Tortured Kids' Letters Shown To Idaho Jury

Anguished Father Confirms Handwriting On Notes Apparently Written At Behest Of Killer

(CBS/ AP)  The father of two children murdered and another sexually assaulted by a convicted sex offender testified at the killer's federal death-penalty hearing Thursday, showing pictures of his youngest children and choking up after confirming their handwriting on notes apparently written at their kidnapper's behest.

Steven Groene said it was the first time he had seen one of the letters, which offered a false promise. "I have good news we will be home soon," it read, "maybe in a week or 2."

Joseph Edward Duncan III pleaded guilty in December to 10 federal charges in the 2005 kidnappings of Dylan and Shasta Groene, and the slaying of Dylan. A federal jury is determining whether he should be put to death or spend life in prison without parole.

Earlier, Duncan pleaded guilty in state court to murdering the children's older brother, their mother and the mother's fiance during the attack at the family's Coeur d'Alene home. Prosecutors say he killed the three to kidnap and sexually brutalize Dylan, 9, and Shasta, then 8.

As their father testified, the letters from Dylan and Shasta flashed on a screen only briefly, and prosecutors avoided discussing the contents. But they're likely to be the letters found in the car Duncan was driving just before he was arrested with Shasta in a Coeur d'Alene restaurant weeks after the kidnapping.

Excerpts suggest Duncan directed the children to write them.

"Dear dad, I miss you very much. Me and Dylan know what happened," to their slain family members, one letter from Shasta read.

"I'm sorry you had to lose a son and an ex-wife and I'm sorry we were taken from you ... We are still alive and we are ok," read another.

After testifying about the identities of his children and confirming their handwriting, Groene stepped down, visibly choked up by the evidence. Duncan, who is representing himself, did not question him.

In May 2005, Duncan went to Idaho, broke into the home and bludgeoned 13-year-old Slade Groene, his mother, Brenda Groene, and her fiance, Mark McKenzie, before abducting Shasta and Dylan and taking them to a remote campsites and other locations in Montana. After sexually traumatizing the children for weeks, Duncan killed Dylan in front of his little sister and burned his body.

Former Kootenai County Deputy Dale Moyer, now a deputy in Spokane County, Wash., was the first prosecution witness Thursday.

He knew the family from previous calls to the house, and because when the children were playing in their front yard, they would sometimes wave him down as he drove by.

"The younger girl wanted stickers," the kind featuring law enforcement insignias, Moyer said. "And the 9-year-old, he wanted to talk about guns."

On the evening of May 16, 2005, Moyer was dispatched after the sheriff's department got a call asking them to go to the house.

As he approached the front door, he noticed blood on the porch and door, Moyer said.

While waiting for the other deputies to arrive, Moyer walked around the building and looked through a window. He could hear dogs barking inside and see blood on a wall inside the home.

"There was an odor ... of carnage and carnage smells," Moyer said. "There was a definite odor."

After other deputies arrived, Moyer said he went inside, finding the three bodies and realizing that Shasta and Dylan were missing.

One officer testified that the scene was so grisly he actually quit law enforcement for a time because "this case pushed me to the end," reports CBS affiliate KBCI-TV in Boise.

Duncan questioned FBI Special Agent Mike Geneckow, who took the stand to discuss a security video taken from a gas station in Kellogg, Idaho, on July 1, 2005, the day before Shasta was rescued.

In the video, Shasta walks around the convenience store with her arms tightly folded and Duncan nearby. At one point, Geneckow pointed out, a police car drove by the two, apparently not noticing that Shasta was the missing girl.

In cross-examination, Duncan asked the court to show the last frame of the video again - only to point out that a second police car had also passed them by.

During opening statements Wednesday, U.S. Attorney Tom Moss characterized Duncan as a cold, calculating killer and pedophile who terrorized the family because he wanted to "live out his fantasy" and exact revenge on society for perceived wrongs. Moss also said Duncan carefully researched police investigation procedures and took steps to avoid getting caught.

During his brief statement, Duncan told the jury that most of what Moss said was fair and accurate "up to the point of what occurred at the campground."

He said he would testify so he could try to "clarify things."

His standby legal counsel, Judy Clarke, has said Duncan doesn't plan to offer any mitigation, such as evidence of his own traumatic childhood.

