The Predator Who Haunted Childhoods： Joseph Edward Duncan - Serial Killer Documentary

The Predator Who Haunted Childhoods： Joseph Edward Duncan - Serial Killer Documentary

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
May sixteenth, two thousand five. The Groween family home sat
peacefully along the shores of Lake cur De Lien, Idaho. Inside,
Brenda Groane was getting her children ready for bed, thirteen
year old Slade, nine year old Dillon, and eight year
old Shasta. Her boyfriend Mark mac ckenzie was watching television
in the living room. It was a typical Sunday evening

(00:21):
for what appeared to be a normal American family, but
some one was watching them from the darkness outside. Joseph
Edward Duncan had been surveiling the house for hours, studying
their routines and waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
He carried with him zip ties, weapons, and twenty seven
years of experience as a predator who had been hunting

(00:42):
children since he was fifteen years old. At some point
during the night, Duncan made his move. He entered the
house while the family slept, transforming their safe haven into
a house of horrors in a matter of minutes. When
morning came, three members of the Groween family would be
dead to death with a hammer in their own home.

(01:02):
Two children would be gone, vanished without a trace, into
the wilderness, with a man whose capacity for evil knew
no bounds. The discovery of the crime scene would launch
one of the largest man hunts in Idaho history. But
what investigators didn't know was that they were hunting someone
who had been perfecting his methods for decades, leaving a

(01:23):
trail of murdered children across multiple states while the system
failed repeatedly to stop him. The growing Family massacre was
not Duncan's first crime, and it would not be his last.
It was simply the moment when his decades of violence
finally came to light, revealing a predator whose reign of
terror had lasted far longer than anyone could have imagined.

(01:47):
If you're interested in true crime cases that reveal the
darkest aspects of human nature, make sure to subscribe and
hit the notification bell. Today's case will take you deep
into one of the most disturbing criminal minds in modern
American history. Joseph Edward Duncan the Third was born on
February twenty fifth, nineteen sixty three, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

(02:11):
He entered the world as the fourth of five children
in what appeared to be a typical military family. His father,
Joseph Duncan Junior, served in the United States Army, which
meant the family moved frequently, a lifestyle that would become
a defining characteristic of Duncan's early years. The Duncan household
was far from stable, with his father's military commitments requiring

(02:33):
constant relocation. The family packed up and moved every year
or two, never allowing the children to establish lasting friendships
or feel rooted in any community. They lived not only
across different states within America, but also at military bases abroad,
creating a nomadic existence that left little room for normalcy.

(02:54):
Duncan's mother, Lilian May, was described by those who knew her,
as a domineering woman whom maintained strict control over the household.
The family dynamic was tense, with Duncan caught between an
absent military father and an overbearing mother. By the time
Duncan was twelve years old, his father retired from the
army and the family finally settled into Coma, Washington, but

(03:17):
the damage to the family structure was already done. The
instability at home became more pronounced as Duncan entered his
teenage years. His parents marriage began to crumble, leading to
their separation in nineteen seventy nine and eventual divorce. In
nineteen eighty three, the family unit that had never been
particularly strong completely fell apart. Duncan's three older sisters left

(03:41):
home all at once, abandoning the toxic environment and leaving
Duncan alone with his controlling mother. His younger brother eventually
went to live with their father, who had remarried and
started a new life with a step family. Duncan attended
Lake's High School in Tacoma, but struggled academically and socially.
He never graduated, and his educational failures seemed to mirror

(04:04):
the chaos in his personal life. Teachers and classmates would
later describe him as a loner who had difficulty forming
meaningful relationships with his peers. It was during this tumultuous
period of family breakdown and social isolation that Duncan began
exhibiting the warning signs that would define his adult life.

