Lawyer: Duncan Will Admit to 4 Slayings

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) -- Lawyers for Joseph Edward Duncan III said Wednesday he will admit to the murder of 9-year-old Dylan Groene in Montana and to killing three of the boy's relatives in Idaho if prosecutors will drop the death penalty option.

In a letter to Prosecutor Bill Douglas of Kootenai County, Idaho, Duncan's lawyers said their client will cooperate fully with law enforcement, even though he could face a death sentence in federal court later.

Duncan is accused of killing the mother of Dylan and Shasta Groene, their 13-year old brother, and their mother's boyfriend in May 2005 at their home near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

He is suspected of taking Dylan and Shasta to a campsite in Montana, and Dylan was killed at some point. Shasta, now 9, was rescued at a Denny's restaurant in Coeur d'Alene after seven weeks of captivity.

"Mr. Duncan will admit to the intentional killing of Dylan Groene in Montana in the early part of 2005, as well as all other crimes committed against Shasta and Dylan Groene," said the letter, given to The Associated Press and signed by public defenders John Adams and Roger Peven.

Douglas did not immediately respond to the letter, dated Oct. 4, but has consistently rejected a plea bargain for Duncan.

Duncan's trial in the three other killings is to begin Monday in Coeur d'Alene.

Court documents allege Duncan, who spent most of his adult life in Washington prisons for sexual crimes against children, committed the slayings so he could kidnap the two children for sex.

Peven said Duncan is willing to plead guilty to spare Shasta Groene the trauma of having to testify in court against him.

"It's the right thing to do," Peven told The Associated Press. "Mr. Duncan doesn't advantage himself in any way."

Duncan understands that by making the confessions, he will make it easier for the federal government to convict him of expected charges of kidnapping and murder in the abduction of Shasta and Dylan when the state case concludes, Peven said.

At the time of his arrest last year, Duncan was on the run from a molestation charge in Minnesota. Duncan has also been implicated in the deaths of two children in the Seattle area and one child in Southern California.

Peven said he did not believe Duncan was involved in the killing of any other children.

The letter said that in exchange for a sentence of life in prison without parole, Duncan would plead guilty to first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping in the cases involving Brenda Groene; her fiance, Mark McKenzie; and Groene's son Slade.

He also agreed to give law enforcers access to his encrypted computer files, according to the letter. A computer expert, Duncan has bragged that officers wouldn't be able to crack into his computer files _ thought to contain details of criminal activities _ for 30 years.

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