Letter Duncan allegedly wrote was for sale

SPOKANE -- A letter purportedly sent by convicted sex offender Joseph Edward Duncan III was listed on an Internet auction site that specializes in selling items related to serial killers.

The letter was listed for auction starting at $20 on a site called murderauction.com. The seller was listed as jerry4516. Efforts to address an e-mail to jerry4516 were kicked back with an error message.

The four-page letter, written in pencil, was allegedly written by Duncan from the Kootenai County Jail in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, where he is being held without bail on three murder charges. Authorities contend the slayings were part of a scheme to kidnap two children for sex.

The Web site included a picture of a portion of one page of the letter, in which Duncan thanked a person for support and discussed possibly posting the person's comments on his blog.

"P.S. Please call me 'Jet,' but address letters to Joseph Duncan," Duncan allegedly wrote. Jet, an acronym for Joseph Edward Third, is a nickname Duncan has long used.

"Thanks again for writing and for your support," the letter concluded. "P.P.S. can you type fast? I have a lot to blog about!"

He signed off with a smiley face.

The picture also showed the return address of an envelope identifying the sender as inmate Joseph Duncan from the Kootenai County Public Safety Building.

The letter is no longer posted on the Web site.

Sheriff's spokesman Capt. Ben Wolfinger did not immediately return a call seeking comment on Duncan's correspondence.

Items related to serial killers are known collectively as murderabilia, and there is a thriving market for such items on the Internet.

Andy Kahan, a victims' rights advocate for the mayor of Houston, is active in battling such sales. He told The Coeur d'Alene Press that two different letters from Duncan have been posted on the site, and he believes both have sold.

Duncan was arrested July 2 in the company of Shasta Groene, 8, the lone survivor of the May 15 abductions and killings at her rural home east of Coeur d'Alene.

Duncan is scheduled to go on trial Jan. 17 in the bludgeoning slayings of Shasta's mother, Brenda Groene, 40; her son, Slade Groene, 13, and her boyfriend, Mark Edward McKenzie, 37.

Federal charges are pending in the abduction of Shasta and her brother Dylan Groene, 9, from the home. Dylan's remains were discovered at a remote Montana campsite.

Duncan, 42, from Fargo, N.D., is a registered sex offender who spent most of his adult life in prison.

The text of the portion of the letter posted on the murderauction Web site read:

"... wanted to post your own comments in the blog (illegible) were antagonistic -- as long as they were honest -- we'd have to talk about that of course if this plays out at all. So let me know what you think. Please write back as soon as you can -- remember no stamps, they only allow paper and simple (no glue) cards and photos (no Polaroids). So its best to keep it simple and just send letters."

In the two years before his arrest, Duncan operated a blog called The Fifth Nail.

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