(04:24):
In nineteen seventy eight, at just fifteen years old, he
committed his first recorded sexual offense, a violent crime that
would set the pattern for decades of escalating predatory behavior.
The crime was shocking in its brutality and calculation. Duncan
approached a nine year old boy and using a gun
to threaten him, committed rape. This wasn't the impulsive act

(04:46):
of a confused teenager. It was a deliberate, planned assault
that demonstrated a level of violence and sexual deviance that
terrified investigators. When Duncan was arrested the following year for
stealing a car, the full scope of his crisriminal behavior
began to emerge. During therapy sessions at the juvenile detention facility,
Duncan revealed information that stunned mental health professionals. He claimed

(05:10):
to have bound and sexually assaulted six boys prior to
his arrest. Even more disturbing, he estimated that by age sixteen,
he had raped thirteen younger boys. These revelations painted a
picture of a teenager who had already developed into a
sophisticated predator. His crimes weren't random acts of violence. They
followed a clear pattern of targeting vulnerable children, using weapons

(05:34):
to control them, and escalating from assault to sexual violence
with calculated precision. In nineteen eighty, Duncan's criminal behavior escalated dramatically.
He stole several guns from a neighbour's home, a crime
that demonstrated both his growing boldness and his understanding that
firearms gave him power over his victims. Armed with these

(05:54):
stolen weapons, he abducted a fourteen year old boy and
subjected him to a sexual assault at gunpoint. This crime
marked a significant escalation in Duncan's criminal pattern. Not only
was he using increasingly sophisticated methods to control his victims,
but he was also targeting older children and using more
extreme violence. The courts recognized the serious nature of his

(06:18):
crimes and sentenced him to twenty years in prison, a
substantial sentence for someone who was still technically a teenager himself. However,
Duncan would not serve his full sentence. After fourteen years
behind bars, he was released on parole in nineteen ninety four.
The decision to grant him parole would prove to be
a fatal mistake that would cost multiple innocent lives over

(06:42):
the following years. Upon his release, Duncan moved to the
Seattle area, where he was supposed to be under strict
parole supervision. The conditions of his parole required him to
register as a sex offender, maintain stable housing, and report
regularly to a parole officer. However, the supervision system failed
to adequately monitor someone with his history of extreme violence

(07:05):
and sexual predation. Duncan lived in several different locations around Seattle,
never staying in one place long enough to establish a
pattern that might have made him easier to track. This
nomadic lifestyle, combined with inadequate parole supervision, gave him the
freedom to continue his predatory behavior without detection. In nineteen

(07:26):
ninety six, while still on parole, Duncan committed what investigators
now believe were his first murders. On July sixth, nineteen
ninety six, two young girls, eleven year old Sammiejo White
and her nine year old half sister, Carmen Cubius, disappeared
from the Crest Motel in Seattle, where they had been
staying with family. The girls had been playing outside the

(07:48):
motel when they vanished without a trace. Their disappearance launched
a massive search effort involving local police, FBI agents, and
hundreds of volunteers who combed the Seattle area looking for
any sign of the missing children. For nearly two years,
the fate of Sammiejo and Carmen remained a mystery. Then,
on February tenth, nineteen ninety eight, hikers in Bothel, Washington,

(08:11):
made a grisly discovery. Hidden in a remote wooded area,
they found the skeletal remains of two children. Dental records
confirmed that these were the remains of the white and
cubious girls, who had been dead for over a year
and a half. The condition of the remains made it
difficult for investigators to determine exactly how the girls had died,
but evidence suggested they had been victims of extreme violence.

(08:34):
The case went cold, joining the growing number of unsolved
child murders that plagued law enforcement agencies across the Pacific Northwest.
What investigators didn't know at the time was that Duncan
had beaten both girls to death, a method of killing
that would become his signature in future crimes. He had
lured them away from the motel, transported them to the

(08:55):
remote location, and murdered them before disposing of their bodies
in the woods. The Seattle murders represented a significant escalation
in Duncan's criminal behaviour. He had moved from sexual assault
to murder, demonstrating that his capacity for violence had no limits.
The fact that he was able to commit these crimes
while on parole revealed serious flaws in the supervision system

