The second witness was Steve Groene, the children’s father. Speaking through an electronic larynx, Groene identified photographs of Dylan and Shasta, and their handwriting in four letters that were submitted into evidence, three of which were addressed to him. Groene told the court he never received the letters. They were recovered from Duncan’s vehicle when he was arrested.

The letters, scrawled in children’s handwriting, included one that began in large letters, “DEAR SHASTA, I started to cry (illegible) when I saw other people. So God told Jet to let me go home to Dad. I will tell Dad that you are OK.” Dylan wrote that letter to Shasta sometime before Duncan murdered him. Duncan went by a nickname, Jet, short for his full name of Joseph Edward Duncan III.

The second letter began, “Dear Dad, I miss you very much.” The third began, “Dear Dad, this is Dylan. We are still alive. We are OK. We know what happened to Mom.” The third began, “Dear Dad, I have some very good news and it is we are coming home soon!”

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