Coe: Inside the courtroom

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Warning: Some content may be disturbing.

COE COMMITTED

Posted by Rick at 1:48 PM on Oct 16

Kevin Coe could be locked up for the rest of his life.

A Spokane County Superior Court jury today determined that Coe is a “sexually violent predator” who should be committed indefinitely to a mental institution.

Coe showed no emotion as Judge Kathleen O'Connor read the jury's verdict at 1:46 p.m.

Coe could eventually be released from the Special Commitment Center on McNeil Island if his condition improves. However, he has refused any psychological treatment so far, insisting that he’s innocent.

The jury’s verdict followed an 11-day trial and about six hours of deliberation.

In order to commit Coe, jurors had to agree unanimously that he has a mental disorder that makes him likely to reoffend if released.

Coe’s attorneys argued that he may have raped, but not because of any psychological problems. And he’s unlikely to reoffend at age 61, they said.

The suspected “South Hill rapist” originally was convicted of four rapes in 1981. But appeals whittled that to a single conviction, for which he served 25 years in prison.


There are 4 comments on this post.

I feel a sigh of relief knowing that Kevin is going away for good. I lived in the same neighborhood as Coe when I was a small girl and was very aware of the rapes occurring in and around our neighborhood--including the field behind my house where I used to play with my cousins.

Even though emotionally I feel relieved that he is being put away, I also feel conflicted about the fairness of the actual verdict. I believe Kevin Coe is the South Hill Rapist and that he is a very disturbed person who may be likely to commit sexual crimes again. However--I do feel like he served his time--25 years on one rape conviction--and question the notion that we as a supposedly fair and just society can put him away for life even though his time is served.

Posted by Laurel  •  16 Oct 2:04 PM

I agree with you Laurel. It's just sad either way. Perhaps if he would have given in to treatment the outcome would be far different. Very tragic that this guy has and will spend the majority of his adult life in denial and locked up.

Posted by JW  •  16 Oct 2:18 PM

I agree. Either way this is sad. He needs help, we can all agree to that. And he has also done his time. Look at all the other sex offenders out there, able to come and go as they please. And the majority of them hurt children. I hope he can get the help he neeeds.

Posted by JM  •  16 Oct 3:42 PM

OMG! Poor Kevin!?!?! Do any of you have any idea what he did to young girls, women and elderly women for so many years?

Do people have to BECOME victims of violence to UNDERSTAND what these victims really go through and suffer with for a lifetime? Depression, anxiety, divorce, suicide...

If you think he should be set free then welcome him to YOUR neighborhood.

Do we, as a society, have the right to decide that sexuality violent, psycopathic predators are incurable and repeat offenders and keep them locked up for life? Hell yes!

Posted by RC  •  16 Oct 5:20 PM

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