Shasta Groene, who has been missing with her brother Dylan since May 16, has been rescued after she was spotted early Saturday morning by a waitress at a Denny's restaurant. Investigators believe the nine-year-old Dylan is no longer alive.

Eight-year-old Shasta was seen at the restaurant, about 10 miles from her home, around 1:50 a.m. Saturday morning in the company of Joseph Edward Duncan III, a registered sex offender from Fargo, North Dakota. Duncan has been arrested on kidnapping charges.

At at 2 p.m. press conference Kootenai County Sheriff's Capt. Ben Wolfinger said unfortunately investigators do not believe nine-year-old Dylan is still alive.

Waitresses said Duncan tore down a missing poster for the Groene children on his way into the restaurant with Shasta. They talked him into buying a milkshake for the girl as they notified the Sheriff's department.

Shasta and Dylan Groene have been missing since their mother, older brother, and her mother's boyfriend were found bludgeoned to death at their Coeur D'Alene home on May 16.

Joseph Edward Duncan III was arrested in April in Fargo for molesting a 7-year-old boy in July 2004. He previously served 14 years in prison for raping at 14-year-old boy in Washington state in 1980, when Duncan was only 16, according to Fox News.

   
Shasta and Dylan Groene
Sheriff Dept. photo

Duncan is not only a registered sex offender, he is an advocate of not prosecuting child molestors. On his web site blog, which was taken down today, he said sex offenders have a "disease" that they get from society. (See links below to posts from Duncan's blog published in the Crime & Punishment forum from cached archives).

In a news conference Sunday, Capt. Wolfinger said that Duncan had envoked his right to an attorney, so investigators have not talked with him about the case and can only do so after they talk to his attorney.

See Also:
Details Emerge of Alleged Kidnapper
Idaho Girl Found; Brother Feared Dead
Dylan Groene Feared Dead
Missing Idaho Girl Found Alive
Convicted Sex Offender Posts Bail After Court Appearance

From Duncan's Blog:
My intent is to harm society as much as I can, then die.
I'm not a bad person, I just have a disease contracted from society...

Earlier Articles:
Still No Clues for Missing Idaho Children
Three Killed, Two Idaho Children Missing

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