As the search for abducted Anchorage barista Samantha Koenig passes one week in duration, police say harsh winter conditions in town have hampered their investigation.
APD spokesperson Lt. Dave Parker says surveillance video from Common Grounds Espresso’s Midtown location shows Koenig being abducted by an armed man on Feb. 1 at closing time, roughly 8 p.m. Parker says heavy snow and winter driving conditions that evening made it difficult for drivers in the area who could have been potential witnesses to recall seeing anything.
Since Koenig's disappearance, several snow events, including more than a foot falling Friday, have created a massive snow berm outside of Common Grounds.
The coffee stand sits inside of the Alaska Club’s Midtown parking lot, at Tudor Road and Fairbanks Street. Denise Brown Robinson, a spokesperson for the club, says company officials decided to bring in a contractor Thursday to remove large amounts of snow to increase Common Grounds’ visibility and security.
The coffee shop is also being used as a staging ground for volunteers trying to located the 18-year-old.
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