(09:18):
that was supposed to protect the public from dangerous offenders
like him. Duncan's parole period continued to provide him with
opportunities to hunt for victims across multiple states. In April
nineteen ninety seven, he traveled to California, where he would
claim his next victim in a crime that demonstrated his
evolving methods of luring children. Ten year old Anthony Martinez

(09:42):
was playing with friends in the front yard of his
home in Beaumont, California, on April fourth, nineteen ninety seven,
when a stranger approached the group. The man appeared friendly
and non threatening as he asked the children if they
could help him find his missing cat. It was a
classic predator tactic, using a s seemingly innocent request to
gain access to potential victims. When the children refused to

(10:05):
help search for the fictional cat, Duncan's demeanor changed instantly.
He grabbed Martinez at knife point, demonstrating the same pattern
of using weapons to control his victims that he had
employed in his earlier crimes. Before the other children could
react or call for help, Duncan threw Martinez into his
vehicle and drove away. The abduction launched a massive two

(10:28):
week search effort. Law enforcement agencies across southern California joined
the search, while Martinez's family and community volunteers distributed flyers
and organized search parties. Local media coverage kept the story
in the public eye, but despite the extensive efforts, no
trace of Anthony Martinez could be found. On April nineteenth,

(10:49):
nineteen ninety seven, the search came to a tragic end.
Martinez's body was discovered in Indio, California, nude and in
an advanced state of decomposition. The condition of the remains
told a horrific story of what the young boy had
endured before his death. Evidence showed that he had been
sexually assaulted and bound with duct tape before being killed.

(11:12):
Investigators collected physical evidence from the crime scene, including a
partial finger print from the duct tape used to bind Martinez.
They also created a composite sketch based on descriptions provided
by the children who had witnessed the abduction. However, despite
these leads, the case eventually went cold as investigators were
unable to identify a suspect. The Martinez murder demonstrated Duncan's

(11:36):
ability to operate across state lines and his growing confidence
in his ability to avoid capture. He had successfully abducted, assaulted,
and murdered a child in broad daylight, then disposed of
the body in a way that delayed its discovery for
two weeks. The crime showed a level of planning and
calculation that marked him as an extremely dangerous predator. Duncan

(12:00):
Whe's freedom came to an end in nineteen ninety seven
when he was arrested in Missouri for violating the terms
of his parole. The specific violation that led to his
arrest was relatively minor, but it was enough to send
him back to prison for the remainder of his original sentence.
The return to incarceration may have prevented additional crimes during
the late nineteen nineties, but it also gave Duncan time

(12:23):
to reflect on his methods and plan for his eventual release.
Prison records from this period show that he maintained his
manipulative nature, presenting himself as a model prisoner while likely
planning his future crimes. On July fourteenth, two thousand, Duncan
was released from prison with time off for good behavior.

(12:43):
He had served his sentence and was no longer on parole,
which meant he had more freedom to move around without supervision.
He relocated to Fargo, North Dakota, perhaps hoping that a
change of environment would help him avoid the temptations that
had led to his previous crimes. However, Duncan's move to
North Dakota did not represent a genuine attempt at rehabilitation. Instead,

(13:06):
it appeared to be a strategic decision to locate himself
in an area where he might be less likely to
be recognized or connected to his past crimes. The sparse
population and rural nature of the region may have appealed
to him as a place where he could potentially find
victims without attracting the attention of law enforcement. For nearly
five years, Duncan managed to avoid arrest during this period.

(13:30):
Investigators believe he may have committed additional crimes that have
never been solved. His ability to remain undetected for so
long demonstrated his evolution as a predator who had learned
from his past mistakes and become more sophisticated in his methods.
Duncan's period of freedom came to an end in July
two thousand four, when he committed a crime that would

(13:52):
ultimately lead investigators to connect him with some of the
most horrific murders in American criminal history. On July third,
two thousand and four, at a playground in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota,
Duncan approached two young boys and molested them. The crime
occurred in broad daylight at a public playground, a location
that demonstrated Duncan's growing boldness and his belief that he

