CHS_CG
07-02-2005, 02:04 PM
COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — Shasta Groene, the 8-year-old girl whose mother, oldest brother and mother's boyfriend were bludgeoned to death at their home outside this mountain town six weeks ago, was discovered alive early Saturday morning by a waitress at a local Denny's restaurant.
But her brother, Dylan, 9, who with Shasta vanished from the murder scene, was feared dead, Kootenai County authorities said. An Amber Alert was issued for the siblings May 17, the morning after the triple slayings.
"Our initial information is that he may be deceased," Sheriff's Capt. Ben Wolfinger said, adding that officials were continuing the search for him. He would not elaborate on what kind of information investigators had.
Joseph Edward Duncan III (search), 42, a registered sex offender from Fargo, N.D., was charged with kidnapping and was being held without bond, Wolfinger said. He said more charges could be added.
Cheryl Morgan, the siblings' grandmother, had earlier told FOX News she had been informed both Shasta and Dylan were found alive.
Duncan has a long record of sexual offenses. He arrested in Becker County, Minn., in April for allegedly molesting a 7-year-old boy the previous July, and served 14 years in prison for raping at 14-year-old boy in Washington state in 1980, when Duncan himself was only 16.
In May, Minnesota authorities said they were seeking Duncan on a warrant after he failed to stay in touch with probation agents.
Local news reports said Duncan and Shasta Groene (search) walked into the Denny's at a little before 2 a.m. PDT Saturday. One account said Duncan ripped down a missing poster featuring the Groene siblings.
A waitress noticed the girl and, after consulting photos in a recent newspaper, called 911. She then served the girl a milkshake and stalled the pair until police arrived.
Shasta seemed well and was being interviewed by investigators at Kootenai County Medical Center (search). Her father, Steve Groene (search), was on his way to Coeur d'Alene to be reunited with her, a relative said.
"She was sitting in a restaurant eating a meal. She's obviously well enough to do that," Wolfinger said.
Her grandmother, who was calling from Montana, said authorities told her Shasta was alert.
"She wanted to see her daddy. She wanted to talk to her brother. So she's coherent," said Morgan. "She understands what's going on. So we're real confident that she is aware of everything."
It was not known whether Duncan had a connection with the victims.
"We don't have any idea who Duncan is, other than a very, very sick individual. Sick and stupid to go to a Denny's at 2 a.m. with a child," Bob Price, Shasta Groene's paternal uncle, said by telephone from Tacoma, Wash.
Price said the children's father had just arrived at Price's home early Saturday for the Fourth of July weekend when he received a call saying Shasta had been found.
Wolfinger said he had no information on where Shasta had been held or where her brother may be.
"All we know is that he was not with Shasta and Duncan" at the restaurant, he said.
Dylan and Shasta Groene had been missing since at least May 16, when sheriff's deputies responded to their rural home after a neighbor reported that dogs were barking and the door of one vehicle was open but no one was in sight.
The deputies found the bound bodies of Brenda Groene, 40, Slade Groene, 13, and Mark McKenzie, 37. The victims were bound and then bludgeoned to death.
FBI agents and local officers interviewed hundreds of people, searched through 800 tons of animal carcasses and other trash and devoted thousands of hours to the search.
More than 2,000 tips flowed in, with people offering theories that ranged from alien abduction to a motorcycle gang war, since the children's biological father owns a Harley-Davidson.
Brenda Groene and Mark McKenzie had marijuana and methamphetamine in their bodies at the time of their deaths.
Tom Kraus, Brenda Groene's great-uncle in Whitefish, Mont., said family members were elated by the news of Shasta's return and hoping that Dylan also would be found alive.
"Obviously, we were very excited they found Shasta," he said. "We are hopeful they can find Dylan. We're very happy those folks at Denny's recognized her and that they found her."
Police in Fargo were securing his apartment to assist in the investigation, police Sgt. Shannon Ruziska said.
Duncan's address in Fargo was in an older neighborhood where a number of North Dakota State University students live. He enrolled at the university in 2000, majoring in computer science, and made the dean's list in fall 2000 and spring 2001.
More than 300 people attended a community notification meeting for Duncan after his move to Fargo.
Kerstin Haugen, who lives in an apartment building next door, said she had not seen him for several months. Police stopped by looking for him, she said.
"He seemed normal," Haugen said. She said she was not aware that he was a registered sex offender when she first moved in, but found out later from neighbors. She said he kept to himself.
Ruziska said police were doing quarterly checks on Duncan.
"The call from Idaho was a surprise to us," Ruziska said.
Duncan's criminal history dates back to 1980, when he was convicted of raping a 14-year-old boy in Washington state when he was 16.
Last July, he was accused of molesting a 6-year-old boy at a school playground in Minnesota. He was charged with second-degree criminal sexual conduct and attempted criminal sexual conduct.
He had been released by Becker County, Minn., authorities in April on $15,000 bond and ordered to stay in touch with a probation agent. In May, authorities said they were seeking Duncan on a warrant after he failed to do so.
Becker County Attorney Joseph Evans did not immediately return a call Saturday seeking comment.
Minnesota has moved to crack down on sex offenders since the slaying of college student Dru Sjodin (search) across the state line in North Dakota. A sex offender from Minnesota is accused in the slaying.
