Inside Samantha Koenig's Brutal Murder And The Terrifying 'Ransom' Picture Her Murderer Took

Samantha Koenig could have lived a calm, normal life. Instead, the 18-year-old barista in Anchorage, Alaska, was killed by a serial murderer that no one was even aware of until her gruesome murder resulted in his imprisonment.

Israel Keyes has been traveling the nation as a serial murderer since at least 1998, picking victims at random, adapting his techniques to escape capture, and even going so far as to hide "murder kits" for years before to using them to kill unaware victims. The murder of Samantha Koenig, however, was unique.

Keyes resided in Anchorage with his girlfriend and 10-year-old kid. He also abducted Koenig from her local cafe on February 1, 2012, informing her it was merely for a ransom. In addition, Keyes did email Samantha Koenig's parents the ransom picture, but it was a fake. He had sewed Samantha Koenig's eyes open with fishing line two weeks after she passed away, during a Caribbean holiday with his family.

Yet, Samantha Koenig's ransom image unintentionally led to his capture. Her parents were persuaded by the "proof of life" image that she might be rescued, and as a result, they handed Keyes the funds he requested, which were placed into Koenig's bank account connected to a debit card he had taken from her. But as soon as he started taking the cash out, authorities were able to track him very quickly.

Samantha Koenig Was Killed

Samantha Koenig, who was 18 at the time, was employed at Common Grounds in Anchorage. Although being the largest city in Alaska, fewer than 10% of the entire land area is inhabited, leaving it accessible for predators to go through almost unnoticed.

Israel Keyes was one such predator, and before he ultimately attacked on February 1, 2012, he was checking out his last victim's workplace without her knowledge.

Israel Keyes, a native of Utah, says that his first murder occurred in 1998, not long after he joined the American Army. And by the time he came upon Samantha Koenig, he had already murdered up to 10 individuals in a number of different places, including Florida, Vermont, New York, and Washington.

The killing of Samantha Koenig, however, would be Israel Keyes' last, and it happened in his own garden. He had never committed a murder so close to home before.

He abducted Koenig from the drive-through coffee shop where she had worked on February 1, 2012. One evening, shortly before eight o'clock, he approached the window, pointed a gun at her, informed her that a robbery had taken place, and demanded that she turn off the lights.

According to The New York Post, as soon as she did, he shackled her hands, sprang through the window, shoved many napkins into her mouth, and dragged her away from the coffee shop and into his pickup vehicle. He then drove her to his residence while claiming that his only goal was to kidnap her and keep her for ransom.

It was a lie, though. Keyes no longer required Koenig to be alive after stealing her debit card and phone. He eventually removed her from his truck at two in the morning and carried her to his tool shed where he bound her by the neck. Keyes then went inside to make sure his child and wife were sleeping. He made a glass of wine for himself and went back to the shed.

Keyes told Koenig how he would rape her and then strangle her to death with the rope he had previously wrapped around her neck while sitting there drinking it, and that is exactly what he did. Koenig's body was left in the shed, and he returned to his home to pack his own suitcases as well as one for his daughter.

He also scheduled a cab at 5 a.m. sharp to take him to the airport so he could travel to New Orleans for a two-week Caribbean tour he and his family had planned.

How Israel Keyes Captured the "Ransom" Image of Samantha Koenig

It took until the next day, hours after Samantha Koenig had passed away, for her disappearance to be reported. Despite this delay, the FBI swarmed to Alaska right away in an effort to locate the missing kid. But, their efforts were ultimately futile, and at best, there were few clues.

Israel Keyes, who had posed for the surveillance camera at the coffee shop, didn't even show up on their radar.

On February 17, however, Keyes decided to remove Samantha Koenig's ransom picture and make an assurance to her parents that she would be safe if they paid him money.

He braided Samantha Koenig's hair, painted her face, and used fishing line to sew her eyes open, according to Latin Times. He took a picture after leaning her body against a wall and holding up a recent edition of The Alaska Daily News. He planned to use this shot as "proof of life" to demonstrate that she was uninjured.

On February 24, he sent a text to her boyfriend asking him to hunt for a parcel at a nearby park. The image and a message requesting that $30,000 be placed into Koenig's bank account were discovered there by Anchorage police. Her parents were happy to pay.

She, however, would never be given back to them. According to Alaska Public Radio, Keyes killed her, dissected her corpse, and dumped the pieces on a frozen lake north of Palmer, Alaska.

The FBI's Successful Pursuit Of The Serial killer

Samantha Koenig's debit card started pinging days after her parents made a payment into her account. Alaska comes first, then Arizona, then New Mexico, and finally Texas. The FBI realized right away that her kidnapper was moving east along Interstate 10.

Yet during one of his very first retreats, Israel Keyes had miscalculated. An Arizona ATM camera had also filmed a white Ford Focus in addition to the masked guy.

The Israel Keyes case investigation was conducted by special agent Joline Goeden, who told CBS's 48 Hours that "that information was given out to law enforcement across that whole corridor."

By March 13, a Texas state trooper patrolling Shepherd, Texas, saw the automobile parked in a motel lot. He reportedly waited for the owner to emerge before continuing to pursue until the car went over the speed limit and then immediately pulled Keyes over. The trooper also discovered Koenig's ATM card, her phone, and the same disguise used by the man seen on all the ATM cameras where her card had been used when he checked the vehicle.

According to Oxygen, Samantha Koenig's body wouldn't be found until April 2, a few days after Keyes admitted to his crimes.

He also described how he had fabricated the ransom photo by stitching Samantha Koenig's eyes open at that time. Koenig's family would regrettably never see justice served for her death.

Keyes attempted to flee from a courthouse in May 2012 when his leg cuffs broke during a routine hearing. Thankfully, he failed in his attempt to flee, and officials once more took him into custody. Israel Keyes took his own life on December 2, 2012, by concealing a razor blade in his his cell in the Anchorage Correctional Complex in Alaska.

He left a message in the form of 11 blood-drawn skulls with the words "We Are One" on them. Authorities believe this is a reference to the overall number of his victims.

Authorities think Samantha Koenig could not have escaped her fate despite the horrifying nature of his actions, the specifics of which are still being revealed. In an interview with 48 Hours, special agent Goeden claimed that the individual had no notable criminal past and nothing to indicate what was to come.

She told 48 Hours, "I think he had a DUI but that was it. He has never been convicted of a violent crime, a sex offense, or anything like. He is a 34-year-old Alaskan man who has a modest, peaceful life and owns a construction company.”