The investigation continued and on March 2, 2007, investigators from the Michigan State Police Crime Lab and the Macomb County Sheriff's Department conducted a search of Grant's home. Shortly after the search began investigators were shocked to discover Tara's torso in Grant's garage.
Unfortunately, Grant, aware the search was in progress had already fled the area. While patrol units searched for Grant, a team of investigators searched Stony Creek Metropark, where they found more of Tara's dismembered body parts. As the discoveries continued, investigators were informed that Grant had been making several phone calls, which they were able to trace to Wilderness State Park in Emmet County. The dragnet expanded and the Emmet County Sheriff's Department was able to locate Grant's abandoned vehicle near the state park.
Throughout the night and into the next morning, the Emmet County Sheriff's Department, the FBI, the Michigan State Police, the Mackinaw County Police, and the United States Coast Guard conducted a thorough search of the area. When daylight broke searchers spotted footprints in a heavenly wooded area, which they were able to follow to Grant's location. Suffering from exposure to the elements, Grant was in no condition to resist and was taken into custody without incident.
While recovering in the hospital, Grant spoke openly with investigators and confessed to murdering and dismembering his wife. Grant said the couple had been arguing about Tara's job on the night of Feb. 9, 2007. The argument, according to Grant, quickly spiraled out of control. Grant's written confession read in part:
"I wanted to say the meanest thing I could think of. My statement resulted in Tara smacking me. I then pushed her making her fall back against the wall or wood floor."
"Because she fell she started cussing at me telling me she would take the kids and house and I was going to jail and I would become the loser I always was. I then grabbed her neck to make her stop talking; instead I found myself squeezing and choking her with my right hand."
"Once she was dead I started to panic. I had to get her out of the house and couldn't carry her."
"So I grabbed a belt and wrapped it around her neck to pull her downstairs. When I got to the truck by trying to pick her up with the belt, it broke causing her to fall back. When her head hit it sounded hollow."
"On Sunday 11th I took Tara's Trooper [truck] to the shop and had decided to fit her into a large Rubbermaid container. I took the container and Tara's body out of the truck and pulled back out of the shop."
"Her body was stiff and in a weird position, so I ended up cutting off everything. I wrapped the pieces in plastic bags and put them, the torso, and all supplies back it the container. It all fit."
"Monday morning I found a spot near Stoney Creek Nature Area power lines and hid the evidence. I came back and later distributed the body parts."
"On Saturday 24th I went out very early to recover the torso because I did not hide it as well. I took it to my shop and left it there until March 1 at night. I got it and planned on reburying it, but my house was searched on March 2nd."
