"Reflections"

This section is a virtual "look" into the mind and madness of an insane man. Joseph E. Duncan III kidnapped, sexually assaulted and then murdered several children over a period of eight years and in four different states. He has been convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole in two states (Idaho and California) and has three Federal death sentences. He currently resides on Federal death row in Terre Haute, Indiana while his court appointed attorneys appeal on his behalf and against his wishes (Duncan himself has expressly rejected all appeals).

On July 2nd, 2005, in the early morning hours, Duncan was spotted at a Denny's restaurant in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, with eight year old Shasta. Shasta and her nine year old brother, Dylan, were the subject of an "Amber Alert" after three other members of their family were found bludgeoned to death in their home six weeks earlier. Duncan later confessed that he had entered the home while the family slept with the express intent of murdering the parents and kidnapping the children. He claims he wanted "revenge against society" for sending him to prison for twenty years for sexually assaulting a younger boy (fourteen year old) when he himself was only sixteen years old.

Duncan says he had an "epiphany" as he was seconds away from murdering Shasta, that caused him to stop what he was doing and drive the child back to Coeur d'Alene (over 100 miles from the Montana wilderness where he'd camped out with both children, and murdered Dylan just days before). Shasta later told police, after Duncan was arrested at the Denny's, that "Jet", as she called Duncan, was taking her home and turning himself in.

The "Reflections"-section of The Fifth Nail is a collection of Duncan's most intimate thoughts and reflections as he tries to sort out the madness, or sickness, that lead him to believe he had a "right to justice". Duncan makes no claim of understanding or justification for what he has done, and repeatedly insists on his profound ignorance and responsibility. He has said in court many times (while representing himself in order to prevent his attorneys from "distorting the truth" about what happened and why) that there is "no excuse" for what he did, and that he accepts responsibility for it, "to the death if necessary".

Duncan plead guilty unconditionally in Federal court (i.e. there was no "plea deal") against his attorney's advice. He also expressly refused to appeal his death sentences, not because he wants to die, but because "society must learn on its own what I have learned". (Duncan believes that an appeal would only serve to distract society from the truth of what it is doing, which he says is no different than what he was doing; seeking "false justice").