AK - Samantha Koenig, 18, Anchorage, 01 Feb 2012 - #6

[TxLady2]

Just because someone calls and tells the police my card was stolen does not mean they gotta call the bank and tell them does it? I don't think so

The police can't cancel the card for you, I'm pretty sure, and if it's stolen or lost, they can't prevent someone from cleaning out your account before they catch them. So it would be very wise to call the bank as soon as you know the card is stolen.
Also wanted to add, it's not that hard to figure out a PIN. And a lot of people are dumb enough to have their PIN written down on a slip of paper and keep it behind their cards. Who's to say person A didn't do that, or even have it stashed in the glove box? If he sees a scrap of paper with 4 or 5 numbers on it, BINGO!

 

[elephantchild]

Remember back when we were talking about IK's past, and someone pointed out that the origin of his family name was related to water? Keyes/Quays? That observation made me smile at the time, but it stuck in the back of my mind.

Now that I have abandoned my first belief that this was skimming-related (I too remember that truck in the parking lot and want it to fit somehow) - and am considering the drug angle, that thought popped up again.

I live in WA state, and it has a long tradition of smuggling. Neah Bay, where IK worked on tribal lands, is at the tip of the Olympic Peninsula, which has a long coastline and a small population, and it is not that far across the straits of Juan de Fuca to Canada. I have camped along that coast - there are so many beaches and inlets where you could come ashore unobserved. So out of curiousity, I looked up drug smuggling incidents at Neah Bay - not with the intention of linking them directly to IK - we are pinning a lot on him right now without actual proof - but just to see how common it was.

There have been at least a couple big busts at Neah Bay - most recently Ecstasy:

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20090830/NEWS/308309988

... and when I read through the article, there is a LEO making the same point:

"Vigil said that due to the Peninsula's long, sparsely populated coast, drugs are likely smuggled into the United States via the Strait on a weekly basis."

Lt. Gabriel Vigil is the head of the Coast Guard for that region - OT, but what a great name for his job.

Anyway, this statement suggests that IK had opportunity to be supplementing his carpenterial income by, say, meeting a boat at the beach and delivering some goods, in his previous location as well.

This is proof of nothing, but since the drug pipeline drives a lot of crime around here, I'd expect it to be that much more true in AK, where the coastline is even longer and the population even smaller.

 

[Deleted member 718]

I think Keyes is a player in this for sure, I just don't know how or why, but I think he will face new charges soon (my bank robbery included) and APD are wanting to find Samantha. they will give him a little at a time and make deals with him till he tells them where Sam is. moo

I think I just answered I have no clue in a long format LOL

I do think he will be facing more charges very soon. Everything may have been sealed in Texas to get him up there quicker. There has to be more involved. Keyes needed money and a lot of it quickly.moo

GutFeeling, I'm confused. Keyes was already in jail when the bank was robbed. Do you still think it could be him?

 

[TexasLil]

GutFeeling, I'm confused. Keyes was already in jail when the bank was robbed. Do you still think it could be him?

The bank robbery was Feb. 16th I believe.

 

[Deleted member 718]

My goodness! You are so right. I was thinking March instead of Feb. My apologies please.

I am so sorry GutFeeling.

Well that certainly changes things.

 

[bellyup]

I don"t know it seems if i call the police right now and say my card was stolen from my truck they would tell me to cancel it not lets wait and see if they buy anything with it.. I could see the police saying it now ohh they got your bank card please tell me you wrote the pin down for them on it.

I agree. I have a habit of leaving my card when I go out to eat (horrible, I know... it's a credit card not a bank card) they immediately freeze that bugger.

There's a REASON this card wasn't frozen. Which means IMO it was reported to police first and NOT the bank. So my guess is, whomever reported it stolen to police let police know it could be linked to SK right off the bat. THAT is why the card wasn't frozen so it could be traced.

Who is "Person A" ?

 

[Chili Fries]

I really doubt he's the bank robber. He would have had to have traveled to the Ft Worth area and then back to Anchorage, and then flown to Vegas and started his winding trek around the Southwest. And bank robberies are incredibly common, there are a lot of bank robbers out there. If you look at that bandittracker site it's really shocking how many unsolved bank robberies there have been in central Texas in the last few years. There are a lot of bank robbers to go around.

