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Search Continues for Kidnapped Anchorage BaristaAnchorage police said surveillance video footage showed Samantha Koenig was abducted from Common Grounds Espresso by an armed man wearing a dark colored hooded sweatshirt.Related Content
ANCHORAGE - Three days ago, Samantha Koenig disappeared. “I don’t know if my daughter is fed, taken care of, if she’s alive,” said her father, James Koenig, in an emotional public plea from the spot where she was last seen. “Just please, help me find my daughter.” After the 18-year-old barista vanished from her job at Common Grounds Espresso in Midtown Anchorage Wednesday night, Anchorage police said surveillance video footage showed Koenig was abducted from the coffee stand by an armed man wearing a dark colored hooded sweatshirt. Despite a $12,500 reward offered up by her father and hundreds of brightly colored fliers reading “Kidnapped” and plastered in car windows and on street signs across town, there’ve been no signs of her. Ashley Sollenberger, one of Koenig’s closest friends, remembers the exact moment she first heard the news. The two had met during a summer job at the House of Harley-Davidson, and when they weren’t spending time at Sollenberger’s East Anchorage home or going out to the movies, they would communicate via text or phone. But the last time Sollenberger heard from her friend was on Monday, when Koenig sent her one last text message before going to bed for the night. On Thursday, Sollenberger received a text from a former House of Harley coworker: “Did you know Samantha is missing?” She said she instantly tried calling her: the phone was off. “Samantha always kept in contact,” Sollenberger said. “It was unusual not to hear from her at all.” Koenig’s old coworkers at the local motorcycle shop agree. They said she was a people-person, always chatting with a customer or asking if she could help them. “I was really surprised at how many people actually knew her,” said Aimee Matteson, a year-long employee at House of Harley who has been working to spread the word about Koenig’s disappearance to as many customers as possible. “There were people coming in here, people putting up flyers that knew her, and there were just tons of them.” It’s been several months since Koenig worked at the store, but many of the regulars still recognize the girl staring up from the posters as the bubbly teenager who helped them with their bikes over the summer. Sitting around the lobby of the Spenard motorcycle shop, they mull over what might have happened to her. “I thought she looked awfully familiar,” said one man, cradling a Styrofoam cup of free coffee. “I just don’t want it to end up like a Bonnie Craig thing, where twenty years later you’re wondering what or who,” said another, dressed in worn jeans stained with motor oil and a faded Harley t-shirt. Koenig’s friends said she would drop anything to help anyone, learn anybody’s name. Now, passing out her fliers to everybody who walks through the door, they said they just want people to know hers. |
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Chris said on Wednesday, Feb 8 at 9:49 AM
As years pass and mention of heinous crimes passes as they are forgotten. Lets try to remember as best we can the times we have prayed together and continue to hope that our love reaches all those in need.
81058492chris a petro said on Tuesday, Feb 7 at 6:45 PM
i am praying for samanthas safe return home, i know the pain first hand. jan 4 2011 the same thing happened to my own doughter while eye witnesses watched and did nothing.
81030014Brendan Joel Kelley KTVA said on Monday, Feb 6 at 1:29 PM
FYI: The police are not releasing video because there are identifiable details that they're keeping from the general public in order to not be flooded with false tips. APD knows what it's doing, and if we or any other news outlet had the video or stills, we'd certainly be releasing it. - Brendan Joel Kelley, Managing Editor, KTVA.com. bjk@ktva.com
80964792Castogere said on Monday, Feb 6 at 3:02 AM
honestly there is something missing here that we need to complete the puzzle. Footage of the kidnapper would be of help to someone if not to police. Either way, this thing stinks, I say that because this whole senerio implies that our well paid police force is completely in the dark and don't know where to start. I am thrown by the lack of actual information. At the moment this amounts to a game of poker. The police are currently holding a pair of 2s.
80939693Anonymous said on Sunday, Feb 5 at 10:58 PM
To the idiot that took the young lady. Hope you do the right thing and bring her home safe. What would happen if someone you love was taking. How would you feel and act. Please, bring her home to her family. I well Pray for her safe return.
80937012beky said on Sunday, Feb 5 at 8:54 PM
KTVA you should try and get that video from the police and put it on tv. Keep showing the footage over and over on air throughout the day and night and the same thing with the flyer of this poor young lady. I am praying for her.
80934832John said on Sunday, Feb 5 at 8:43 PM
Why do they not show the footage! If they are able to tell its a hooded man, there's a chance someone might recognize something about him!
80934603chinh nguyen said on Sunday, Feb 5 at 8:14 PM
Police should have released the pictures of the suspect. It's got to be one of the customers. I am praying that Samantha is safe.
80933794ken said on Sunday, Feb 5 at 6:00 PM
Anchorage police said surveillance video footage showed Koenig was abducted from the coffee stand by an armed man wearing a dark colored hooded sweatshirt..............this should have been put on the air wed nite
80930711tim said on Sunday, Feb 5 at 5:58 PM
I'll throw 100 bucks in for the reward, 500 if they hang the s.o.b. for what he did.
80930659ken said on Sunday, Feb 5 at 5:57 PM
why not show a pic of the man in question, someone might know him, ya think?
80930646End Violence said on Sunday, Feb 5 at 2:33 PM
I really hope that unneccessary crimes stop being committed such as this one. She looks like a beautiful young woman, the mention of rappers and homeboys in Alaska seems kind of wierd. It is because this state seems to have a lot of people from the outside that bring in the gang mentality and encourage this type of behavior that is not cool. I hope that gang related violence ends with people growing up to realize that killing is not cool, nor is rapping about it.
80926747Josh said on Sunday, Feb 5 at 1:12 PM
Yes pictures will really help. Does the news not wanna help?
80924338Anonymous said on Sunday, Feb 5 at 8:15 AM
A clear picture of the missing young lady would be great! Watching folks flash a flyer around while it's waving around in their hands doesn't provide a very good picture of who we are on the lookout for. And what about a pic of the perp? Shouldn't that be a part of the report?
80915732don said on Sunday, Feb 5 at 12:44 AM
anybody care to share a picture of the hooded man.ummm,it might help.
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