(14:15):
could commit crimes without consequence. The playground setting also revealed
his sophisticated understanding of where to find vulnerable children and
how to approach them without initially arousing suspicion. The boys
reported the incident to adults, who immediately contacted law enforcement.
Police launched an investigation that quickly identified Duncan as the

(14:38):
primary suspect. However, the case moved slowly through the legal system,
and Duncan remained free for months while investigators built their case.
In March two thousand and five, nearly eight months after
the original incident, Duncan was finally charged with the molestation
of the two boys. The delay in filing charges would
prove to be a critical factor in the tragedy that

(14:59):
was about to unfold. On April fifth, two thousand five,
Duncan appeared before a Becker County judge for his initial
court appearance. The judge set bail at fifteen thousand dollars,
a relatively modest amount considering Duncan's extensive criminal history and
the serious nature of the charges against him. A local
business man who had become acquainted with Duncan helped him

(15:22):
post bail. This decision, made by someone who likely had
no knowledge of Duncan's true criminal history, provided him with
the freedom he needed to flee the jurisdiction and avoid prosecution.
Duncan took advantage of his freedom by skipping bail and
disappearing completely. On June first, two thousand five, a federal
warrant was issued for his arrest for unlawful flight to

(15:45):
avoid prosecution. However, by that time, Duncan had already begun
planning what would become his most notorious and devastating crime.
On the evening of May fifteenth, two thousand five, Duncan
began surveillance of a family home along Lake Curdleen outside
the city of cur Dealen, Idaho. The house belonged to
Brenda Groane, of forty year old single mother who lived

(16:06):
there with her children and her boyfriend, Mark Mackenzie. The
grown family appeared to live a quiet, normal life in
their lakeside community. Brenda worked to support her children, thirteen
year old Slade, nine year old Dillon, and eight year
old Shasta. Her boyfriend, thirty seven year old Mark mackenzie,
had become a father figure to the children and was

(16:27):
planning to marry Brenda. Duncan spent time observing the family's routines,
learning their schedules, and identifying the best time to strike.
This surveillance period demonstrated the calculated nature of his planning
and his patients in waiting for the optimal moment to
commit his crimes. In the early morning hours of May sixteenth,

(16:47):
two thousand five, Duncan put his plan into action. He
approached the Growen home under cover of darkness, armed with
weapons and prepared for violence. What happened next would be
described by survivor ving victim Shasta Groan as one of
the most terrifying nights imaginable. According to Shasta's later testimony,
her mother came into the bedroom she shared with Dylan

(17:09):
and woke them up with urgent words, someone is in
the house. The family moved into the living room, where
they encountered Duncan, wearing black gloves and holding a gun.
Duncan immediately took control of the situation, using the intimidation
tactics he had perfected over years of criminal activity. He
bound Brenda's hands with nylon zip ties, then did the

(17:32):
same to Mark McKenzie and thirteen year old Slade. The
use of restraints showed his preparation and his understanding of
how to control multiple victims. Simultaneously, Shasta and Dylan were
removed from the house and placed on the lawn outside,
where they waited in terror as Duncan returned to the
house to deal with the three bound victims. From their

(17:53):
position outside, the children could hear multiple thumping sounds coming
from inside their home, sounds that would haunt Shasta for
the rest of her life. At one point during the attack,
Slade managed to break free from his restraints and staggered
toward the entrance of the house, lightly trying to escape
or get help. However, Duncan caught him before he could

(18:14):
get away and brought him back inside to continue the assault.
Duncan used a hammer to beat all three victims to death.
Brenda Groan, Mark mac Kenzie, and thirteen year old Slade Grown.
The brutality of the attacks was extreme, with each victim
suffering multiple blunt force traumer injuries to the head. The
medical examiner would later determine that the cause of death

(18:36):
for all three was blunt trauma to the head. After
completing the murders, Duncan returned to collect Shasta and Dylan,
loading them into a stolen red jeep Cherokee with Missouri
license plates. As they drove away from the house, Duncan
told the terrified children that he had beaten their family
members to death with a hammer, information that would later

(18:57):
prove crucial in his prosecution. Duncan drove the two kidnapped
children to remote locations where he held them captive for
forty seven days. During this period, he repeatedly sexually assaulted
and tortured both children while moving between different camp sites
to avoid detection. The first location was a makeshift camp

(19:17):
site in a remote area of the Lolo National Forest
near Saint Regis, Montana. Duncan had chosen this location specifically
because of its isolation. It was far from populated areas
and unlikely to be discovered by hikers. Or forest rangers.
At the camp site, Duncan subjected both children to systematic
abuse that included physical torture, sexual assault, and psychological torment.

