Idaho Victims’ Father Reacts To Duncan Plea Deal

As the community of Beaumont, Calif., closed the investigation of 10-year-old Anthony Martinez’s murder, a father in Idaho watched as the man who admitted to the killing made a plea deal with prosecutors.

Joseph Edward Duncan, III, pleaded guilty in an Indio courtroom on Tuesday in exchange for a life prison sentence without the possibility of parole.

His sentence was added to the nine other life sentences and three death sentences he’s already received after admitting to the 2005 kidnapping and death of four family members in north Idaho.

Speaking to News Channel 3 via Skype, the father of the sole survivor of Duncan’s Idaho killings, Steve Groene said he agreed with the Riverside County district attorney’s decision to let Duncan plead guilty in exchange for a life prison sentence.

“They would have spent a lot more money and there wouldn’t have been any different an outcome, even if Duncan would have gotten the death penalty in California,” said Groene. “It would not have been served out in California he would have been shipped out back to the Super Max in Terre Haute, Indiana.”

Before his extradition to California, Duncan sat in a federal prison awaiting the death penalty for killing Groene’s ex-wife, her boyfriend and Groene’s son, Slade, 13.

Duncan also kidnapped Groene’s other two children, Dylan, 9, and Shasta, 8. He hid them in Montana for seven weeks, killing Dylan.

Shasta survived.

She gave investigators information linking Duncan to the kidnapping and murder of 10-year-old Anthony Martinez.

Now, Groene hopes the reward goes to his daughter.

“Obviously she took it to heart when Duncan told her about murdering other kids and she did her best to remember every detail about everything he told her and I think for that she needs to be rewarded,” said Groene.

No one knows when Duncan will be executed, but time is precious for Groene as he battles cancer.

Doctors removed his vocal cords, and now he speaks with the help of an electro-larynx. He said he knows the cancer could come back again at anytime.

“I’ve said it before I want front row, center seats when they fry this guy. If I don’t make it that long, then maybe I’ll have better seats than that,” said Groene.