Georgia high court delays trial in 2005 slaying of teacher

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia’s highest court has delayed the trial of man charged with killing a high school teacher whose disappearance remained a mystery for more than a decade.

The Georgia Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the murder trial of Ryan Duke be put on hold while the court considers whether it has jurisdiction to hear Duke’s emergency pretrial appeal. Oral arguments before the high court were scheduled for May 7.

Jury selection had been scheduled to begin Monday in Duke’s trial. He is charged in rural Irwin County with murder in the October 2005 death of teacher and beauty queen Tara Grinstead.

Duke’s attorneys are seeking to overturn the trial judge’s decision to deny Duke funding to pay for expert witnesses in DNA, false confessions, and psychology.