The tragic occurrence surrounding little Shasta Groene and her family is indescribable!

What this child may have witnessed is not something any one and most assuredly a child of any age should have to witness.

This is not so much an article about what occurred but about what DIDN'T occur.

Shasta and registered sex offender in two states. Joseph Duncan enters a gas station convenient store along with 5 other people.

Apparently, there is such a mental and emotional grip on 8 year old Shasta Groene that she is released to freely walk about store as alleged kidnapper Duncan calmly reads a paper.

It appears she was instructed before hand, not to speak or draw attention to herself. At one point she even drastically avoids bumping into an female shopper.

As she appears to look into faces of other customers with folded arms she seem to scream out for HELP, in hope that someone will recognize her.

Sadly she goes unnoticed by everyone and all of her hopes are dashed as she and Duncan quietly leave store and Shasta walks towards Jeep Cherokee, opens door and climbs into passenger seat with no visible instructions from Duncan her alleged kidnapper.

I am not looking to bring guilt upon patrons or employees who were in store that Friday, for I must shamefully admit that I, myself likely would not have noticed Shasta's silent cries as well.

So busy are we with our lives and problems that we can not recognizes silent cry of an 8 year old child!

Again I ask...

Have you looked into face of a child?

Kootenai County District Court Judge Wayman set a $2 million bail bond on fugitive charge, and no bail for kidnapping charges.

Public defender Lynn Nelson filed a bail reduction request that will be heard on July 19th, 2005.

Magistrate Benjamin Simpson will hear reduction plea also at which time Duncan is expected to enter a plea of charges filed against him.

Idaho, Kootenai County Tel: (208) 446-1000 Email: kkcinfo@kcgov.us

County's Mailing Address: P.O. Box 9000 Coeur d'Alene, ID 83816-9000

When a parent is deployed with military it can be very traumatic for children left behind. Having things for them to do, that makes them feel a part of family and helping parent who is gone, is really important.

Here is a list of things you can plan that should help ease pain of having mom or dad gone.

We all have happy and sad feelings about our parent leaving. It is important that we talk about them with our families. Have child (children) make two lists. One with YOUR HAPPY FEELINGS and one with YOUR SAD FEELINGS. Sit down and discuss these lists and explain feelings that they don't understand or answer questions.

Get a map and place it on wall and show kids where mom or dad has gone. They can stick a pin in it or place a small flag on map. They might get a sheet of stickers and put them where parent is, where they are, where grandparents are, etc.

Get kids a tablet with lined paper and show them how to write letters to parent. Here they can also use stickers and draw pictures.

Make a list of things that kids can do to cheer family up like: do some chores, write letters, sing a song they wrote, tell their best joke and add your ideas to list.