PRESS STATEMENT OF UNITED STATES ATTONREY TRISTRAM J.

COFFIN ON THE CURRIER INVESTIGATION AND THE SUICIDE OF ISRAEL KEYES DECEMBER 3, 2012 At about 11:15 yesterday morning, Alaska authorities informed us that Israel Keyes was found dead of an apparent suicide in the facility in which he was incarcerated in Anchorage, Alaska. Keyes had been detained since March on charges relating to the murder of 18-year-old Samantha Koenig of Anchorage, Alaska. In the course of investigating Keyes role in that homicide, investigators in Alaska became convinced that Keyes had committed other murders. During the course of multiple interviews with Keyes, he confessed to investigators in Alaska that he had murdered Bill and Lorraine Currier of Essex Junction, Vermont. Since April of 2012, federal, state and local authorities from Vermont have been working closely with Alaska authorities in investigating the Currier murders. Keyes provided substantial non-public information regarding the deaths of Bill and Lorraine Currier. Although searches in Essex and Coventry, Vermont were unable to locate the Curriers remains, investigators obtained enough details to confirm that Keyes did murder the Curriers. Keyes also claimed that he had committed multiple other murders throughout the country. Efforts to investigate those murders have been ongoing and will continue. Based on discussions between Keyes and investigators in Alaska, Alaska authorities requested that Vermont authorities not publicly disclose information linking Keyes to the Currier murders in an effort to further the investigations of other murders. Vermont authorities agreed with this request as the public was not at risk due to Keyes incarceration and in the interest of identifying the victims of unsolved murders. The Curriers family strongly supported efforts to identify other victims. We appreciate their courage and selflessness in wanting to assist other families who have suffered a similar unspeakable tragedy. Keyes claimed to investigators that he killed four persons in Washington State and one person in New York State, in addition to the Curriers and Samantha Koenig. Investigations regarding other victims have been ongoing and will continue. The ongoing investigation has not revealed evidence of Keyes committing other murders in Vermont or with victims from Vermont.

We will provide information today and answer questions relating to the investigation of Keyes role in the Curriers murders, the overall investigation into Keyes and the investigation into other victims. In order to respect the privacy interests of the Curriers family, there may be some questions that we will not answer in full detail. Some questions about ongoing investigations we may also not answer to protect the ongoing investigations. We wish to reiterate that the Curriers in no way did anything wrong or contributed in any way to this tragic series of events occurring. By all accounts they were friendly, peaceful, good people who encountered a force of pure evil acting at random. We wish to again express our heartfelt condolences for the tragic loss suffered by the Curriers family and friends, and to express our gratitude for their patience and cooperation, and for their strength and commitment to helping other families of Keyes victims.