I still think this case probably comes down to the common motive when females are abducted by someone they don't know or just barely know...sex/power. I really hope for a miracle but it's likely just another of these tragic incidents that happen far, far too often. I just hope Keyes does the right thing and confesses if he is the abductor.

 

[KrazyKatLadi]

It makes no sense at all! Who watches someone break into their car and doesn't care that their card is stolen and account being drained??

Was it IK and SK getting Duane's or JK's card out of his car? I just don't see a way SK is not somehow involved.

IMHO

 

[Chili Fries]

I still think it may have just been the similar clothing seen by both person A and on the surveillance video of Samantha being taken, and the fact that the card was stolen the night she was abducted, that linked the card and the person seen on the video abducting Samantha.

 

[TexasLil]

It makes no sense at all! Who watches someone break into their car and doesn't care that their card is stolen and account being drained??

Was it IK and SK getting Duane's or JK's card out of his car? I just don't see a way SK is not somehow involved.

IMHO

According to ABC News, Keyes was arrested March 13 in Lufkin, Texas on a charge of access device fraud for allegedly making cash withdrawals from a stolen debit card. The card was not Koenig's.

The police have refused to say how Keyes is involved in Koenig's disappearance, and Koenig's father James Koenig said Friday the card did not belong to him or anyone he knows.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_...barista-samantha-koenig-returns-to-anchorage/

 

[elephantchild]

Who is "Person A" ?

Now that's the question of the hour.

In scenario 1 (SK abducted, under duress leads kidnapper to a car she knows has a bank card in in, and she has pin number of said card) the most obvious would be James Koenig or Duane, though if it were Duane's truck, that was also Sam's truck, and it could conceivably be HER card, with Duane or JK being "Person A." JK has categorically denied that it is his card Israel Keyes was using, but he is not under oath when saying so (did he also say it wasn't Sam's card?). In this scenario, the theft might not be reported immediately as they might be trying to figure out what was going on - but why would there have been no confrontation? -- there are some ambiguities suggested by the lapse of time before SK was reported missing. Neither JK or Duane seems a likely candidate for a well-stuffed bank account, though, so if SK was trying to buy her way out of a situation, their cards (or hers, by all reports) would be of little use. However, the "card juiced by reward fund" theory would fit here - the version in which JK is trying to get his daughter back outside of LE channels.

In scenario 2 (kidnapper stole card from random vehicle before or after abducting SK as part of a quest for easy cash) we are confronted with the issue of why the card was not cancelled and how the kidnapper gained the access code. There are possible explanations for this, like writing the code on the card or nearby, but they are a low probability. In this scenario, IK may or may not be the kidnapper. If he is, then the lapse of time before the card was used is best explained by the "card juiced by reward fund" theory. In that case, though, the cooperation of a random person is required to allow their card to be used as bait. If IK is NOT the actual kidnapper, it seems likely he would be under duress of some kind (i.e., the hypothesized drug bust connection), such as a threat to his family or to his own life, to embark on the card-milking trip.

In scenario 3 (card was stolen as part of an unrelated crime spree and was sold into IK's hands) there is no direct link to SK at all. LE seems convinced of the connection for reasons they won't entirely disclose, so either the card itself belongs to SK, or her immediate connections, or there is other suggestive evidence (the security video from Common Grounds, the disguise, a weapon or some other item found in his vehicle). The language in the affidavit around person A is deliberately vague. As a sworn document, I doubt it is ENTIRELY fabricated, however, stitched-together half-truths are possible. So a card skimming scheme does not seem to fit.

In scenario 4, in which IK does know SK or JK and there is a personal beef, or the kidnapping was staged way to raise funds to get them all out of the deep end of something bigger, I suspect IK would be trying to buy his way out of trouble with a plea right about now. Unattractive although this version of events might be, it holds out the greatest hope for SK being alive and unharmed.

None of these scenarios (composites of various theories expressed here plus some of my own thoughts) seem like a slam dunk to me. What others are possible?

