Anchorage Police Chief Mark Mew says investigators have found what they believe is the body of missing barista, Samantha Koenig. He made the announcement at APD Headquarters late Monday explaining that a forensic dive team discovered the body in Matanuska Lake.
“Investigator
s believe that Samantha died within hours of abduction. The person that responsible for Samantha’s death acted alone and we are confident that we have that person in custody. We are working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s office and charges for Samantha’s kidnapping and murder will be forthcoming.”
The 18-year-old barista disappeared from the Anchorage coffee stand were she worked on February 1st. Security video showed her being led away from the stand by an armed man. The FBI partnered with the APD on the investigation. Special Agent In Charge, Mary Rook says the case was perplexing.
“Investigators found no direct association between the abductor and Samantha and any member of her family. I believe it was the dissociative nature of the crime that so perplexed investigators, at least initially.”
Chief Mew says the office of the state medical examiner will soon conduct a thorough examination of the body to verify the identity … and that charges for Koenig’s murder and kidnapping will be forthcoming.
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.
