AJC Watchdog: Tara Grinstead podcast challenges secrecy in criminal investigations
Payne Lindsey, whose “Up and Vanished” podcast quickly became one of the nation’s most popular downloads after he started it last August, said he tried to get the official file into Grinstead’s disappearance from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, but he had no luck. State open records law allows police to withhold files in pending investigations.
Grinstead went missing nearly 12 years ago and when he started the podcast there seemed to be little prospect the case would be solved. Nancy Grace, a former prosecutor and talk show host, agrees with Lindsey that cold case files should be open when she appeared as a guest on his podcast.
“I think that we have closed investigative files for a reason,” Grace said. “However, once a case goes cold and police aren’t getting answers I really don’t see why the entire case file is kept secret.”
Last month, the GBI announced they had arrested a suspect based on a fresh tip. A second arrest of an alleged accomplice came shortly thereafter. Neither man had been among those formerly considered suspects.
About the Author
Chris Joyner is the politics editor. He has been with the AJC since 2010 as a member of the investigations and politics team.