A federal law creating a Web site with state-by-state information on sex offenders was inspired in part by the Sjodin case.
But her brother, Dylan, 9, who with Shasta vanished from the murder scene, was feared dead, Kootenai County authorities said. An Amber Alert was issued for the siblings May 17, the morning after the triple slayings.
"Our initial information is that he may be deceased," Sheriff's Capt. Ben Wolfinger said, adding that officials were continuing the search for him. He would not elaborate on what kind of information investigators had.
Joseph Edward Duncan III (search), 42, a registered sex offender from Fargo, N.D., was charged with kidnapping and was being held without bond, Wolfinger said. He said more charges could be added.
Cheryl Morgan, the siblings' grandmother, had earlier told FOX News she had been informed both Shasta and Dylan were found alive.
Duncan has a long record of sexual offenses. He arrested in Becker County, Minn., in April for allegedly molesting a 7-year-old boy the previous July, and served 14 years in prison for raping at 14-year-old boy in Washington state in 1980, when Duncan himself was only 16.
In May, Minnesota authorities said they were seeking Duncan on a warrant after he failed to stay in touch with probation agents.
Local news reports said Duncan and Shasta Groene (search) walked into the Denny's at a little before 2 a.m. PDT Saturday. One account said Duncan ripped down a missing poster featuring the Groene siblings.
A waitress noticed the girl and, after consulting photos in a recent newspaper, called 911. She then served the girl a milkshake and stalled the pair until police arrived.
Shasta seemed well and was being interviewed by investigators at Kootenai County Medical Center (search). Her father, Steve Groene (search), was on his way to Coeur d'Alene to be reunited with her, a relative said.
"She was sitting in a restaurant eating a meal. She's obviously well enough to do that," Wolfinger said.
Her grandmother, who was calling from Montana, said authorities told her Shasta was alert.
"She wanted to see her daddy. She wanted to talk to her brother. So she's coherent," said Morgan. "She understands what's going on. So we're real confident that she is aware of everything."
It was not known whether Duncan had a connection with the victims.
"We don't have any idea who Duncan is, other than a very, very sick individual. Sick and stupid to go to a Denny's at 2 a.m. with a child," Bob Price, Shasta Groene's paternal uncle, said by telephone from Tacoma, Wash.
Price said the children's father had just arrived at Price's home early Saturday for the Fourth of July weekend when he received a call saying Shasta had been found.
Wolfinger said he had no information on where Shasta had been held or where her brother may be.
"All we know is that he was not with Shasta and Duncan" at the restaurant, he said.
Dylan and Shasta Groene had been missing since at least May 16, when sheriff's deputies responded to their rural home after a neighbor reported that dogs were barking and the door of one vehicle was open but no one was in sight.
The deputies found the bound bodies of Brenda Groene, 40, Slade Groene, 13, and Mark McKenzie, 37. The victims were bound and then bludgeoned to death.
FBI agents and local officers interviewed hundreds of people, searched through 800 tons of animal carcasses and other trash and devoted thousands of hours to the search.
More than 2,000 tips flowed in, with people offering theories that ranged from alien abduction to a motorcycle gang war, since the children's biological father owns a Harley-Davidson.
Brenda Groene and Mark McKenzie had marijuana and methamphetamine in their bodies at the time of their deaths.
Tom Kraus, Brenda Groene's great-uncle in Whitefish, Mont., said family members were elated by the news of Shasta's return and hoping that Dylan also would be found alive.
"Obviously, we were very excited they found Shasta," he said. "We are hopeful they can find Dylan. We're very happy those folks at Denny's recognized her and that they found her."
Police in Fargo were securing his apartment to assist in the investigation, police Sgt. Shannon Ruziska said.
Duncan's address in Fargo was in an older neighborhood where a number of North Dakota State University students live. He enrolled at the university in 2000, majoring in computer science, and made the dean's list in fall 2000 and spring 2001.
More than 300 people attended a community notification meeting for Duncan after his move to Fargo.
Kerstin Haugen, who lives in an apartment building next door, said she had not seen him for several months. Police stopped by looking for him, she said.
"He seemed normal," Haugen said. She said she was not aware that he was a registered sex offender when she first moved in, but found out later from neighbors. She said he kept to himself.
Ruziska said police were doing quarterly checks on Duncan.
"The call from Idaho was a surprise to us," Ruziska said.
Duncan's criminal history dates back to 1980, when he was convicted of raping a 14-year-old boy in Washington state when he was 16.
Last July, he was accused of molesting a 6-year-old boy at a school playground in Minnesota. He was charged with second-degree criminal sexual conduct and attempted criminal sexual conduct.
He had been released by Becker County, Minn., authorities in April on $15,000 bond and ordered to stay in touch with a probation agent. In May, authorities said they were seeking Duncan on a warrant after he failed to do so.
Becker County Attorney Joseph Evans did not immediately return a call Saturday seeking comment.
Minnesota has moved to crack down on sex offenders since the slaying of college student Dru Sjodin (search) across the state line in North Dakota. A sex offender from Minnesota is accused in the slaying.
A federal law creating a Web site with state-by-state information on sex offenders was inspired in part by the Sjodin case.