A footnote beneath the most gruesome story in North Idaho history was etched into stone over the weekend, as Steve Groene, father of survivor Shasta, died Sunday. He was 62.

Groene was the ex-husband of Brenda Groene and father to Slade, Dylan and Shasta. Steve’s children were 13, 9 and 8 years old on May 16, 2005, when Joseph Edward Duncan III brutally murdered Brenda and Slade — along with Brenda’s fiance, Mark McKenzie — by zip-tying the North Idaho family and bludgeoning them to death in their home off Interstate 90 near Wolf Lodge.

Duncan, a convicted pedophile wanted in Minnesota for child molestation, then kidnapped Dylan and Shasta and hid in western Montana as a six-week manhunt unfolded across the West.

Duncan later killed young Dylan at a Montana campground and began to strangle Shasta before changing his mind and bringing the youngest Groene back to Coeur d’Alene. Shasta was rescued July 2, 2005, at the Fourth Street Denny’s. Duncan has since been convicted for the Wolf Lodge murders and the murder of a boy in California; he has received a total of 11 life sentences and is in a maximum-security penitentiary in Indiana awaiting the first of three death sentences handed down by a federal judge for the kidnapping, sexual exploitation and murder of Dylan.

Steve Groene left town to be with his sister’s family shortly before Shasta was rescued; he and a family friend drove in the dead of night from Seattle to Coeur d’Alene upon hearing the news his youngest child was finally safe.

The Groene patriarch’s challenges did not end with Duncan’s capture, however. In 2006, he fought throat cancer, eventually beating the disease by having the tumor and his vocal chords removed. He was a local blues and classic rock singer before the surgery.

Groene’s public persona took a hit in August 2018, after he was served an eviction notice while living at a home built for and gifted to Shasta by local community members. He would later post on a Facebook page promoting stiffer penalties for sex offenders detailing some of the dirty laundry between himself and the donors.

“For those of you that don’t live in our area I was just evicted from the home that was built for Shasta and [I],” the post read. “It’s a long story but bottom line is Shasta tried to get her Trust to call if off but there’s been bad blood between myself and the Trustee’s/Trustors of Shasta’s Trust and unfortunately they were the victors. To help me out Shasta started a gofundme in my name as I will basically be homeless, couch surfing for the most part … If you can donate, great, if not I understand. Either way I would appreciate if you share the link. Thanks so much, big love to all. Steve G”

Groene posted on Facebook in November that he was suffering from stage four lung cancer. Jeffrey Groene, a relative in Portland, confirmed Steve’s passing Sunday.