 

[deca]

A lot of these theories sound good.

Well, I have been following this case from the get-go and I have to say I have gotten totally confused to the timeline. Can someone point me to one? I know there was one upthread somewhere but I couldn't find it.

 

[ak907]

Cant wait to know what the charges are..

I am sticking with PERSON A is IK and made a false report even if it was KA's card..


I carry around my wife's card sometimes, I am on that account when the bank asked if i wanted a debit card for that account i said no

 

[Chili Fries]

To me, the obvious reason the card wasn't cancelled was because LE believed the card thief could be the abductor so they were watching it for activity in hopes of that leading to him, which happened.

I don't know about the PIN number, but as TxLady2 points out, it's very plausible that the person it was stolen from had the PIN number written down where and the thief found it.

Now the other question is...why did Keyes not realize something was up when the card wasn't cancelled? We've seen criminals act irrationally many times before (and desperation probably factors in too).

 

[ConnectedSuitor]

I think its so weird that there has been very little reporting done on IK's background. The news business is hurting right now and this is the biggest news story in Alaska. People are hungry for news and I'm sure ADN and the local tv stations are getting tons of eyeballs. How hard would it be for a reporter to go to Neah Bay? There was one report about his childhood babysitter. Usually people come out of the woodwork in these cases, maybe that says something.

 

[elephantchild]

Cant wait to know what the charges are..

I am sticking with PERSON A is IK and made a false report even if it was KA's card..


I carry around my wife's card sometimes, I am on that account when the bank asked if i wanted a debit card for that account i said no

Oops, overlooked that one, sorry!

 

[Psychic Sleuth]

To me, the obvious reason the card wasn't cancelled was because LE believed the card thief could be the abductor so they were watching it for activity in hopes of that leading to him, which happened.

I don't know about the PIN number, but as TxLady2 points out, it's very plausible that the person it was stolen from had the PIN number written down where and the thief found it.

Now the other question is...why did Keyes not realize something was up when the card wasn't cancelled? We've seen criminals act irrationally many times before (and desperation probably factors in too).

I believe this is the reason the card was not cancelled also. Some good theories here...but I think this break in happened the same night (or early the next day) as Sam was abducted and due to the description of the perp and disguise worn LE thought it may be the same person. LE or possibly even JK (via reward funds?) may have added a little extra into the persons account and kept the account open so they could keep tracking him as he used the card because they thought eventually it might lead to Samantha (thus LE stating they thought she was alive). When he was arrested and no Sam their tune changed. And we have no idea what evidence they did or did not find of Sam's in that car. Could have been blood or her personal items or ??

Where did he get the pin number? I have no idea but there are people who really do write it on the card or many used their birthdate etc which is easy to guess. If you had the persons name a quick internet search could reveal a DOB. AND...we have no idea what else he got out of the car? It could have been an entire wallet which had the pin number etc in it.

Why would he think he could get away with using it? Criminals are not usually the smartest and they live one day at a time. He probably used it once and it worked so he kept using it. Perhaps he thought they couldn't track it over State lines? Who knows? It sounds like he had to get to Texas and probably didn't have the funds to do it. Desperation will make people do crazy things?

What I would like to know is where exactly did he go when he left Alaska and before he ended up in Lufkin? We have no idea if he really flew to Vegas or drove from AK all the way.

 

[elephantchild]

To me, the obvious reason the card wasn't cancelled was because LE believed the card thief could be the abductor so they were watching it for activity in hopes of that leading to him, which happened..

The cooperation of the card holder and the bank would be required for this, though. I guess if the police contacted me and said, we need you not to cancel your stolen card because a young girl's life is at stake, I might go along with this, but I know my spouse would not. The tax implications of having someone pump money into your account might be a consideration - as well as having your access code out there, since some people have multiple accounts. That's why the probability of it belonging to someone close to SK seems greater to me - not conclusive, just tipping the scales that way.

Now the other question is...why did Keyes not realize something was up when the card wasn't cancelled? We've seen criminals act irrationally many times before (and desperation probably factors in too).

Yes, I was perplexed by that as well.

