OLYMPIA, WA – State Sen. Mark Schoesler has raised concerns about the possible release of Kevin Coe, known as Spokane’s “South Hill Rapist,” from the Special Commitment Center on McNeil Island.

According to the Washington Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), Coe is scheduled for an unconditional release hearing on October 2. A forensic evaluator and the state’s expert concluded that Coe no longer meets the legal criteria for civil commitment as a sexually violent predator. If granted, the release could occur within 24 hours, with Coe moving to a licensed adult family home in western Washington.

Coe was first arrested in 1981 and convicted later that year of four counts of first-degree rape. The state Supreme Court overturned those convictions in 1984, leading to a retrial where he was convicted on three counts in 1985. In 1988, the court upheld one of those convictions and overturned the other two. In 2006, the state attorney general sought his civil commitment as a sexually violent predator, and a Spokane County jury upheld that designation in 2008.

Schoesler, a Republican representing Ritzville and the 9th Legislative District, said he plans to introduce or support legislation in 2026 aimed at tightening rules on the release of offenders convicted of serious sexual crimes. He argued that public safety should take precedence in such cases.

DSHS notified law enforcement and participants in its Victim/Witness Notification Program of the pending hearing. The agency also noted that Coe’s release could draw national media attention, as his case has been widely covered for decades.