Defendant Back in Alaska Court after Escape Attempt

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP/Staff) – A man captured in East Texas and charged in the fatal kidnapping of a barista returned to an Alaska courtroom two days after he broke his leg irons and tried to escape. 34-year-old Israel Keyes wore leg irons and handcuffs when he appeared Friday under heavy guard by U.S. Marshals at U.S. District Court in Anchorage. Keyes is charged with kidnapping resulting in 18-year-old Samantha Koenig’s death. Koenig was abducted Feb. 1 from the Anchorage coffee stand where she worked. Keyes was arrested in Lufkin in March. Koenig’s body was recovered April 2 from a lake.

Friday’s proceeding continued a hearing halted Wednesday when Keyes tried to scale the bar separating the public from the defendant’s table. He was quickly subdued. The dramatic escape attempt was caught by a court audio recording. At Friday’s hearing, Keyes’ trial date was scheduled for March 11, 2013.