It’s been more than a week since Samantha Koenig went missing in Anchorage. For several days now, her father, James has been camped out inside a motor home next to the coffee stand where his 18-year-old daughter worked. He says the stands are not safe.
“You know, you can put all the silent alarms on it all you want but If it had an air raid horn it, I guarantee you the guy woulda run off. Because from what I’ve heard in the video there were men walking out of the Alaska club when this was taking place. You know these coffee stands do not need house windows in em that can fit a human body through. All you need is enough to fit a 20 ounce cup a coffee through it,” Koenig said.
Koenig’s father added that there should have been a buddy system in place at the coffee stand and that his daughter should not have been required to close up shop alone. Photos of the petite brunette have appeared on billboards and bulletin boards across the state and on the Internet since Koenig went missing on Feb. 1. Police say security footage shows her being led away from the coffee stand by an armed man in a hoodie. The man allegedly entered the Common Grounds Espresso hut in the parking lot of the Alaska Club on East Tudor, then walked away with her toward the Old Seward Highway, and she hasn’t been seen since. Cash was also reported missing. The case has been classified as an abduction based on Koenig’s demeanor and the man’s actions. A candlelight vigil is set for 6:30pm Saturday night in Town Square in downtown Anchorage. Koenig is 5 foot 5 and 140 pounds with Brown Hair and Brown Eyes. Anyone with information leading to her whereabouts is asked to contact the Anchorage Police Department.
Daysha Eaton is a contributor with the Alaska Public Radio Network.
Daysha Eaton holds a B.A. from Evergreen State College, and a M.A. from the University of Southern California. Daysha got her start in radio at Seattle public radio stations, KPLU and KUOW. Before coming to KBBI, she was the News Director at KYUK in Bethel. She has also worked as the Southcentral Reporter for KSKA in Anchorage.
Daysha's work has appeared on NPR's "Morning Edition" and "All Things Considered", PRI's "The World" and "National Native News". She's happy to take assignments, and to get news tips, which are best sent via email.
Daysha became a journalist because she believes in the power of storytelling. Stories connect us and they help us make sense of our world. They shed light on injustice and they comfort us in troubled times. She got into public broadcasting because it seems to fulfill the intention of the 4th Estate and to most effectively apply the freedom of the press granted to us through the Constitution. She feels that public radio has a special way of moving people emotionally through sound, taking them to remote places, introducing them to people they would not otherwise meet and compelling them to think about issues they might ordinarily overlook.
