8 YO Manipulates Kidnapper and Traps Him at Denny’s | The Case of Shasta Groene 

Stop letting child predators out of prison - ever.

He was already a level 3 sex offender. Why was he out to begin with??? Those murders and her fate never had to happen. Blame the courts for allowing it.

The neighbor stopping by to pay the kid $10 for mowing the lawn is incredibly heart breaking :(

I love how everyone in the dennys knew to not make a scene but all were prepared to stop him from leaving.

Showing mercy on sex offenders is failing our children.

How did a judge put Shasta in a correctional centre for substance abuse especially after knowing what she had been through, but the court system let a level 3 sex offender walk the streets? WTF???!!!!

Slade dying at 13 was heartbreaking, he’s barely entered his teen years and he’s been murdered and died a slow and painful death. I’ve seen so many cases of teens being murdered and as a teen myself, it’s genuinely horrifying to know. And the young children being fed drugs and alcohol makes it so much worse, Dylan being shot and murdered at 9 years old is horrific. This entire case is disgusting. That man is a sick sick man and should have never been released after his first count of S/A. They looked like such sweet kids, Slade and Dylan looked like they could grow up to be beautiful men and that disgusting man Joseph took that away from them. He traumatised Shasta at such a young age, who would ever even think of doing something like that.

How can a judge release someone who murdered multiple people including children ? And still sleep at night? Crazy

This little girl’s phenomenal intelligence and ability to to read people saved her life. This man should have NEVER been let out of prison.

The part where Slade gathered strength to go to his mom to die by her side made me burst out in tears. The fear he felt and the feeling that he knows he’s also about to die found comfort in his mom’s lifeless body until the light of life leaves his body as well. May all of you rest in peace.

The whole situation is beyond heartbreaking. But what I also found heartbreaking is how she was in a correctional facility as a teenager relating to her drug use. It just reiterated how incredibly flawed our system is. Despite her history, her pain, her trauma, her PTSD- she was still punished for merely trying to lessen her pain. The courts aren’t trauma-informed by any means, rather than getting her the help she needed they punished her for self medicating her own trauma. I find it both incredibly disturbing & ironic that a child who was severely traumatized by the murder of her entire family + being sexually abused, was locked up in a correctional facility, meanwhile the very man who had inflicted such horrific damage upon her was released from prison (prior to) murdering her family and kidnapping her. The very system that punished her for her addiction in response to her trauma, is the same system that allowed this predator back out on the streets which ultimately resulted in what he did to her in the first place. The system created a situation in which this man victimized further children, and then punished the victim as she struggled to cope years later. She was just trying to survive the pain she was going through. Gabor Mate made a statement that I think fits here: “Addiction is not a choice that anybody makes; it's not a moral failure. What it actually is: it's a response to human suffering.” Being sober for 6 years myself now, I’m so proud of her that she was able to overcome that. She had unimaginable hurdles thrown at her at such a young age, and yet she SURVIVED in so many more ways than one ❤️ she survived what he did to her and her family, and she’s continued to survive every single day since. That’s the definition of a true survivor. Her strength is an inspiration and I hope she continues to heal & thrive.

So wait, he got to live until 2021? Unacceptable! I'm so sorry for what Shasta had to endure with that monster but I'm glad she was able to survive and help him get arrested. Rest in peace to Brenda, Slate, Dylan and their stepdad.🙏❤️

There is ZERO reason to keep child sex offenders alive. Death penalty, first offense.

Child predators are not capable of changing their ways. Lock them up forever

Y’all talking about Slade but all I can think about is Dylan :((( the entire family suffered so much, I can’t imagine how traumatized she was watching Dylan, the person she was closest too, die in front of her. Absolutely heartbreaking, my chest HURTS for her. Rip Slade, Dylan & the rest of the family 💔

She's a real girl of Steel... Have never felt this emotional watching a crime documentary!!! Just WOW!! She's truly gifted!!

It made me cry when he said Slade used his final strength to be together with his Mom. They seem to be a really great family. Why in the world does this have to happen to them?

Shasta was a genius in how she manipulated the manipulator! It’s truly a miracle she survived, not only the actually abduction and horrors she lived through, but that she didn’t even let the drugs and alcohol used to dull her inner trauma take her life either!!!! I’m so proud of her Praying for complete healing

When she said "He was my best friend" I was praying to God that she said was because he isn't anymore and not because he died. It's so unfortunate, that this all started because they were just being kids, playing in their yard. Rest in peace Dylan, Slade, and their mother and step father.

