South Georgia Man Accused of Concealing Body in 2005 Cold Case

Bo Dukes, a South Georgia man, has been accused of aiding in the hiding and concealment of the body of missing woman Tara Grinstead. He is now also wanted by police in another unrelated case. Dukes is facing charges of:

• False Imprisonment in Georgia
• Sodomy in Georgia
• Rape in Georgia
• Concealing a Death in Georgia
• Tampering with Evidence in Georgia

As a Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyer, I will outline the offense of concealing a death in Georgia in today's post.

Concealing a Death in Georgia

The Georgia Code defines concealing a death in Georgia in O.C.G.A. §16-10-31 as:

A person will be guilty of concealing the death of another in Georgia when by concealing the death of any other person, they hinder the discovery of whether or not such person was unlawfully killed.

Concealing a death is considered a felony offense in Georgia. This means that if convicted, the penalty will include up to ten years in prison, a fine up to $5,000, or both.

Case law states that the mere at of not informing authorities of a death is enough to be guilty of concealing a death.

Practice Note

Even though the standard for guilt in this offense is quite low, there are Georgia Criminal Defenses that can apply in the case of a wrongful or incorrect accusation. If you or a loved one has been arrested for committing a crime in Georgia, contact our offices as soon as possible. Your defense starts here with a Georgia Criminal Defense Attorney today.