COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho – Convicted sex offender Joseph Edward Duncan III photographed himself with Shasta and Dylan Groene while holding the children at a remote campsite in Montana, according to court documents released Friday.
Shasta Groene, 8, told law enforcement officers on the morning of her rescue that Duncan allowed her to see some of the pictures, the documents said.
“She has actually seen in the view finder of the camera some of the pictures that he has taken, that depict her and Dylan actually with Mr. Duncan during the period of time that they were held captive,” Kootenai County sheriff’s Detective Brad Maskell told a judge early on the morning of July 2 as he sought a search warrant for Duncan’s vehicle.
Shasta was rescued as she and Duncan ate at a Denny’s restaurant that morning in Coeur d’Alene.
Authorities have recovered a laptop computer, digital cameras, various computer peripherals and power supplies and other physical evidence from inside the Jeep that Duncan was driving.
Portions of the 111 pages of transcripts released Friday were blacked out by authorities in an effort to protect the girl’s privacy and to ensure Duncan can receive a fair trial on three counts of murder in the deaths of her mother, older brother and her mother’s boyfriend.
The blacked-out material included any information about whether Duncan molested the children or about the shooting death of Dylan Groene, 9. In previous court documents, authorities have said Shasta told them that Duncan molested the children repeatedly, and killed Dylan. The boy’s burned remains were found at the campsite.
Photos showing Duncan with the children after they vanished from the Coeur d’Alene-area home there the other three people were killed in mid-May would add to an already long list of physical evidence that links Duncan, 42, to the crimes.
Duncan, who lived most recently in Fargo, N.D., is a registered sex offender who spent most of his adult life in prison.
Shasta also told Maskell that she believed the primitive campground was in Montana because Duncan showed her the spot on a map, and she referred to it as “Lolo Forest.” The campsite is in the Lolo National Forest
Shasta told officers Duncan was able to enter her family home through a back door, which was unlocked and ajar, Maskell said in the documents.
When he was approached by dogs in the house, Duncan pointed a rifle at the animals and they retreated and hid, Maskell said.
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