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Aunt begs children: 'Hang in there'

Tips turn up nothing on missing Idaho siblings


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An Amber Alert was issued for siblings Shasta and Dylan Groene.
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COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho (CNN) -- The aunt of two missing Idaho children urged whoever has the siblings to turn themselves in and hope for "compassion."

Wendy Price also tried to comfort her niece and nephew Saturday, telling them to "hang in there" in hopes they could hear her.

Shasta Groene, 8, and her brother Dylan, 9, have been missing since Monday, when police found the bodies of their mother, Brenda Groene, 40; their 13-year-old brother Slade; and the mother's boyfriend, Mark McKenzie, 37, at the Groenes' home.

The three bound victims died of blunt force trauma to the head, said Kootenai County Coroner Robert West. The time of death was unclear.

A preliminary toxicology report showed the presence of "illicit drugs" in the two adults, but not in the teen, he said. The doctor did not elaborate.

The victims were last seen alive Sunday night during a cookout at the house, authorities said.

Since then a massive hunt has been under way for Dylan and Shasta.

The nationwide Amber Alert describes Dylan as 4 feet tall, 60 pounds, with short blond hair and blue eyes; and Shasta as 3 feet 10 inches tall, 40 pounds, with long auburn-brown hair and hazel eyes.

"We all love them," the children's aunt told reporters. Price is the sister of Steve Groene, the children's father.

Hoping they could hear her, Price told the youngsters: "You hang in there, because we're going to find you. We're going to find you soon. And just hold comfort in that, and we know that your brother is watching over you right now, and so is your mother. We don't feel any harm is going to come to you."

She also warned whoever has them to give up.

"I think that's the best thing that they could do -- turn themselves in and look for that compassion, because they're not going to get it if we have to find them."

The crime was featured Saturday night on Fox's "America's Most Wanted," and the public was asked to help aid the search.

"Everybody that knew these kids knows they were just great children," their father said on the show. "I never, ever thought I'd never get to see any of my kids not grow up and become adults and have families of their own."

Although hundreds of tips have been called in, none has panned out, authorities said.

Volunteers ended their search Thursday after re-canvassing about 400 acres surrounding the Groene home. Also searched were lakes and ponds nearby.

CNN's Peter Ornstein contributed to this report.


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