My conclusion was, when the affidavit came out that gave us the details of the access, was that for him to be using the card, even in disguise, some assurances most likely been made - either from JK and Co. via communication we are not privy to (if JK was fairly sure he knew who had Sam, he may have had channels other that Facebook for extending offers) or from whoever he got the card from. Even so, it doesn't speak favorably about IK's mental state...

Wearing the same disguise over and over again too is either lazy, or as you say, desperate. I lean towards desperate - it is much harder to be rational when you are in a corner, albeit of your own making.

 

[AKSleuth1111]

Okay, first time poster here, but I’ve been following this case on Websleuths since thread #1. I am finally posting because I might have found a tool to use in figuring out who “Person A” is. It might be nothing, but with you guys/girls on the case I thought someone might be able to “connect the dots.” So, here goes….
The affidavit states that “Person A” reported to law enforcement that someone was going through his vehicle on 02/02/2012 at approximately 3:00am. After you Websleuthers began to speculate that it may have been JK who made the report, I went to www.crimemapping.com to see what I could find. The website lists a theft incident on 2/2/12 at 11:14am near the 4100 block of Spenard Rd. This area just happens to be right near JK’s home (as stated by JK in one of his original facebook letters directed toward CB).
I am not sure whether the time listed on the website is the time when the report was made, or the time when the police responded. But in any event, I found this info to be interesting. I know that JK has since denied that he was the one that made the report. But maybe you guys could look at some other known addresses (e.g., DT) and link them to other theft reports listed on the site. It might be impossible to narrow it down, but who knows.
BTW, if anyone does try to do some research on this website, I think it would be listed as a theft rather than a robbery, since a robbery is “a taking from the person of another.” The link to the Anchorage crimemap is below. You can refine the dates and narrow it down to a particular area by zooming in on the map.

http://www.crimemapping.com/map/ak/anchorage

 

[ConnectedSuitor]

Person of Interest in Koenig Abduction Back in Anchorage:
http://www.ktva.com/home/top-storie...ig-Abduction-Back-in-Anchorage-144396285.html

ANCHORAGE - The man Anchorage Police are calling a person of interest in the kidnapping of Samantha Koenig is back in Alaska.

U.S. Marshals brought Israel Keyes back to town Monday, and even though he sits in an Anchorage jail, investigators are still looking for help to solve the case.

Right now Keyes is only being charged for access device fraud as he awaits his arraignment in federal court; in the meantime police want to know everything they can about him and his whereabouts while he lived in Anchorage.

“The marshals have notified the court that Mr. Keyes is now in custody in the district in Alaska,” said Kevin Feldis, the chief of the criminal division for U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Israel Keyes is accused of stealing more than $1,000 from February 28 through March 13 using a Credit Union One Visa debit card that was issued to another person.

Meanwhile, police are hoping photos of his white truck will jog the memory of someone in the community and, they say, they're hoping that will lead to Koenig's whereabouts.

“The truck photos are photos that are actually taken by the Anchorage Police Department,” said spokesman Lt. Dave Parker. “Those photos are of the truck that we believe that Mr. Keyes was driving when he was here in Anchorage.” The pictures are now being released after detectives working with the FBI decided they needed more details about Keyes.

“What we're looking for is information from people, who that truck might jog their memory and might remember seeing that truck somewhere, it may or may not have had the rack on it and the work boxes on it,” said Parker.

Keyes is not a suspect in Koenig's abduction, but a person of interest and authorities say that distinction could keep him sitting in jail a bit longer. “As with in any case we look at all those factors, so the fact that he was arrested in connection with the investigation of the disappearance of Samantha Koenig, that could come into play for the courts consideration,” said Feldis.

Police say the goal is, and always has been, to bring Samantha home. Some may ask why APD has released photos when they haven't before. Lieutenant Parker says it’s because Israel Keyes’ truck photos are not evidence that could taint a potential jury.

The FBI told CBS 11 News Monday afternoon that they will be releasing more information about Keyes and the investigation Tuesday. But in the meantime they still want anyone who knows or has seen Israel Keyes here in Anchorage to call the FBI at 1-800-225-5324.