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During day three of Joseph Duncan’s sentencing trial jurors were shown three videos Duncan took of Shasta and Dylan at their remote campsite in Montana.  The videos were heartbreaking to watch because of what we know happened to Dylan and Shasta during that period of time.  It was haunting to watch Dylan eat watermelon, knowing he is now gone.  Steve Groene walked out of the courtroom as several photos on Dylan and Shasta were shown to the jury- I don’t blame him.  Can you imagine having to see a video/pictures of your son who is now dead?  Every day it seems like this trial gets more difficult to stomach.  That may sound dramatic, but it’s the truth.  You think you’ve heard and seen the worst of it, then bam, federal prosecutors show you something that is even more chilling to watch.  I know it’s only going to get worse.  Prosecutors still plan to show several sexually explicit videos of Dylan and Duncan.  The past few days have been tough, but I find strength knowing so many people are relying on me to tell them what is going on in the courtroom. Court will resume Monday morning.

It was another rough day in the courtroom.  We heard a conversation between Shasta and a Coeur d’ Alene Police officer recorded just moments after she was found at Denny’s.  And, we read letters Dylan and Shasta wrote to their dad and each other while being held captive.  The saddest part about these letters? Dylan was so hopeful he would be able to go home.  Reading through the letters it sounds like Duncan kept telling Dylan he would take him home.  Can you imagine?

 I was also amazed today about how much Joseph Duncan was concerned for the two family dogs inside the Groene/Mckenzie home.  I love dogs, don’t get me wrong, but it appears Duncan was more worried about not injuring the dogs than he was a human life.  How can that be? Sgt. Brad Maskell with the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department says Duncan loaded his shotgun with a bird  shell, so it would only injure (spray beebees) the dogs and not seriously hurt them.  Yet, he makes sure to have a different kind of shell for Mark Mckenzie.  I just don’t get it. 

Duncan made a few statements in court as well.  He cross examined an FBI agent and the manager at Denny’s. He asked the Denny’s manager about how the restaurant typically serves its milkshakes.  And, asked the FBI agent if he noticed the police car in the surviellence video of Duncan and Shasta at a Conoco station in Kellogg.  The conversations were brief.

 Here are a few tidbits from today that I didn’t get to share in my story:

-It took six days for ISP to process the Wolf Lodge home where Brenda and Slade Groene and Mark Mckenzie were murdered.

-Sgt. Brad Maskell has investigated more than 400 death scenes in the past decade.

-When Duncan went into the Groene home the family pit bull ran out the door like a “bullet.” No one has ever seen the dog since.

Hearing resumes tomorrow at 9 AM.

As journalists our number one goal is to be objective, weigh both sides of a story and leave your emotions out of it.  Of course you can’t be objective and emotional at the same time, at least when you are writing a story.  Today, that rule went right out the window.  As I sat in federal courtroom #2 today, I couldn’t control my emotions.  As I sat there and listened to United States District Attorney Tom Moss reveal shocking details about Joseph Duncan and what he did to Shasta and Dylan Groene I had shivers up my spine and goose bumps down my arms.  As a reporter, I often hear or see disturbing things, but nothing-and I tell you nothing- can prepare you for what I heard in court today.  So what exactly did Mr. Moss talk about? Some of the details are too disturbing to write about,  but I can tell you Joseph Duncan planned his attack more than we ever thought before. 

Today it was revealed Duncan bought a pair of shoes a few sizes too big so if he left footprints investigators wouldn’t be able to connect him to the murders.  We also know he was in Spokane a few days before he attacked the Groene family and Mark Mckenzie.  We know this because Mr. Moss told the court a GPS system in the stolen Jeep Duncan was driving put him near a kids music center.  In fact, Duncan marked several potential targets in that same GPS system.  Some of the GPS “marks” were near a bus stop and day care center in Montana.  A few other “marks” put him near homes that all had young children living or playing nearby.  Moss says while Duncan drove from Fargo to Coeur d’ Alene he found several young children he was interested in.  Moss says Duncan referred to those children as “flowers-” at one point Duncan told investigators he tried to “pick two flowers” but the parents in the car became suspicious and drove to a police station. 

 In addition to outlining the case, Moss warned jurors they will have to watch several sexually explicit videos Duncan took of Dylan in a remote cabin in the LoLo National Forest.  I do not want to see those videos.  I can’t imagine what the jurors are thinking right now.  At leat one juror was visibly upset today.  It’s going to be a tough couple of weeks.

 Tomorrow: Federal prosecutors will call their first witness @ 9 AM. 

Ken Martin (not kenny), the ticket guy at Southwest Airline says my last entry might as well be about the titanic.

So there I am at the Southwest ticket counter at Spokane International, helping my mom check in for her flight to Seattle… and BAM, Mr. Martin can’t stop talking about how I desperately need to update my blog. I know I’m not the best at keeping this blog updated, but geez… now I really know it.  This is my pledge to do my best to remember the blog readers out there, including you Ken

A Coeur d’Alene mom is in trouble with police because she allegedly spanked her child too hard, causing several people nearby to raise a red flag.  The incident in question happened during the 4th of July parade on Sherman Avenue.  21-year old Melissa Farrell says she spanked her baby girl (who is a year and a half) after she tried to run out into the street.  Farrell says she was trying to teach her daughter a lesson.  But, several people, 9 witnessess in all, told police the spanking was above and beyond discipline.   The officer responding gave Farrell a ticket for felony injury to a child based on those witness statements.  Farrell says she questions the witness statements because they were too far away to see exactly what was happening. So what happened? Was it just a spanking or something much more?  I am anxious to read the police report and the witness statements. It will now be up to a judge to decide if the charge is valid or should be dropped.  Coeur d’ Alene Police Chief Wayne Longo says he stands by the officer’s decision.  This story brings up an interesting debate: Is it OK to spank your child? And, at what point does that spanking become abuse? What do you think?

I just returned from the Silver Valley where I met a wonderful grandma, 76- year old Betty Shipp.  Betty has so many grandchildren and great grandchildren she doesn’t have a big enough wall to fit all their pictures!  Last week, someone did the unthinkable- they stole Betty’s safe with all her life savings, almost 20 thousand dollars.  Betty has spent the past 16 years delivering newspapers in her community, she drives more than a 100 miles every night to make sure neighbors are well informed when they wake up.  The money she earns from that job was in that safe.  She was planning on “retiring” in September so she could spend more time with her ailing husband.  Now, if she doesn’t get that money back she’ll have to keep working.  Betty teared up talking about the possibility of working until she’s 80.  It breaks my heart.  What’s even more disturbing is investigators believe whoever stole the safe, knew the family and knew exactly where to look.  Who would do such a thing? Who needs the money more than a 76-year old woman just trying to make it and take care of her family? The questions are endless.  I hope they catch the person(s) responsible.  It doesn’t get any lower than this.