Random murder unsettling
Main Street, July 13, 2005.
Since May with the first news of a horrific triple murder and two young children kidnapped in the dead of night, it’s been hard to fathom that something like that could happen here. Although it’s rather unreasonable to think that bad things only happen to other people who live in other towns with names national newscasters mispronounce. We all waited for news we knew would not be good and speculated on who could have done such a thing and why would they do such a thing and where could those innocent young children be...and how their family must suffer the not knowing.
Then miracle of miracles, little Shasta Groene was rescued and we had a brief fleeting moment to rejoice, as long as we didn’t think too much about the tragic, horrible fact that she’d been nearly two months in the clutches of a genuinely evil and perverted predator and that her brother, Dylan was nowhere to be found. He would be found and then it became too awful again to imagine what unspeakable terror Shasta must have survived and that Dylan did not. Too much evil made all too real in recent weeks.
And now here it is 2016 and convicted murderer Joseph Duncan sits on death row for his crimes and a grown up Shasta is advocating for One Strike sentencing for repeat sex offenders, a survivor finding her voice.
Then a week ago the news of a local father leaving work at 7 p.m. on a Saturday night, never to be seen again. His pickup truck found burning miles away from where he was last seen. Three days later after around the clock investigating and following leads, Bo Kirk's body was found near Hayden Creek. Four days after that, two suspects were arrested. The community waited to know how such a thing could happen.
On Monday the prosecutor’s office filed second-degree murder charges against one of the two suspects in custody and described a road rage incident that culminated in a kidnapping and murder. The suspects followed Bo Kirk to his home, confronted and kidnapped him and then ended his life with a gunshot. So many more details to come, but in the meantime the community is reeling again from such a random and senseless crime. For the family and for the community the hope is that those responsible will be served justice.
• • •
Lifelong Coeur d’Alene resident David Schaffer passed away last week at the age of 72. He founded Schaffer’s Towing and also worked at Sunset Towing. His obituary described him as having a passion for towing and helping others. On Saturday after his funeral at Christ the King Lutheran Church on Pennsylvania Avenue, that passion was obvious as nearly three dozen tow trucks from the entire region, including Montana, formed a procession to honor David.
• • •
Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday when we fall back one hour at 2 a.m. Or as most people do, just set your clock before going to bed on Saturday night. Change the batteries on your smoke detectors, too!
• • •
Things to Do: Tonight Culture Night with the Coeur d’Alene Tribe at the Kroc Center, 6 p.m.
Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Holiday Craft Fair at the Coeur d’Alene Library featuring locally produced, handmade products.
Also on Saturday the annual Post Falls High School Craft Fair with more than 100 crafters and artisans. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Open Your Purse for the Kids to benefit Childrens Village at Finan McDonald at the Resort Plaza Shops, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Saturday night from 5-9 p.m. Give Hunger the Bird for the Post Falls Food Bank at Stancraft Boats, 2936 W. Dakota Ave. Sammy Eubanks Band, live and silent auctions and raffle drawing for a Stancraft boat and Porsche Macan.
• • •
Happy Birthday today to Alex Capaul, Mike Miller, Alan Zerba, Charity Thompson and Kathleen Lazor.
Tomorrow Jill Jurvelin, Hara Allison, Karen Pearl, Patty Harris, Tammy Bray, Darin Hanson, Jerry Mason, Tim Wark and Kelly Tuntland will blow out their birthday candles.
Taking another trip around the sun on Friday are Alan Wolfe, Annie Mote, Angela Cross, Judy Jorgensen, Kirsten Donovan, Nancy White, Mic Armon, Julie Schmidt, Ruth Olsen, twins Zachary and Ryan Englebrecht and father and son, Chris and Mitchell Copstead.
Betty Baker, Laura Gray, Marijo Guindon, Debbie Boe, Heather Clark, Ken Brandvold, Marci Anderson and Kim Wilhelm will put on their party hats on Saturday.
Nov. 6 is a big day for Anna Rolphe, Hap Hilbish, Joe Lenon, Lauren Gray, Kim Wilhelm and Ken Brandvold.
On Monday Chuck Lempesis, Rocky Watson, Tracy Akerman, John Williams, Mike Dornquast, Lauren Dornquast and Harold Howard will celebrate.
Keith Allen, Joanne Wilhelm, Jens Jensen, Jeff Tucker and Aaron Birdsall mark another year on Tuesday.
• • •
Kerri Rankin Thoreson is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the former publisher of the Post Falls Tribune. Main Street appears every Wednesday in The Press and Kerri can be contacted on Facebook or via email mainstreet@cdapress.com. Follow her on Twitter @kerrithoreson.