'South hill rapist' Kevin Coe dies in Federal Way
Carleen Johnson | The Center Square | Columbia Basin Herald | UPDATED 8 hours, 42 minutes AGO
Kevin Coe, at left in dark suit, arrives at Superior Court in Seattle, Wash., with his sister, Kathy Coe, for the start of the retrial in the case of the Spokane, Wash., South Hill rapist, Jan. 8, 1985. Coe, who was convicted in 1981, died Wednesday.
AP Photo/Barry Sweet
(The Center Square) – Kevin Coe, the infamous “South Hill rapist,” died Wednesday at an adult family home in Federal Way. He was 78.
The Federal Way Mayor’s Office and the Federal Way Police Department confirmed he was reported dead of natural causes.
As reported by The Center Square, Coe was recently released from the civil commitment center at McNeil Island after doctors and staff members there determined he was no longer a threat to the public because of his advanced age and declining health.
Coe, terrorized Spokane’s South Hill area, in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He was convicted of four of the dozens of rapes he was tied to, as many of the cases were thrown out by the courts for various reasons.
His previous attempts to earn release were denied because he failed to participate in treatment programs during confinement and staff deemed him likely to reoffend if released.
Upon his October release, Coe was initially set to move into a group home off South 288th in Federal Way, until community pushback changed those plans.
He was then set to move into a home near Muckleshoot Casino in Auburn, but that plan also met resistance.
“Through the quick, coordinated work of the Auburn Police Department, the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe of Indians, and engaged members of our community, Mr. Coe has since been removed from his Auburn residence and is no longer living in our city,” Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus wrote on Facebook. “Their diligence and rapid action ensured that Auburn did not bear the burden of a decision on which we were never consulted.”
Coe was then relocated back to southwest Federal Way, to a group home near Brigadoon Elementary School.
“We do not have a say in this matter, and we certainly understand the concerns surrounding it,” wrote Federal Way Mayor Jim Ferrell via email.
Ben Miller, communications manager for the office of Mayor Ferrell, forwarded a statement via email about Coe’s death.
“On December 3, 2025, at approximately 5:25 a.m., Federal Way Police officers responded to an adult family home in the 33700 block of 38th Place SW in Federal Way for a reported medical emergency. Fire personnel were already on scene performing CPR on an unresponsive male. Despite lifesaving efforts, the individual, identified as Kevin Coe, was pronounced deceased at the scene. Kevin Coe, a Level III sex offender, had been residing at the home following his release earlier this fall. It is believed that Mr. Coe died of natural causes.”