Groene leaves Seattle hospital after surgery
The father of kidnap victim Shasta Groene was released from a Seattle hospital on Monday after his vocal cords and a cancerous tumor were removed, the University of Washington Medical Center said.
The prognosis for Steve Groene, a blues musician who lives in Coeur d’Alene, is good, according to his sister, Wendy Price.
“The family requests that the media and community respect Steve’s privacy so he may continue to recover and prepare to attend the trial that begins next week,” Price said in a statement released by the hospital.
Jury selection begins Monday in Coeur d’Alene in the triple-murder trial of Joseph Edward Duncan III. Prosecutors allege Duncan, 43, killed three people so he could kidnap Steve Groene’s two youngest children for sex.
One of those children, 9-year-old Dylan, was slain. Shasta Groene, now 9, was rescued a year ago and is expected to testify against Duncan.
Duncan is accused of killing Groene’s ex-wife Brenda, their 13-year-old son, Slade, and Brenda’s boyfriend, Mark McKenzie.
Groene’s surgery was performed last week, and he will return to Idaho to recover, his sister said.
“The family appreciates the community’s thoughts and support” but is not granting interviews, Price said.
In recent months, Steve Groene has been pushing for Kootenai County prosecutors to drop their pursuit of the death penalty and strike a plea bargain with Duncan so Shasta does not have to face him in court. There has been concern about the emotional impact of her father’s illness on Shasta.
“It’s a lot for a little girl to have to handle, knowing her father is going through some life-threatening stuff right now,” Steve Groene told The Spokesman-Review recently. “She’s already lost a mother and two brothers. Having to deal with this at that time and deal with the trial at this time – it’s a lot.”
But Prosecutor Bill Douglas has declined Steve Groene’s request, saying he believes Shasta is strong enough to testify against the convicted child molester and registered sex offender. She is the sole survivor of the May 2005 attack on her family’s home.
Last week, lawyers for Steve Groene filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Duncan in U.S. District Court, alleging that Duncan was responsible for the deaths of Slade, Dylan and Brenda Groene. The lawsuit also claims that Duncan caused intentional infliction of emotional distress and battery against Shasta Groene, who was 8 at the time.
The lawsuit asks that Duncan be prohibited from profiting from the crimes by writing books, providing television or movie content or any other activities. He also asks for a jury trial and monetary damages in an amount to be proven in court.
Duncan, a Tacoma native, faces the death penalty if he is convicted in Idaho on three counts of murder. The federal government has indicated it will also seek the death penalty when it files charges against Duncan later for the kidnapping of the two children and the death of Dylan Groene.