I am a grown man crying watching this tragedy. I remember this story but didn't know all the vile details. God bless you Shasta. You are a strong amazing person. Your 1000 times the person I am. I hope only great things for you.

the detail that slade made it back into the home to pass next to his mother just tore me apart. what wonderful parents they mustve been.

She saved so many lives. Dear God I have never heard a story like this. She is a true hero, an angel.

that poor boy slade, being the same age as him and seeing this is genuinely heartbreaking. Even in his last moments and all the pain he felt he still built the strength up to get back in the house and pass away next to his mom, i’m sure he was so scared, terrified. How could that disgusting - awful man ever be kept alive for so long, he deserved the death penalty. Those poor boys, the poor parents. My gosh, Shasta is so strong and i’m incredibly impressed by her. May that poor family rest in the peace they deserve❤

Shasta has such a beautiful soul. The fact that she is able help others who have suffered terrible trauma after what she has been through, shows that there is hope for humanity. The world needs more like her.💙💙

These sex offenders should NEVER be let out of prison! This was preventable! What an atrocity. Whoever let him out bears some responsibility. It was known he was a predator from a young age.

I appreciate how these videos focus on the victims a lot more than the killers and shows how they were able to eventually move past their trauma. I'm sure it's really inspiring for anyone who has gone through something like this.

Incredible story. What a brave girl. I also liked the part where people in the restaurant all worked quietly together to stop the man from getting away.

This case has haunted me for years. I just want Shasta to be ok. I cant imagine what she had to go through.

Reminds me of Elizabeth Smart, who also survived her abductor through manipulating her captor at fourteen into bringing her back to her home town where she knew that she would be recognized and outsmarted him. It's incredible that Shasta had these instincts as such a little girl. So intuitive, so strong and brave.

it always amazes me how these young girls are so smart and intelligent to manipulate their captors and survive these types of ordeals. she is so brave

I am so glad that a guy made eye contact with her recognized her and helped save her before she could die with the rest of her family.

This little girl was literally so smart and the fact that an 8yr girl can manipulate a terrible man is unbelievable am Glad she’s safe today.

Child predators should NEVER be let out of prison.

The kid that went back inside while mortally wounded.. hit me right in the feels. Protect kids at all cost.

This made me cry.. 😢 What a horrific crime! Killing her entire family & abusing those poor children.. That man is crazy & pure evil!!!! What a sharp, smart little girl Shasta is.. And now she became a woman with purpose & living her life.. I wish her all the best & all the love in the world..

I feel horrible the mom, dad, shasta, and dylan, but more specifically for Slade. He was beaten horribly, and tried to save his brother and sister, and died next to the persons he loved the most. No kid deserves that, and none of them in that family deserved that. RIP

I remembered when this happened. Police kept alluding to the parents and older brother being killed because of drugs....it was all about drugs.....then they actually found out what had really happened. It really pissed me off bc if the guy had been imprisoned like he should have been, this never would have happened.

Completely preventable crime--WHY WAS HE FREE?? Unbelievble.

slade crawling back into the house to be with his mom as he died just breaks my heart, that poor boy.

I’m amazed at how quickly the entire crowd in the Denny’s became somewhat like a hive mind. They all thought the same thing when the abductor was going to leave.

The fact she keeps in contact with the random guy from the restaurant who alerted the waitress and the investigators is so fricking sweet and wholesome omg

She chose strangulation because she had more chances to convince him to let go. And she was only 8 years old!

This man killed her Whole Family and gets Out On 15000 Bond and kidnaps another Child and Now is still on the Loose??? How the Hell do you get out on bond when you have killed Six People????

I hear about this all the time. I live near CDA, Idaho and my grandpa was friends with the father of Shasta and Dylan. May they all rest and peace, and bless Shasta’s heart.

The fact that she was able to survive the strangulation with quick thinking and manipulation is insane. Its something you would assume to only be part of a movie when the main character is almost dead but just scrapes by at the last second.

The staff at Denny's deserve everything!

Idk but i cant stop thinking about Dylan :(. My heart as a mother. Imagine holding your brother lifeless body and helped burying him. I cried while watching.

The fact Slade uses his last strength to go back and die with his mother had me questioning every decision I've ever made in my decades of being alive, breathing, and being an organism

I feel so bad for Shasta. I can’t imagine the pain she’s in. Losing your only family is hard. Especially her brothers. They were inseparable, and had such a beautiful bond. Rip, fly high 🕊️

I know that she’s struggled with substance abuse, among other things, since surviving this. I really don’t blame her. I hope she’s doing better now. She survived all of that. She’s here for a reason ❤

Holy shite! I don’t know I’ve witnessed such absolute strength! EVER, Ms. Shasta. This said from a strong minded, physically strong female. I aspire to gain more to be even close to yours! Many blessings to you and yours!!!!!!

