AUBURN, Wash. — Kevin Coe, also known as the “South Hill Rapist,” is no longer living in Auburn after pushback from the community, Mayor Nancy Backus confirmed on Tuesday.
This is the second time Coe has relocated due to community pushback since his release from state custody earlier this month. He spent 20 years at Washington’s Special Commitment Center on McNeil Island after he was deemed a sexually violent predator in the early 2000s.
In a message posted to Facebook, Backus said the city was not informed ahead of time that Coe would be moving there. This was after he moved from an adult group home in Federal Way for similar reasons.
Through collaboration with the Auburn Police Department, the Muckleshoot Tribe of Indians, and community members, Coe will once again relocate, Backus announced. The Washington state public sex offender registry shows he is back at an address in Federal Way.
“This outcome isn’t about ‘kicking the can down the road,’ nor should it be,” Backus wrote. “Mr. Coe, like any individual released under state supervision, must reside somewhere – and that reality underscores why communication, coordination and thoughtful planning are so important.”
Coe, known as the “South Hill Rapist,” is believed to have committed around 40 rapes and sexual assaults in Spokane in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The state had no choice but to grant his release from commitment after two psychology experts concluded that he is in failing health and no longer poses a danger to the public.
A Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) psychologist and another hired by the attorney general’s office say that due to Coe’s heart disease, limited mobility and ongoing mental health issues, he’s unlikely to reoffend.
Federal Way Mayor Jim Ferell issued a statement saying he’s disappointed Coe will be moving back to the city, but that legal options are limited. It reads:
“We do not have a say in this matter, and we certainly understand the concerns surrounding it.
Mr. Coe is a man in his late 70s who is largely 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. We understand that may be cold comfort, but those are the facts as provided to us.
Because Mr. Coe was classified as a Level 3 sex offender, we are working with the King County Sherriff’s Office to send notification to all neighbors within a quarter mile radius of his listed address. The notification will include details about Mr. Coe, his current location, and a current photo.
Public safety remains our highest priority, and while our legal options in this particular case are limited, we are committed to doing everything within our authority to support and protect our community.”
트위터 공유: 강력 성범죄자 다시 지역 복귀 논란