AK - Samantha Koenig, 18, Anchorage, 1 Feb 2012 - #1

[Indy Anna]

new information:
[snipped]

Koenig's boyfriend, Dwayne, planned to pick up Koenig sometime after her shift ended at 8 p.m., said James Koenig, her father. Markiewicz said the boyfriend was delayed by work.

"By the time he arrived, she was gone," Markiewicz said.

[snipped]

Melanie Ornelas, a morning shift barista at the coffee stand, said there were cups of coffee left out on the counter when she arrived to open up, and Koenig's belongings were left in her cubby box.

"It looked like, in the middle of (making) a drink, she just left," Ornelas said.

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2012/02/03/22983...-for-missing.html#storylink=cpy#storylink=cpy

 

[Knox]

The Kia Dealership at the corner of Tudor and Old Seaward should have security cameras? Hooters is across the street, I see a few opportunities for additional video footage. Hopefully LE has a car on camera and they are just not stating that right now.

 

[Indy Anna]

As for her cell phone, it doesn't look like she had it with her since her belongings were still in her cubby the next morn and she'd been in the process of pouring coffee -- so, the kidnapping must have occurred before 8:00 when she would have begun cleaning up and counting the money.

Her dad commented on her cell phone:
[snipped]

It wasn't like her to just disappear without warning, and James talked to her by cell phone about an hour-and-a-half before her shift ended, he said.

When he hadn't heard from Samantha by late Wednesday, James started calling her repeatedly.

"I called her cell phone until the battery finally died, and texted it and everything," James said. "It would ring until it went to voicemail. And then, noon yesterday, it just went to voicemail, straight out."

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2012/02/03/22983...-for-missing.html#storylink=cpy#storylink=cpy

 

[Knox]

James said he knew someone kidnapped his daughter long before police called the case an abduction. Samantha lived with him -- she likes video games and going to the movies, he said -- and always kept in contact. It wasn't like her to just disappear without warning, and James talked to her by cell phone about an hour-and-a-half before her shift ended, he said.

When he hadn't heard from Samantha by late Wednesday, James started "I called her cell phone until the battery finally died, and texted it and everything," James said. "It would ring until it went to voicemail. And then, noon yesterday, it just went to voicemail, straight out."

Samantha had worked for Common Grounds a little less than a month and was enthusiastic about her job, said Duncan, the owner. She was energetic, bubbly, a people person, she said.

Ornelas said the stand has a good security system and, before Wednesday, the possibility of an abduction seemed farfetched to her and the other baristas.

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2012/02/03/22983...tml#storylink=cpy#storylink=cpy#storylink=cpy​

Her cell phone was left in her cubby at Common Grounds? Driving me crazy that LE has not mentioned her cell phone or checking to see who she spoke with that night.

What kind of a security system? Just the cameras or is there a panic button?

 

[LadyL]

Koenig left a note asking if she needed to work Saturday.

For now, two baristas are staffing the coffee stand at all times ...

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2012/02/03/22983...-for-missing.html#storylink=cpy#storylink=cpy


so Sam was probably starting the closing procedures when abductor comes in, orders a drink, then while Samantha's making it, pulls out a gun and ...

he could've already known she was working by herself or saw his opportunity when he walked in & saw her there alone

no employee should EVER work alone - I wish it was illegal everywhere

 

[LadyL]

oops I have a question - can customers actually walk into this place or is it drive-up only?

 

[Indy Anna]

oops I have a question - can customers actually walk into this place or is it drive-up only?

Looks like it's drive-up only. The door would be for employees only and would be kept locked at all times. So, either he threatened her with a weapon as you said, or he pretended to be the courier if it was near quitting time.

 

[Indy Anna]

I wanted to re-post the map of the Common Grounds Espresso coffee stand where Samantha works because I realized I linked the wrong one when I enlarged it to look at the area and it didn't look familiar. Don't know what happened since I'd Googled the correct one, but I'll try again.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q...code_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CCEQ8gEwAA

ETA: This time it posted as a link instead of the map, but at least it links to the correct map.

 

[cluciano63]

Looks like it's drive-up only. The door would be for employees only and would be kept locked at all times. So, either he threatened her with a weapon as you said, or he pretended to be the courier if it was near quitting time.

Or she let someone she knew come in? It is possible.
I almost hope it was someone she knows, she may have a better chance.