What a horror show. She's amazing for keeping her head together but the loss she's endured, almost all at once, is incalculable.

Devastating story. Also devastating to hear that Shasta has been in and out of prison her entire life and dealing with drug issues. This tragedy definitely traumatized her.

The fact that rapists and pedos get slaps on the wrist in the judicial system has never been lost on me. I being a survivor of multiple different rapes can’t stand the system. The fact that they would rather bang the book at someone selling pot, driving on a suspended, ect vs actual predators is astounding. My best friend raped me in high school, and they said they’d hate to ruin his future over a misunderstanding. Bro I was asleep n woke up to it. I hate the system.

Really horrifying and sad, no kid ever in this world need to endure what this brave little girl had to go through. God bless her and all people who supported her.

So thankful she was rescued. Pray she'll be healed though I know she can never forget. My father was murdered shortly before my 20th birthday, I'll never forget the crime scene.

He also killed a California boy, Anthony Martinez, grabbing him right off the street in front of the children Anthony was playing with. The kids gave the police such a good description, the composite sketch looked so much like Joseph Duncan, I don’t know how it took years and years to solve the case. If they could have, he might have not killed Shasta’s family and so many others.

She's a remarkable human being. May her life just be filled with love and joy. So sad that there's predators all around us 😞

This story is so horrific

What a sad sad tragic story. Shes amazing and brave and im so glad she took down this evil monster. Unfortunately all these horrific experiences not surprisingly had its toll mentally for this girl and shes been in trouble since then :( I really hope she can turn around her life and also get the proper help she needs.

I heard so many stories that i thought were bad but this one is by far the most traumatic, it’s so bad that this could happen to anyone but a 8 year old child? i couldn’t live after all this that girl is so strong. RIP to her family

People like this should never be let out prison, and this is a clear example as to why. He should have been put away for life after molesting a child.

i gotta say i have a lot of respect for this account and having constant respect and understanding that the victims are people and never going into too much detail when it comes to the crimes committed on these people. It keeps these people from becoming what was done to them and more of who they are, were and became. It’s amazing. It makes me really emotional ill be honest, hearing people talk about what happened to them and you guys having a respect for them. Its really amazing you dont see that much anymore.

what a brave girl. the intelligence she had at only the age of eight is beyond me. she was able to stay resilient even after her family had been slaughtered- right in front of her eyes, too. that man was horrible. i don’t know how anybody could hurt an innocent child to the extent that they are dead. people like that don’t deserve to live.

Hearing Shasta talk about Dylan’s death made me break down crying…..I cannot imagine the pain and trauma she has endured. 😢😢😢 Shasta was so brave and I hope she is living the best life she can.

Just more proof that sex offenders can’t be rehabilitated!👎 They ALWAYS reoffend. Sick 🤢

I cant imagine how good that felt when they caught him and she was free. Poor girl i tear up everytime when she talks about her brother.

She's so strong for this. The things that she had to go through are worse than anything I could come up with, and yet she stayed strong throughout all of that.

Another thing I love about this channel is the fact that they cover the survivor’s lives after they’re rescued from these horrible incidents. People seem to forget that there isn’t always a “happy ending” for these survivors. Their lives continue onward, and they need to somehow pick the pieces up from there… so happy Shasta has been able to finally achieve a seemingly peaceful life now.

It's way past time for judges to be held accountable for releasing criminals back to freedom. If the judge is too soft for the job, then he/she is in the wrong occupation.

What's crazy is that if this happened nowadays everyone would probably be too busy on their phones to even notice the victim. Much less recognize her since almost no one reads papers or watches the news. This girl is truly astonishing and I hope she is able to find peace. She is also very lucky this happened in 2005.

What a beautiful and brave little girl. She was so freakin' smart for what she did. No fear! I'm so sad for what happened to her and how she emotionally suffered later in life. But, she is alive and I thank the Lord, or the universe or whatever, that she is. Protect your children, guys. They are so freaking precious! I don't know how anyone could hurt a little kid. It blows my mind someone could be capable of doing that to such a little darling🙁

Shasta was forced drugs and alcohol… she later struggles with drugs and alcohol. This wasn’t her fault, it was trauma & an early introduction to substances.

As a 13 year old it breaks my heart to hear that kid, who was repeatedly hit on the head with a hammer, had the energy to crawl back to his house so he could be with his parents. That's the type of shit a real sweet kid would do that genuinely loves his family and the people he's around. Rest in peace that beautiful kid, his younger siblings probably always stuck together and so he must've been closer to his beautiful parents and especially his mom. Disgusting killer, beautiful amazing kids and parents ❤

Ridiculous that the waitress talked the manager into doing the right thing by offering to pay for their meal. Tells me that manager wasnt going to do it because they'd lose $30. Pretty disgusting, that.