Duncan's past is littered with arrests and prison time for crimes ranging from car theft to rape and molestation. He is suspected in the 1996 slayings of two half-sisters from Seattle and is charged with the 1997 killing of a young boy in Riverside County, Calif.

The sentencing hearing is expected to last up to six weeks.

[calexv1]

There is no words to describe this horror... death penalty all the way. No human being should commit such horrible crimes and in particular children. Such person does not deserve to live...

[staycalm]

Anti-death penalty advocates have a hard time justifying why someone like Duncan should continue to live. Surely all would agree that the death penalty must continue to exist if only for cases such as this where the crime is beyond heinous and there is no shadow of a doubt. Keep in mind that we all die and most of us will die a far less comfortable death than Duncan will face under lethal injection. It is actually a mercy to get him off this planet where he obviously does not belong and give him some peace as well as the rest of us.

[gdig60804]

This twisted, sick, perverted animal doesn''t deserve the death penalty. The death penalty is to good for him. Let him stay and jail and hope someone sticks a broom stick up his @ss and die that way. Or, have him suffer daily beatings and tortured until the day he dies. SCUM.

[gdig60804]

This twisted, sick, perverted animal doesn''t deserve the death penalty. The death penalty is to good for him. Let him stay and jail and hope someone sticks a broom stick up his @ss and die that way. Or, have him suffer daily beatings and tortured until the day he dies. SCUM.

[libsluv2spit]

In May 2005, Duncan went to Idaho, broke into the home and bludgeoned 13-year-old Slade Groene, his mother, Brenda Groene, and her fiance, Mark McKenzie, before abducting Shasta and Dylan and taking them to a remote campsites and other locations in Montana. After sexually traumatizing the children for weeks, Duncan killed Dylan in front of his little sister and burned his body.

**********

anybody who finds a really pathethic reason to spare this piece of sh*t the most fit punishment (DEATH) are more disgusting.

those who would argue that lethal injection would inflict undue and unusual form of punishment should be shot in the head along with this piece of cr ap

[psk123-2009]

The death penalty would be a mercy to this guy. Let him have life without possibility of parole. General population sounds good to me.

[libsluv2spit]

my god!!! this guy does not deserve any peace..any comfort..any sympathy...

he needs to be tormented..

the wicked and the blasphemous will BE PUNISHED

[haoli25]

This guy should not be executed. He should be kept alive for continuing medical research. Any disease on the planet he should be infected with.

[mommakat64]

This sexual monster and his "fantasies" reminds me of Wesley Allan Dodd''s horrors in Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA. He also had fantasies, and drawings of his fantasies...he hanged, and resuscitated, his youngest boy victim three times before he finally strangled him. The devil himself knows what poor little Dylan went through. Dodd had to be put into solitary confinement, of course. But he didn''t want to have to live a life where he only had his fantasies and could never make them actually happen. He chose death, even demanded that his lawyers stop the process so he could get his hanging over with and done. He also tried the "my childhood was awful" diatribe...didn''t work for Dodd, and I hope it doesn''t work for Duncan. You all are right...this piece of offal shouldn''t live a second longer than absolutely necessary...

[dan_shields-2009]

let Judge Judy hear this case, and see how far he gets!

[closethippy1]

I''m against the death penalty but I think I speak for a large segment of death penalty opponents when I say "***, go ahead. Skin the man alive if you have to."
This b.astard is lucky he''s not in Saudi Arabia or a place like that. Very lucky.

[chatmandu002]

The ultimate penalty for the ultimate crime.

[caineporter]

When will this ******* government learn? In this particular case, and many others, I say *** the penal systam! Hang this man! Destroy him! Give him the punishment of the Judas Cradle!

http://www.medievality.com/judas-craddle.html

Let that *** know what it feels like to be traumatized. He does not deserve the satisfaction of dying comfortably after what he''s done. Make him suffer to his last breath. Rebel, people, and get your government to act now! We must stand up for the innocents! Let there be no more victims like this poor family! Stand now and fight!

[dedad1]

For every one you kill, there are a dozen to take his place. Ever see the movie ''The Star Chamber"? Give it a look.On the other hand,if this happened to my family I would want justice. Killing him would be too quick a death.He will suffer much more in prison.Call a convict what you will, but most of them don''t like child killers.

[dedad1]

vechtables- I don''t get you....

