, Tara's troubled relationship and the disturbing incident with her former student offered a telling glimpse into the young woman's personal life. While the GBI has no reason to believe that Tara met with foul play, they have not ruled it out.  

Despite Few Clues, The Search Continues

Volunteers and officers from nearly a dozen nearby law enforcement agencies are assisting in the search for Tara, according to the Irwin County Sheriff's Office. A command center has been set up at the Irwin County Senior Center, where volunteers from all over the state along with Tara's co-workers, family, friends and students have been answering phones, distributing fliers and organizing searches.

More than $80,000 in collected donations is being offered to anyone with information leading to Grinstead's whereabouts.