Kriti Mehrotra
Investigation Discovery’s ‘Betrayed: Beware the Au Pair’ is an episode that explores the baffling disappearance and death of Tara Lynn Grant, who was last seen alive in her upscale home in Washington Township. As a business executive and a seemingly happy married mother of two, the 34-year-old was not just bright but also family-oriented. However, the image of her idealistic family shattered in 2007, when she vanished and her husband, Stephen Grant, was found to be the one responsible. So now, if you’re curious to know more about him, we’ve got you covered.
Who is Stephen Grant?
Apart from being a little awkward, Stephen Grant was a stay-at-home father, soccer coach, and tool-and-die shop helper. He was the complete opposite of his wife, and it appeared as if he held the fort at home to help Tara pursue all her dreams. As per a few others, though, Stephen himself had wanted a career in politics and was slowly growing to resent Tara, only to have his jealousy sparked by her bond with a co-worker.
Moreover, owing to her frequent business trips, Stephen sought attention from other women and had an affair with their German au pair, Verena Dierkes, as per the authorities. Stephen reported his wife missing on Valentine’s Day 2007, claiming that he hadn’t seen her for five days. He even added that he’d waited so long to take action simply because it wasn’t the first time she’d left him home alone. However, he didn’t cooperate with the authorities during their initial investigations.
Stephen even accused the officials of harassment because of the surveillance they’d set on him. It wasn’t until Stephen’s private polygraph yielded an inconclusive result and a woman uncovered gloves, metal shavings, and blood in a local park that a search warrant at his house was executed. However, by the time Tara’s dismembered torso was found, her husband had fled.
Where is Stephen Grant Now?
Upon recovering Tara’s partial remains in the family home’s garage, the detectives got an arrest warrant for Stephen Grant. Yet, it took them a couple of days and cell phone tracking to locate him in northern Michigan’s Wilderness State Park, about 225 miles away from his base. The suicidal male had no weapons out in the cold but was armed with a toy gun, alcohol, and razor blades, suffering from frostbite and hypothermia.
During his treatment at a hospital, Stephen confessed that he and Tara had argued about her frequent work trips on February 9, driving him to choke her with his hands and belt until she died. He dismembered her two days later. Stephen’s graphic admittance and the fact that he knew what he was doing at every step of the way led him to be charged with first-degree premeditated murder and mutilation of a dead body on March 6, 2007. The only previous charge he ever had was for carrying a concealed weapon and reckless driving in 1989.
Eventually, Stephen Grant was found guilty of second-degree murder and dismemberment, for which he received 50-80 years and 6-10 years, respectively. Hence, today, in his early 50s, he is incarcerated at the Oaks Correctional Facility in Manistee Township, Michigan. His appeals have been denied, and according to the Department of Corrections records, his earliest possible release date is March 3, 2057.
Read More: Where is Verena Dierkes Now?