 

[Knox]

oops I have a question - can customers actually walk into this place or is it drive-up only?

http://commongroundsespresso.com/Locations_and_Hours.html

Looks like the location on Tudor is a portable building. One entrance/exit, they remind me of the Human Bean's I've seen in Oregon.

 

[Knox]

Looks like it's drive-up only. The door would be for employees only and would be kept locked at all times. So, either he threatened her with a weapon as you said, or he pretended to be the courier if it was near quitting time.

I don't think there was a courier service involved. More likely a built in safe and the manager/owner makes the rounds the following day. The only money would be from a late afternoon into evening shift.

 

[MagnoliaMom]

http://www.adn.com/2012/02/03/2298379/police-continue-search-for-missing.html#storylink=cpy#storylink=cpy

"The video's pretty compelling," he said.

Pssst - comments

 

[Knox]

Read the comments ...

http://www.adn.com/2012/02/03/22983...-for-missing.html#storylink=cpy#storylink=cpy

 

[cluciano63]

Wow, so she was taken with some sort of weapon...I hope LE has a clear picture of the abductor or already knows who he is.

 

[Knox]

Pictures at link-

http://www.theolympian.com/2012/02/03/1976175/samantha-koenig-search-60792-02.html

 

[Knox]

At least two dozen detectives, as well as officers with the Anchorage Police Department's Special Assignments Unit, Vice Unit and patrol officers were on the case, Detective Markiewicz said. The investigators were working around the clock following leads, conducting interviews and analyzing more surveillance camera footage from surrounding businesses, he said.

The investigators would not be releasing video footage or a still image from the surveillance video, Markiewicz said.

Markiewicz said the investigation included looking into the circumstances of the protective order among many other things but declined to comment further on how it might be involved in Koenig's disappearance.

As of late Friday, no suspects had been identified, he said.

"Anyone could be a suspect at this point," Markiewicz said.

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2012/02/03/2298379/police-continue-search-for-missing.html#storylink=cpy​

http://www.adn.com/2012/02/03/2298379/police-continue-search-for-missing.html#storylink=cpy

 

[Indy Anna]

I think LE must feel they can ID the perp without the public's help. One thing that's odd is that a robber would take the employee with him when he has no need of a hostage. That makes me think Sam knew the robber. Most robbers wear a ski cap covering the face. At night, a masked robber couldn't be ID'd so it would make no sense for him to take her with him...unless she could ID him by his voice. So, was the robber taken by surprise when he recognized the barista?

I'm glad LE is looking at CB since he has an upcoming court appearance, has a history of robbery (breaking and entering), demonstrating violent tendencies and threatening violence (see article below), and SK had filed a protective order against him.

http://www.jdnews.com/articles/breaking-71170-entering-deloney.html

 

[dillysmom11]

The window of time is so short, with her boyfriend arriving and closing the station. I hope LE is also looking at survellience from past days on the off chance the perp was hanging around. MOO

Still hoping she took the money with a friend and faked abduction... better bad character (

 

[katydid23]

Yes, it is scary that he forced her to come with him. He could have just taken the money and tied her up if that was all he wanted. That is not good that he took her along, imo.

 

[Knox]

I think LE must feel they can ID the perp without the public's help. One thing that's odd is that a robber would take the employee with him when he has no need of a hostage. That makes me think Sam knew the robber. Most robbers wear a ski cap covering the face. At night, a masked robber couldn't be ID'd so it would make no sense for him to take her with him...unless she could ID him by his voice. So, was the robber taken by surprise when he recognized the barista?

I'm glad LE is looking at CB since he has an upcoming court appearance, has a history of robbery (breaking and entering), demonstrating violent tendencies and threatening violence (see article below), and SK had filed a protective order against him.

http://www.jdnews.com/articles/breaking-71170-entering-deloney.html

Did this guy know there were video cameras and parked his car down the street? I wonder how far the field of vision is on those cameras? Approaching and leaving on foot with a victim is not exactly a bright move. How would he know Samantha would not scream or break away if a car approached or passed by? Makes me think they knew each other.

Hopefully the other footage they are looking at will pick them up getting into a vehicle.

"She had already built a loyal customer base," Duncan said.

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2012/02/03/2298379/police-continue-search-for-missing.html#storylink=cpy​

http://www.adn.com/2012/02/03/2298379/police-continue-search-for-missing.html