(19:42):
He used various methods to maintain control over them, including
threats of violence and manipulation tactics designed to make them compliant.
Shasta would later testify that Duncan told her detailed stories
about how he had killed her family members. He described
using the hammer to beat them to death, providing graphic
details that served both to traumatize her further and to

(20:06):
reinforce his control over her through fear. The abuse continued
as Duncan moved the children to a second camp site,
maintaining his pattern of staying mobile to avoid capture. Throughout
this period, he documented some of his crimes on video,
creating evidence that would later be used in his prosecution,
but was so disturbing that it traumatized everyone who was

(20:27):
forced to view it during legal proceedings. After holding both
children captive for several weeks, Duncan made the decision to
kill nine year old Dylan grown The murder occurred at
the remote Montana campsite and was witnessed by Dylan's eight
year old sister, Shasta, adding another layer of trauma to
her already horrific ordeal. According to Shasta's account, Duncan initially

(20:49):
claimed that Dylan's death was accidental. He told her that
he was looking through a clear plastic box for beer
when a shotgun that was also stored in the box
accidentally discharged hit Dylan in the stomach. However, the true
horror of what happened next revealed Duncan's calculated cruelty. After
Dylan was wounded by the initial shot, Duncan made the

(21:11):
deliberate decision to finish killing him. He placed the shotgun
against Dylan's head and pulled the trigger, but the weapon
failed to fire. As Dylan begged for his life, pleading
with Duncan not to kill him, Duncan reloaded the shotgun
and placed it against the boy's head again. This time,
when he pulled the trigger, the weapon fired and Dylan

(21:31):
was killed instantly. After killing Dylan, Duncan attempted to justify
his actions to Shasta by claiming that he had only
killed the boy to put him out of his misery.
This explanation was clearly a lie designed to manipulate Shasta
and potentially reduce her resistance to his continued control over her.

(21:51):
Duncan disposed of Dylan's body at the remote camp site,
where it would remain hidden for several days. The isolation
of the location meant that the murder went undetected, allowing
Duncan to continue holding Shasta captive while authorities searched for
both children. Several days after murdering Dylan, Duncan came close
to killing Shasta as well. In what appeared to be

(22:13):
a moment of sadistic control, he gave her a choice
about how she would die, either by strangulation or by
being shot. Faced with this impossible choice, Shasta chose strangulation,
perhaps hoping it might be less painful or that she
might have some chance of survival. Duncan proceeded to wrap
a rope around her neck and pull it tight, causing

(22:34):
her to begin suffocating. As Shasta lost consciousness and began
to die, she somehow summoned enough breath to call Duncan
by his nickname Jet and beg him to stop. For
reasons that remain unclear, Duncan immediately released the rope and
stopped the strangulation attempt. This moment represented a crucial turning
point in Shasta's captivity. Rather than completing her murder, Duncan

(22:58):
instead asked her if she would like to meet his mother.
When she responded yes, he made the decision to return
towards civilization, a decision that would ultimately lead to his capture.
The fact that Duncan spared Shasta's life after coming so
close to killing her suggests that his decision making was
becoming increasingly erratic. Whether this was due to psychological breakdown,

(23:21):
a desire for human contact, or some other factor, his
choice to keep her alive and return to populated areas
provided law enforcement with the opportunity they needed to rescue
her and arrest him. In the early morning hours of
July second, two thousand five, Duncan drove Shasta to a
Denny's restaurant in kur De Lean, Idaho. His decision to

