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FEDERAL WAY, Wash. – Kevin Coe, the man known as the “South Hill Rapist,” was released from McNeil Island Thursday.
Experts said it’s unlikely he will re-offend due to health issues, saying that they don’t have enough evidence to keep him on McNeil Island.
The backstory:
Coe has been behind bars since the early 80’s. It’s believed he raped up to 32 women in Spokane area.
But, he ultimately only served time for one case after the state supreme court overturned several other convictions, saying the victims had been hypnotized by the police.
The mayor of Federal Way confirmed that the halfway house will be located in the city.
What they’re saying:
Neighbors say they were surprised when they learned that he was going to be sent to King County.
“We are very concerned about that,” said Bernard Gavino, a resident of Federal Way.
Gavino lives in the same neighborhood as the halfway house.
“There is no knowledge about anyone coming into our neighborhood that has a record like this, so we are concerned,” he said.
FOX 13 crews knocked on the door Thursday night. Nobody answered, though people were inside.
In Federal Way, many neighbors spoke off camera for privacy reasons, calling the release there “disturbing” and “not right.”
“Very concerned because we have a lot of kids in the neighborhood, and we want them to be safe as much as possible,” said Gavino.
This was the statement sent out by the office of Federal Way Mayor Jim Ferrell:
“We do not have any say in the release of Kevin Coe, and we understand the sensitivity surrounding this matter. We acknowledge the community concerns regarding his potential placement in Federal Way. Mr. Coe is in his mid-70s and confined to a wheelchair. While this does not eliminate the possibility of re-offense, we are confident that his presence in Federal Way does not pose a significant public safety risk to our residents.
“Our ability to notify the community is governed by state laws, and we will provide updates if and when we are legally permitted to do so.”
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The Source: Information in this story came from the Federal Way Mayor’s Office, KHQ and original FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews.
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Jennifer.Dowling@fox.com (Jennifer Dowling)
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