Serial Killer Who Murdered Beaumont Boy Dies From Brain Cancer

BEAUMONT, CA — A serial killer convicted of brutally murdering five people — including 10-year-old Anthony Martinez of Beaumont — has died while on death row in Indiana.

Joseph Edward Duncan III, 58, died Sunday at an outside hospital after being diagnosed with brain cancer. He was in custody on death row at the Terra Haute Federal Correctional Institution in Indiana.

“The sun is brighter today, and my soul is lighter,” Anthony’s mother, Diana, said in a released statement Sunday. “The world is a more beautiful place without the evil that is Joseph Duncan. God chose to make his end a long-suffering and I believe that is fitting. The horror of his thoughts consumed him.”

Anthony’s father, Ernesto, also released a statement: “While I would’ve liked to witness his execution, knowing he is now standing before God being held accountable for what he has done, what he did to my son, and the horrible crimes he committed to others, that’s the real justice.”

Duncan was sentenced to death after being convicted by a federal jury in 2008 in Idaho for the 2005 murder of 9-year-old Dylan Groene in that state. He was also convicted of three other Idaho murders: Dylan's mother, Brenda Groene, 40; Dylan's brother, Slade Groene, 13; and Brenda Groene's boyfriend, Mark McKenzie, 37, at their home.

After the killings, Duncan kidnapped Dylan and his 8-year-old sister, Shasta Groene. Duncan sexually assaulted and tortured both children, and killed Dylan in Montana with a shot to the head. Shasta was rescued when she and Duncan were spotted at a Denny’s in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, according to prosecutors.

Following those convictions and death sentence, Duncan was returned to Riverside County to face charges in Anthony's killing. In April 2011, he pled guilty to the boy's murder and was sentenced to life in prison.

Anthony was playing in a neighbor’s yard in Beaumont with his younger brother and some friends when he was abducted by Duncan on April 4, 1997. Duncan first tried to grab Anthony’s little brother. As Anthony intervened, Duncan grabbed him, held a knife to his head, and forced him into a car and drove away, according to a statement from the Riverside County District Attorney's Office.

Duncan lured the children to him by pretending he needed help finding a lost cat.

An extensive search for Anthony was conducted by numerous local, state, and federal agencies. Over the next two weeks, about 6,000 leads about the abduction and Anthony’s disappearance were received and investigated, according to the Riverside County D.A.

On April 19, 1997, a park ranger found Anthony’s body among rocks in Berdoo Canyon, about two miles north of Dillion Road, in the Indio Hills area.

Before killing him, it was determined that Duncan stripped the boy's clothing and raped him. He then binded the child with duct tape and bludgeoned him to death with a rock.

“God has brought pure justice for all those Joseph Duncan has hurt. There is less evil in this world," Anthony’s younger brother Marcos said in a released statement. "Nothing can bring my brother back, but now Duncan can never hurt anyone ever again. Because of him, I will spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to fight against any evil left in the world.”

The Beaumont Police Department shared a moving post on Facebook Monday following news of Duncan's death.

"We know justice is not always swift, we know the pain of Anthony’s murder cannot be undone by the death of the perpetrator who took so much from their family and our community many years ago," the department wrote. "But we hope for the family of Anthony and for those who were here and remember these events, there is an opportunity for closure, healing of old wounds and the feeling that once again this world is a little bit safer."

Shasta Groene, the lone survivor of Duncan's terror, released a statement that has been picked up by several media outlets. It read, in part, "One thing is for sure, he does not exist anymore. Now, we can live our lives knowing that. For so long I have been struggling with hate towards that man. Today, I woke up feeling like my soul was finally free. I hope other people affected by Joseph Duncan were able to wake up feeling the same way."

RELATED:

Beaumont Remembers Anthony 'Tony' Martinez, Investigating Officers, 20 Years After Tragedy

Letter to Beaumont and Pass Residents from Diana Reed, Mother of Anthony Martinez