(23:42):
take her to such a public place suggested that he
may have been suffering from a psychological breakdown or that
he had decided to surrender himself. When they entered the
restaurant around two a m. Duncan appeared calm and ordered
food as if nothing was wrong. However, the restaurant's staff
immediately recognized Shasta from the extensive media coverage of her

(24:04):
disappearance forty seven days earlier. The waitress who served them
later described the moment of recognition as terrifying and surreal.
She had to maintain her composure while serving someone she
knew was a kidnapping victim, or while the person responsible
for her captivity sat just feet away. The restaurant staff

(24:24):
moved with remarkable professionalism and courage. They positioned themselves strategically
around the restaurant to prevent Duncan from leaving, while one
person slipped away to call police. Their quick thinking and
coordinated response prevented what could have been another tragedy. Within minutes,
police cars surrounded the Denny's restaurant. Officers entered the building

(24:45):
and arrested Duncan without incident, a moment that ended forty
seven days of terror for Shasta and brought closure to
one of the most intensive man hunts in Idaho history.
Shasta identified herself to the restaurant staff and authorities, confirming
what they already knew from her appearance. She was immediately
taken to Coutenai Medical Center for medical treatment and was

(25:07):
eventually reunited with her father, who had spent nearly seven
weeks not knowing if his daughter was alive or dead.
Duncan's arrest opened the door to a massive investigation that
would eventually connect him to multiple unsolved murders across several states.
The FBI launched a nationwide review of cold cases involving

(25:28):
missing children, looking for patterns that might match Duncan's methods
and timeline. The investigation into Dylan's murder led authorities to
the remote camp site in Montana where Duncan had held
the children captive. On July fourth, two thousand five, investigators
found human remains at the makeshift campsite in the Lolo

(25:49):
National Forest near Saint Regis, Montana. The remains were sent
to the FBI laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, for DNA testing.
The analysis confirmed what investigators feared. These were the remains
of nine year old Dylan Grown. The discovery marked the
end of any hope that Dylan might have survived his captivity.

(26:09):
As investigators processed the crime scene, they uncovered evidence of
the systematic abuse that had taken place at the camp site.
The physical evidence supported Shasta's accounts of the torture and murder.
She had witnessed during her captivity. The investigation also revealed
the sophisticated planning that had gone into Duncan's crimes. He
had carefully chosen remote locations, prepared supplies in advance, and

(26:33):
developed methods for controlling his victims that demonstrated years of
experience as a predator. While Duncan was being held in Idaho,
investigators in other states began examining their own cold cases
for potential connections. The similarity between Duncan's methods and unsolved
crimes in California and Washington State led to renewed investigations

(26:57):
into cases that had been dormant for years. In California,
investigators reviewing the Anthony Martinez case noticed striking similarities between
Duncan's appearance and the composite sketch that had been created
in nineteen ninety seven. They also noted that the vehicle
Duncan had been driving when arrested was similar to the
one witnesses had described in the Martinez case. The breakthrough

(27:21):
came when forensic experts were able to match the partial
fingerprint found on duct tape from Martinez's body to Duncan's prints.
This physical evidence provided the definitive link that connected Duncan
to the nineteen ninety seven murder in California, FBI agents
interviewed Duncan about the Martinez case on July nineteen, two

(27:42):
thousand five. During this interview, Duncan confessed to the murder,
describing it as revenge against society again for sending him
back to jail for a probation violation. This confession provided
insight into Duncan's mindset and his view of his crimes
as justified retaliation against a system he felt had wronged him.

(28:03):
Duncan also confessed to the nineteen ninety six murders of
Sammiejo White and Carmen Cubius in Seattle, providing details that
only the killer could have known. These confessions finally brought
closure to families who had waited nearly a decade for
answers about their children's deaths. Duncan faced prosecution in three
different jurisdictions, Idaho State Court, Federal court, and California State Court.

