Single Page
Police say missing Anchorage barista was abducted
Samantha Koenig went missing in Anchorage on Feb. 1.
Anchorage police now believe that Samantha Koenig -- who went missing on Wednesday night from her work as a barista at a drive-thru coffee stand near Tudor Road and the Old Seward Highway in Anchorage -- was abducted, according to the Anchorage Daily News. According to the Anchorage Police Department, Koenig, 18, was not at the Common Grounds coffee shop on Wednesday night when her boyfriend arrived to pick her up after her shift ended at 8. Police were initially not treating the disappearance as suspicious, but said Tuesday that a surveillance video showed a man dressed in a dark hooded sweatshirt and possibly a baseball cap approaching the coffee stand around closing. A police detective told the Anchorage Daily News that it appeared in the video that the man was armed, and that Koenig left with him on foot. Dozens of police were working the case on Friday, the detective said. Koenig is described as 5 foot 5 inches tall, and weighing about 140 pounds. Anyone with information regarding Koenig's disappearance is encouraged to call Anchorage police at 786-8900. Read more, at the Anchorage Daily News. From the current ADN article update: Lt. Dave Parker, a police spokesman, said people might find the video interesting, but releasing it wouldn't help solve the case. "There's nothing in there that will help us identify the perpetrator. We've already told people it's a male wearing a hoodie and that's about all we can tell." So the man's face doesn't show? "If his face was shown, don't you think that would have been the first thing out of our mouths? 'Look at this video! Who is this man?' " Parker said. I still defend the APD in most cases, but I have to agree with the Anchorage residents in regards to that video; 250,000 sets of eyes might see something in that video the APD hasn't. It certainly doesn't sound like the APD has any kind of clear picture of the abductor- only that he is in a hoodie and perhaps a cap too. I don't know if they have any height/weight estimates; they didn't when I last checked the ADN site, but they may have had more if they had known that this was an abduction sooner. I hope other coffee huts will, in the future, have some safety precautions for their barrista's when closing such as phone calls or other method of insuring they are safely out of there. Camera's are a good idea too and are not a deal breaker these days. You can get camera's these days for very reasonable prices- even those that work at night and color too. Web cams can be activated from remote locations, allowing an owner or manager to see and talk to barrista's getting off shift and closing up at night. All manner of options within a variety of price points could be utilized to ensure the safety of those who may be vulnerable to abductions or other criminal acts. So many armchair detectives in the ADN comments today. They all think they know the APD's jobs better. I defended the APD, and in some comments, even the ADN; what did I get for it ...banned from posting. So, if you get the same treatment from Scott Levin and his goon moderators, feel free to bash them at will. May the McClatchy Company burn in hell. So, APD has this fella's picture. Seems like we went through this once before not too long ago. Doesn't it seem like that photo would be some thing that if released to the public might help get this girl found a little quicker? I mean, It's almost a guarantee that more than a few people in the area are going to know who it is. OldHaines, When it comes to Monday morning QB'ing, you are definitely the MVP. The camera was set up on a building that shared the same parking lot, it was very grainy and did not offer a photo of the perps face. This is a terrible tragedy for the girl, her family and her friends, and to a lesser degree the entire community. -TomClark As opposed to what you are doing? Unless you are one of APD's finest out there fumbling around (to use one of your favorite football euphemisms) you are doing nothing to find this girl. Since you pretend to be a law enforcement expert you might explain to us poor slobs what APD is doing about the long list of unexplained disappearances of young women from the Anchorage are over the years? Take a look at the State Troopers MISSING/WANTED site and think about what it is you are seeing. OldHaines, Like everyone else in Anchorage and Alaska, I hope and pray for the safety of this girl, Samantha, and I hope that other barristas (and their employers) are now alerted and taking precautions so that this does not happen again. Positive results come from support...not from criticism. -TomClark Tom, You mighty be stunned to know that any of the officers in Juneau and more than a few throughout the rest of the state who have been around more than a few years will know me by name and face... I have had more than a little professional interaction with them over the years. Did you have a look at the missing persons page at AST yet? 1. These girls are all victims of someone. 2. In these types of cases, APD does not have a very good record of catching the perpetrator. Matter of fact... their record in these sorts of cases is beyond poor. BTW: positive results from government agencies almost always happen because someone INSISTS that it happen and will not tolerate anything less. OldHaines, -TomClark That was kind of rude, wasn't it? He said "professional", which makes me think he's a lawyer, bondsman, paralegal or something like that. But why stoop to insulting the poster? It's OK, you get used to it from Tommy... He's not "stooping" it's just that he can't reach up any farther. We are starting to think he is compensating for a lack of education or a serious intelligence deficit.... Poor OldHaines, Try to be positive, life is too short. -TomClark Off to bed Tommy... Kindergarten starts in the morning and you already failed finger painting once.... You know what I find fascinating? Can you honestly offer these kids a positive solution to their problems when you still have so much to work out yourself? Honestly? -TomClark A dirtbag, presumably in a winter coat, looks like anyone. Were there anything in the video that could be recognizable, apd would have released it. We don't know where the camera was located but it's pretty unlikely it was pointed directly at his face. The best thing we can do is get the word out and keep eyes & ears open and find the girl before the douchebag kills her. If you want to trash apd or second guess them, I'd suggest there are better times and better places. |
Comments