[saundraf1]

I lived in Spokane Washington when this Monster
committed these crimes, he doesn''t deserve to smile
or have the comfort of a cell, those poor people
went through so much, the children were just babies.
I can''t believe someone hasn''t done him in yet.
Shasta used to go in the Farm store my daughter worked at after all these things happened to her,
my daughter said she looked so haunted and sad, this
was a year after it happened. I say prayers for her
and her Dad all the time.

[btclan-2009]

We were living in WA when this happened and made big news over there. Just makes me sick. Death would be too good for this guy.

[wellhell3]

Let justice be done...put him in the cell with craziest bastward alive, and give him a dull knife, a cigarette lighter, and a tub full of fecal material to shove in every oracle, keep him alive and let him ganguere and let the maggots eat him alive.

[btclan-2009]

Voltaire777

Who cares if they were emoting. It was a horrific thing that guy did. Is there a point to your post or are you just a troll looking to stir up trouble? I think a troll

[o2bewealthy]

Putting this monster to death will solve nothing. It can''t bring the deceased back, nor will it erase the memory of these events from the survivors'' minds. The solution as I see it? Prison labor - for the rest of his life. And the money that he ''earns'' goes to pay for the psychiatric therapy that the Groene''s will need, as well as monetary restitution for the lives that he took. It''s too bad our system sees prison labor as "cruel and unusual punishment," when, really, it can be the answer.

[pepina42]

Why the ...... was this monster, with his past record, walking around free?

[deacon20081]

Lethal Injection is a mercy killing as far as this evil man is concerned. I hope they miss with the needle and he feels every second of it.

I am against capitol punishment as a rule. But even the church acknowledges to protect society death is the ONLY remedy for a man like this.

[wineberry]

In some countries a man like this would be put to death immediately, probably by firing squad. Why this country keeps haggling over what to do with criminals like this man is really ridiculous. Put him to death and be done with him.

[randaids]

So, death would be too good? How about if we cut his thing off and make him watch as we feed it to a dog. Would that be too good for him? Please.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by Voltaire777 at 11:34 PM : Aug 14, 2008

What a sanctimonious goober you are.!!!! I%u2019m looking for intelligence from your posts and all I see is rabble rousing.

[btclan-2009]

Voltaire777
What are YOU saying that''s so interesting? Not much.
Have a good night.

[libsluv2spit]

Posted by Voltaire777 at 11:56 PM : Aug 14, 2008
+ report abuse

******

humm I wonder if you have child porn on your computer..seem a little sympatethic..its amazing how you can keep your ''cool'' about this..not unless of course it hits you right there..

[Netterz]

It has been proven time and time again, and even by pedophiles OWN words, that they are unable to stop molesting. Once caught, they should be removed from society, because they are unable to control there appetite for abuse. They often will sexually assualt a smaller inmate in prison to feed there needs. The needle is the only way to stop them. They can not hurt anyone, if they are 6 ft under. I am tired of supporting these freaks, with a lifestyle that is better than most people are trying to build for themselves in the world today.

[nickinindy1]

There will be cry that all registered *** offenders should be banned from society. But consider that this terrible case is highly unusual. Facts are the vast majority of registered offenders never re-offend while the vast majority of children who are molested know their attacker and it is someone never before caught.

As a therapist I have seen tremendous positive results from *** offenders who undergo counseling and then become positive members of society. Yet with the grand standing of politicians and the hysteria driven media, the good that comes from therapy is being erased.

If we keep persecuting registered offenders they will stop registering and then we won''t know where any of them all. Besides, your child has a much greater chance of being killed by a handgun than he or she does being molested by a registered offender

[whiskyrokkr]

All I need is a couple of days with this scum bag.

[shippg]

NickinIndy1, I do not know what planet you live on. It must be nice. *** offenders re-offend all the time. In fact, they often tell their parole officers about their urges. The P.O.s and judges are so bleeding heart that they let them out anyway. Anyone who is molested by a known *** offender should get at least $100 million from the government. Maybe that will make them (the gov) think harder about releasing the perverts.

[shameonbush]

This story is absolutely terrifying. I remember that video of the little girl in the gas station. I remember there were 2 children leaving ghe store that made fun of her by mocking how she walked with her hands behind her. If you watch the entire tape you see those kids making fun of her as she entered the store. What unspeakable horror this little girl has endured, I''d like to know how she is now. I think this story broke our hearts, I don''t care what kind of childhood the killer had, at least he was allowed to grow up, unlike the children he killed. My prayers are with Shasta, may God give her the grace to cope.