(28:28):
Each jurisdiction had different charges and different potential penalties, creating
a complex legal process that would span several years. The
Idaho state prosecution focused on the murders of Brenda Grone,
Slade Grown, and Mark McKenzie, as well as the kidnapping
of Shasta and Dylan. Duncan was charged with three counts

(28:48):
of first degree murder and three counts of first degree kidnapping. Initially,
prosecutors planned to seek the death penalty, but Duncan's attorneys
were able to negotiate a plea bargain. On October sixteenth,
two thousand and six, Duncan pleaded guilty to all state
charges against him. He was immediately sentenced to three consecutive
life sentences without the possibility of parole for the kidnapping charges.

(29:13):
The sentencing for the murder charges was delayed pending the
outcome of his federal trial, with the understanding that if
he didn't receive the death penalty in federal court, he
would return to Idaho for a potential death penalty phase
on the state murder charges. The federal case focused on
crimes that crossed state lines, including the kidnapping of Shasta

(29:33):
and Dylan Groene and the murder of Dylan. On January eighteenth,
two thousand seven, Duncan was indicted by a federal grand
jury on ten counts, including kidnapping, kidnapping resulting in death,
aggravated sexual abuse of a minor, and sexual exploitation of
a child resulting in death. The federal charges carried the

(29:57):
possibility of the death penalty, making this the most serious
prosecution Duncan faced. The case was complicated by the horrific
nature of the evidence, including video recordings that Duncan had
made of his abuse of the children. On December third,
two thousand seven, Duncan pleaded guilty to all ten federal
charges against him. During the penalty phase, Duncan made the

(30:19):
unusual decision to dismiss his attorneys and represent himself. This
decision concerned the court as it raised questions about his
mental competency, but psychological evaluations determined that he was competent
to proceed without counsel. On August twenty seventh, two thousand eight,
after three hours of deliberation, the federal jury recommended the

(30:42):
death penalty for Duncan. The judge imposed three death sentences
for kidnapping resulting in death, sexual exploitation of a child
resulting in death, and use of a firearm in a
violent crime resulting in death, all related to Dylan Groene's murder. Additionally,
On Novement third, two thousand and eight, Duncan was sentenced

(31:02):
to three consecutive terms of life without parole for kidnapping
Shasta and for the sexual abuse of both children. These
sentences ensured that, even if his death sentences were overturned
on appeal, he would never be released from prison. The
jury members who imposed the death penalty were offered counseling
to help them cope with the evidence they had been

(31:23):
forced to review during the trial. The evidence included a
thirty three minute video of Duncan torturing and sexually abusing Dylan,
footage so disturbing that it traumatized everyone who viewed it.
During one portion of the video evidence, Duncan could be
heard shouting at Dylan, the devil is here, boy, the
devil himself. The devil likes to watch children suffer and cry.

(31:46):
These words provided a chilling insight into Duncan's mindset and
his apparent enjoyment of his victim's suffering. On the same
day Duncan was indicted in federal court, Riverside County officials
announced that he was also charged with the murder of
Anthony Martinez. Despite attempts by California authorities to extradite him immediately,
Duncan's federal trial took precedence. Duncan was eventually extradited to

(32:10):
California on January twenty fourth, two thousand nine, five months
after receiving his federal death sentences. On March fifteenth, twenty eleven,
he pleaded guilty to Martinez's murder and was sentenced to
two life terms without the possibility of parole. The California
sentence came without the right to appeal as part of

(32:32):
a plea deal that provided closure for the Martinez family.
Riverside County District Attorney Paul Zellerbach justified not seeking an
additional death sentence by stating that the federal system will
kill him long before the state of California would have
seriously considered it. Before his arrest, Duncan had maintained a
personal website called The Fifth Nail. The name was derived

(32:55):
from Christian law about a fifth nail that was supposedly
hidden by Romans after to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
Duncan adopted this imagery for his online presence, where he
denied being a pedophile and claimed to have been sexually
abused as a child. After his imprisonment, Duncan continued his
online presence through a blogspot website titled Joseph E. Duncan

