SPOKANE, Wash. – One of Spokane’s most notorious criminals, dubbed “the South Hill rapist,” could soon be released into a group home.
Kevin Coe was accused of a string of rapes in the city in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Ultimately, he was convicted on only one rape charge and served 25 years at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla.
After his release, Coe was declared a sexually violent predator and sent to a special commitment center on McNeil Island, where he has remained since.
The Washington Attorney General’s Office told NonStop Local that Coe was recently evaluated by two psychologists. Both determined that, due to his age and physical condition, he can no longer legally be involuntarily committed.
Coe’s defense team also petitioned for his release. The Attorney General’s Office said the state cannot meet its burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt that Coe is likely to commit predatory acts of sexual violence if released.
Coe is expected to be released to a care facility because of his age and health. He will still be required to register as a sex offender for life.
A trial is scheduled in Spokane County on Oct. 2.
In an email, the Attorney General’s Office said:
“In order to keep anyone civilly committed as a sexually violent predator, the state must annually provide evidence showing that the person remains mentally ill and dangerous. Specifically, as to dangerousness, the state, as part of the annual review process, has to show that the committed person is more likely than not to commit predatory acts of sexual violence unless confined in a secure facility.
Coe has recently been evaluated by a psychologist at the Special Commitment Center and a psychologist chosen by the Attorney General’s Office. Both agree that due to Coe’s advanced age and deteriorated physical condition, he no longer meets the conditions necessary to justify being involuntarily civilly committed.
Subsequently, Coe’s defense team petitioned for his release. Given these expert evaluations of Coe’s current mental and physical condition, the state cannot meet its burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt that Coe is likely to commit predatory acts of sexual violence if released.
Coe is expected to be released to a care facility due to his physical condition. He will still be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. This development is undoubtedly traumatic for Coe’s victims and the Spokane community he preyed on. The Attorney General’s Office has offered resources to victims who may need support during this time.”
Coe was originally set to be released in 2006 when the Attorney General’s Office petitioned the court to civilly commit him for treatment as a sexually violent predator under state law. In 2008, a jury heard the case and agreed, leading to his civil commitment on McNeil Island for nearly two decades.
On Nov. 20, 1981, Coe’s mother, Ruth Coe, 61, a former charm school teacher, was charged with trying to hire a hit man to kill trial Judge George Shields and Spokane County Prosecutor Donald Brockett. Authorities said she offered an undercover police officer $4,000 to kill the two men she believed were most responsible for putting her son behind bars. She was held on $500,000 bail.
