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Inmates Escape From Bethel Jail; Considered "Very Dangerous"

Wilson Beaver, age 43, escaped from jail Saturday morning. He is a convicted sex offender and is considered very dangerous.
Courtesy of State Trooper Nicholas Hayes.

Two inmates are suspected to have escaped from Bethel’s Yukon Kuskokwim Correctional Center and should be considered very dangerous.

Wilson Beaver and Carl Konig were last seen at YKCC at about 11:30 p.m. last night. Beaver, age 43, broke into a woman’s home in Napaskiak last year, threatened her with a knife, and sexually assaulted her. A jury convicted him of burglary and sexual assault in June. Beaver is scheduled to be sentenced on September 21 and will serve a minimum of 35 years in prison. “He has basically nothing to lose at this point,” said State Trooper Nick Hayes in an interview this afternoon.

According to Hayes, Beaver was also convicted of sexual assault about 10 years ago and is a registered sex offender.

Carl Konig, 31, also escaped from the Bethel jail Saturday morning. He is considered very dangerous.
Credit Courtesy of State Trooper Nicholas Hayes.
Carl Konig, 31, also escaped from the Bethel jail Saturday morning. He is considered very dangerous.

Konig, 31, is charged with two counts of assault in the third degree, one of which involves the intent to injure another person with a weapon. He is also charged with resisting or interfering with an arrest. Konig’s trial is scheduled to begin on September 5.

According to Hayes, the Troopers don’t currently know why Konig and Beaver decided to escape together. “Both men should be considered very dangerous,” he said.

If you have any information about Konig or Beaver’s whereabouts, call the Bethel Police immediately at 907-543-3781. Hayes says that law enforcement will accept tips anonymously.

KYUK’s investigation into this story is ongoing.

Correction: A previous version of this article stated that Beaver was scheduled to be sentenced on September 17 and that his minimum sentence would be 40 years in prison. It also stated that Carl Konig's trial began in four days' time on August 30. Upon further reporting on this story, those facts have been corrected.