Escapee Captured

A man who escaped from the Maries County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday was taken back into custody Wednesday.

35-year-old Christopher Koepke of Owensville ran away from the sheriff’s office in Vienna while he was being processed into custody for a number of warrants.

Early Wednesday morning, authorities in Gasconade County performed a search of a home on High Street in Bland. They found Koepke hiding in a crawl space under the building.

Koepke was returned to the Maries County Sheriff’s Office.

Koepke’s original warrants were for Failure to Appear in Court for Felony Possession of Controlled Substance, misdemeanor Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and two misdemeanor traffic violations. He now faces a felony charge of Escape from Custody.