Bigfork Eagle editorial

Keen observation

If you have visited the Bigfork Eagle Web site in the past month, you have undoubtedly noticed an Amber Alert for two children missing From Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Shasta and Dylan Groene disappeared May 16, after their family was brutally murdered.

Over the holiday weekend, a tall, spindly man took a young girl into a Coeur d'Alene Denny's at 2 a.m. A waitress eyed the duo, and questioned why a man would bring a child into a restaurant at 2 in the morning.

As she examined the girl more closely, she believed the girl to bear a striking resemblance to Shasta Groene. The waitress told her manager, who called 911. A couple dining at the restaurant also noticed the resemblance, and they called 911.

Within five minutes police were on scene and apprehended registered sex offender Joseph Edward Duncan. They also confirmed that the 8-year-old girl was indeed, Shasta.

But what of Dylan Groene? Human remains discovered here in Western Montana have been discovered and sent to Quantico for identification. When Shasta was asked where her brother was, she reportedly replied, "In heaven."

But thanks to the keen observation of a few aware individuals, Shasta was returned to her father Steve Groene. Being aware is so important in this day and age. Missing children reports and Amber Alerts can save precious lives. So can the sex offender registry.

Joseph Edward Duncan was not a registered sex offender in Idaho—but he was in Washington, North Dakota and Minnesota. His record goes back to 1980, when he raped a 14-year-old boy at gunpoint. He, like so many other sexual predators, has been a repeat offender most of his life.

It is important to know when a sexual offender moves into your area. Did you know that there are seven registered sex offenders in Bigfork? In Montana, you can visit www.doj.state.mt.us/svor to monitor local activity. Practicing keen observation can help curb the growing number of child abduction cases in the country.