[brianbwb-2009]

Posted by Humanavance

ST, I was looking for you the other day. Guess what I found? You tube "Chris rock introduces Obama" in that video, Mr. Obama has a very interesting thing to say about the constitution.

Now in light of his recent shift backwards to the right, one would be forgiven a bit of skepticism, but so far this is the only time I have heard these words from any politician.

Get back to me on this, let me know what you think, ok?

[shirk3-2009]

Is it really that hard to figure out? Fry this...POS. NOW!

[slim1h2o]

Usually I''m not for the death penalty, but in this case, we know he committed this crime.

So. yes, FRY him.

[longtree-2009]

American mainstream society needs to start executing these criminal mutants even if it means round-the-clock executions. Only those criminal mutants who are guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt, with real hard evidence, would be excuted within one year of conviction. Every state in the Union, should be executing these mutants. For example, the killer of Laci Peterson in CA, the killer of 12 y/o Polly Klaas also in CA. Definitely this mutant in this News story, execute him. Stop the nonsense of Life without parole, or any other sentence, for murder. Execute them immediately. So tired of these mutants why isn''t everyone else?

[slim1h2o]

Usually I''m not for the death penalty, but in this case, we know he committed this crime.

So. yes, FRY him.

[jetlizhan]

without a doubt, slowly sizzle his sorry, worthless butt.

[greeneyes222]

If this isn''t worth the death penalty, I don''t know what is. Do it soon.

[sandysguy]

vechtables
You are one sick S.O.B.

[liebchen21]

This worthless rotten POS deserves the same mercy he showed this family. Hang him high, let him swing.

[missybelle-2009]

Every time I see this evil SOB''s face I feel such hate go through me that I''m glad that I''m not near him. And for those of you who condemn police for their brutality, generally speaking this is one of those cases that drives them to it. Read: One officer testified that the scene was so grisly he actually quit law enforcement for a time because "this case pushed me to the end,"

[davidy007]

Our justice system is a joke, and allowing this garbage pile to garner more media attention by defending himself is almost worse than what he did. This sick *** should be already dead.

[apander1]

I cannot believe this story, and it was a fantasy of his. Don''t waste the tax dollars on this demented freak!!!
Kill him, till be burned to the bone, but like he made this little girl watch, what he did to her own brother.
Oh, I so feel for this little girl. How will she recover from something like this. She must have seen him kill her oldest brother and her mother,and her partner. and to later watch her other brother die, after being, someone she must have been reliant on for comfort. Then she had no one.
I pray that God will help her, and confort her. I will pray for her and her fast recover for peace of mind and security.

[barbaraf4]

Okay, here''s what this scum deserves: being skinned alive with a rusty razor blade and then the electric chair. No human rights and questions about whether his death is humane. No appeals. Just do it!

[crazycwp]

This monster can''t die fast enough. God Bless Shasta and her dad. My heart goes out to them and all the victims of this P. O. S.

[gopack443]

Sure a lot of blood thirsty people around, mostly on this commit board.

[mydiatribe]

Unfortunately until these words:
''CONVICTED *** OFFENDER'' (pedophile)
at the very minimum means a TRUE LIFE sentence, we will continue to read stories just like this one.

Mandatory Minimum Sentences==what is Obama''s position on this?

[tootall10142]

There are some people who need killed and some of us who need the permission!

[mypatch]

These people need to be identified as soon as we make any kind of contact with them. A tatoo of some kind should be stamped on there arm or hand. We need to protect our children. Since this the authorities insists on cutting them loose on us.

[gaye5]

Gopack443, it is very natural for any normal humanbeing to be angry and want to do all sorts of things to this animal, but when it comed down to the crunch, most of them could not do it.. But we all want him in jail or in the chair, as since crime is not punnished much now crime is on the increase and of course there are many reasons for this not just one.

When I wanted to try to get the out of a person who refused to pay me the rest of the money for a business I sold her, the lawyer said that it was no use in trying to sue her as the law seems to be on the side of the criminal now, and it would cost to much for probably not winning.
Venting anger is healthy, it is if they carry out that anger that is not good...
I also would like to know that he has had the pain and hurt and feel the horrors that these little ones felt and what their family went through, but that would just be lowing myself to his level so we dont go there...