(33:19):
three Returns to the Web from Federal Death Row to
expose the meaning of the Fifth Nail. The content was
posted by someone using the pseudonyms Silenced, who presumably received
letters from Duncan and published them on his behalf. The
blog provided disturbing insights into Duncan's mindset and his lack
of remorse for his crimes. He used the platform to

(33:40):
continue manipulating public perception and to maintain contact with the
outside world despite his imprisonment. Duncan was held at the
United States Penitentiary in Terry Ote, Indiana, on federal death Row.
Through his blog, he described life in the prison and
his interactions with other death row inmates. According to Duncan's

(34:00):
own accounts, he rarely spoke with other prisoners and actively
chose not to engage in conversation with them. He claimed
to prefer isolation and said he only spoke to other
inmates when required to do so by prison officials. When
the federal government announced in July twenty nineteen that it
would resume executions after a nearly twenty year hiatus. Duncan

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claimed to be relieved by the news. He stated that
he preferred execution by lethal injection to dying of natural
causes in prison, which he said he feared more. Duncan
claimed to be acquainted with four of the five federal
prisoners initially selected for execution, but said he would not
call any of them friends. He expressed the opinion that

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everyone on federal death row would be better off if
they were executed. In twenty sixteen, Shasta, grone than nineteen
years old, started a petition called Slade and Dillon's Law
in honor of her murdered brothers. The petition called for
convicted sex offenders to never be released from in prison,
effectively reducing the three strike rule for violent sex offenders

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to one strike. The petition gained significant support, ultimately collecting
over fifty one thousand signatures before it closed. Shasta's advocacy
work represented her effort to prevent other families from experiencing
the tragedy that had destroyed her own family. Through her advocacy,
Shasta demonstrated remarkable strength and resilience in the face of

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unimaginable trauma. Her efforts to change the legal system showed
her commitment to protecting other children from predators like Duncan.
In October twenty twenty, Duncan was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an
aggressive form of brain cancer. Medical staff estimated that he
had between six and twelve months to live. Duncan declined

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all treatment options, including chemotherapy and radiation therapy. On March
twenty eighth, twenty twenty one, Joseph Edward Duncan, the Third
died at the age of fifty eight, bringing to an
end one of the most horrific criminal careers in American history.
His death meant that his death sentences would never be
carried out, but it also ensured that he could never

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harm another child. Duncan's body was cremated, marking the final
chapter in a life that had caused immeasurable pain and
suffering to dozens of victims and their families across multiple
states and spanning more than two decades. The Duncan case
revealed serious flaws in the parole and supervision systems that
allowed a dangerous predator to remain free for years while

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committing horrific crimes. His ability to move between states and
avoid detection. Highlighted the need for better coordination between law
enforcement agencies. The case also demonstrated the importance of public
awareness and quick action by citizens. The restaurant staff who
recognized Chaster and contacted police showed how ordinary people can

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play a crucial role in stopping dangerous criminals. For Shasta Gron,
the case represents both unimaginable trauma and remarkable survival. Her
courage in testifying against Duncan and her later advocacy work
have helped bring some measure of justice and may help
prevent future tragedies. The investigation into Duncan's crimes helped solve

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multiple cold cases and brought closure to families who had
waited years for answers. However, investigators believe he may have
committed additional crimes that remain unsolved, meaning some families may
never know what happened to their loved ones. The Duncan
case serves as a reminder of the evil that exists
in the world and the importance of protecting society's most

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vulnerable members, our children. It also demonstrates the dedication of
law enforcement professionals who work tirelessly to bring dangerous criminals
to justice, even when their crimes seemed too horrible to comprehend.
Joseph Edward Duncan the Third was more than just a
serial killer. He was a predator who destroyed countless lives

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over the course of decades. His death marked the end
of a reign of terror that had lasted far too long,
but the scars he left behind will never fully heal.
The case of Joseph Edward Duncan the Third remains one
of the most disturbing in American criminal history. If this
video has impacted you, please take a moment to subscribe

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honor the memory of the victims. Thank you for watching,
and we'll see you in the next case.