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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Boise

Jurors see video of Duncan, kids

Videotapes of Shasta and Dylan Groene clowning around at a Montana campsite with their abductor were played for the jury this afternoon, including one in which Duncan slices up a big watermelon and he and the children eat slices. After Duncan walks over to the back of the red Jeep with a large knife, the two children join him. “Dylan, you’re kinda making me laugh,” Shasta says to her 9-year-old brother. “You were like, ‘No, please, don’t,’ and now you’re all smiling and stuff.” A shirtless Dylan then eats four slices of watermelon. At one point during the video, the little girl makes a reference to Duncan’s sexual abuse.

In a second video, Duncan focuses the camera on a burning log in the campfire that appears to have markings on it, and says, “We’ll record our wishes being burned. My wishes for forgiveness. Your wishes for – what?” “Going home!” Dylan calls out. After some banter from both kids, Shasta says, “I want a purse and makeup and I want to go home and I want one thousand million dollars.”

Duncan responds, “Lots of luck, people. At least my wish was something I might get.”

As the videos were shown, jurors watched, some turning occasionally to look at Duncan, but he averted his eyes from them and the large screen they were watching. A smaller computer monitor played the video at the defense table. Duncan looked down, and sometimes glared darkly over at the audience, which included the children's father, Steve Groene, as well as numerous reporters. Duncan isn't seen hurting the children in these videos, and at one point, mock-shouts at the camera, claiming the children have kidnapped him.



Eye On Boise

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