A convicted rapist who is a suspect in over 30 Spokane rapes in the late 1970s was released from McNeil Island, and despite him originally being set to live in Federal Way, since registering as a sex offender, his address is now in Auburn.
Kevin Coe, otherwise known as the “South Hill Rapist,” was released Oct. 2 from McNeil Island, and according to the Washington state sex offender registry, he is living in Auburn.
According to the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), they initially believed he was moving to the Laurelwood neighborhood of Federal Way. Federal Way Mayor Jim Ferrell will not issue a statement regarding Coe no longer residing in Federal Way, according to a spokesperson.
The sex offender registry reports that Coe is a level three sex offender — the highest level — and is living in the 2900 block of 15th Street SE in Auburn. Coe is 78 years old, 6’2”, 150 pounds and was convicted on Feb. 12, 1985, of first-degree rape.
According to Auburn Police Department Chief Mark Caillier, Auburn was not provided any information about Coe moving into an Auburn home, and the city found out through media inquiries. Caillier said that the police will be notifying residents that Coe is a registered sex offender, and he has indicated that he is now an Auburn resident.
Caillier said that Coe is a level three sex offender and that rating is partially based on a higher probability to re-offend, amenability to treatment, participation in treatment, and that victims were not known to the offender, among other criteria.
“Mr. Coe has registered his address as required by law. APD will conduct checks to verify that he is still residing where he is registered at, the same that we do with all registered sex offenders within the city,” Caillier said. “To PD’s knowledge, there are no other requirements of his release.”
Coe had been in the custody of DSHS since 2008, when he was released from prison and civilly committed to the Special Commitment Center at McNeil Island for dangerous sex offenders. Now, after 17 years, Coe has been released to a home in Auburn.
“The Spokane County Superior Court has granted Kevin Coe unconditional release, and we are legally bound to comply with the court’s order,” according to an Oct. 2 statement from DSHS.
According to the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA), from 1978 to 1981, Coe is accused of committing as many as 37 assaults in the South Hill neighborhood of Spokane that terrified the city. According to the DPLA, in 1981, Kevin Coe was arrested in connection to several of the rapes, and was ultimately convicted of four counts of rape. He was given the nickname of the “South Hill rapist.”
In 1984, the Washington Supreme Court later overturned the convictions because police hypnotized some of the victims in hopes they would remember more details. However, according to the DPLA, Coe was later convicted of one count of rape, which resulted in a 25-year prison sentence.
After serving his prison sentence, in 2008, a civil jury declared Coe to be a sexually violent predator, and he was sent to a DSHS Special Commitment Center at McNeil Island for sex offenders.