Incredibly strong little girl, may she find peace and heal her trauma.

My heart broke for that baby 😞 Thank God she still has her father.

And that’s why you don’t let predators free. He molested a child when he was 15, what the justice expected? That he would have become a model citizen because was caught once? To imagine that this would have never happened if the idiots who let him go at least checked on him.

You are an amazing person, Shasta. Thank you for your brave telling of your story. ❤️

The fact he went back and died next to his mom is heart warming ❤

as soon as someone hurts a child once, that is proof enough that they will do it again. my heart breaks for each and every child affected by horrible horrible adults.

At the age of only 8 year’s old she knew how to manipulate that pos and live This (now grown Lady) is a absolute genius.. And to hear that her mom from the beyond was talking to her and keeping for focused A MOTHER’S LOVE NEVER DIES…

what a HORRIBLE Monster.

I really enjoy the content you create, specifically the positive angle at the end. It seems most creators focus on the darkest parts of every case. Thank you.

The narrator did the biological father dirty by saying that he acted suspiciously. Even after knowing that he was innocent. That man deserves an apology.

The details of the abuse Dylan experienced are some of the worst I've ever heard. He took Dylan alone multiple times and tortured him for days to the point of near death over and over. He shot Dylan through an open cooler so they didn't see it coming.

This is the strongest person i have ever seen in my entire life this is the craziest story ive ever heard no one would be able to escape what she went through its crazy.

Wow, horrifying! A reason why I’m scared to have children even though I want at least one child. Rest In Peace to her family and I hope she’s living great rn!

Truly a heartbreaking case. She is a smart and brave little girl. It's so insane that a man that is a level 3 sex offender can just be out and about loving his life with noone keeping track of them or nothing. Idc if it's your first time being charged or not. If you are charged doing stuff to kids, you should never be allowed out of prison period.

This behavior coming from an 8 year old is crazy. In arguibly the worst situation a person could be in she not only had the courage to comfort her brother, but to also play nice and pretend while remembering other victims. Shes amazing

Imagine being psychologically manipulated by an 8 year old like she’s better at psychological warfare than some soldiers

How a human being can do such evil horrendous things and enjoy describing to chidren what he had done to other children and to murder that poor innocent boy infront of his poor innocent sister is truly horrifiying. I honestly can not fathom how Shasta can forgive him. If their is a hell i hope he rots in it for eternity. Rest in peace all of this maniacs victims and massive respect and admiration for Sasha,really hope she can live the rest of her life with happiness and love.

Horrible. This is the type of case you almost regret knowing about. My God. This is the most evil thing I have ever heard about. My heart goes out to Shasta. Can't get through this one without crying a few times.

To have the wherewithal to know how she can escape at 8 was amazing. To be able to plan and predict his reactions to her pretending to love him and play the long game under EXTREME duress is rare. She’s remarkable, im happy she was able to turn her life around.

I just broke down! And as much as i didn't want to hear this story I was compelled to watch it to the end! And just the fact that The Lord, allowed this beautiful child, to not only survive-- but gave her mind the ability to remember every distinct detail about these horrific events, and how He gave her the wisdom to outsmart her abuser--was miraculous in itself! My heart was so full, I just Thanked God that she lived-- and for the kindness of the counselor that helped her see another aspect for her life-- so that she could turn her nightmare into a tool to help others, in turn, saving her own life! I mourn with you over the loss of your family, and I will keep you in my deepest heartfelt 🙏🏼prayers! Shasta, you are a very precious young lady!

Her marrying and having kids with the man that was related to the girls that she heard stories about being murdered is crazy to me. It’s such a little detail, but it’s insane to me like the world so small or it was just fate like I wonder how she felt when she found that out

There is NO place in HELL for this monster as well. This is one of the most tragic stories I've come across. How Shasta stayed strong and never gave up hope during that horrific time is beyond me. RIP the family and the sweet little boy Dylan.

It is amazing at such a young age how she was able to understand this man, retain all the information she did, and have the incite to keep it to herself, and wait for her moment. What a brave girl she was!

Wow I'm so sorry no little girl should ever have to go through something like that. You're a very strong person to be able to get through this. I honestly don't know that I would have been able to. I am so glad you have a better life now and look happy. But I am so so so sorry this happened to you. 💖

The Fargo businessman who posted his $15,000 bail should be on a registry.