A Federal Way woman is setting out to enact change after a convicted rapist was moved into her neighborhood with little to no notice.
Before the ‘South Hill Rapist’ died Wednesday, Susan Vesser, had been working to safeguard her community from him and others like him.
According to the Federal Way Police Department, Kevin Coe died of natural causes at around 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
The level 3 sex offender was convicted of one rape in the early 1980s but was linked to more than 40 assaults in Spokane’s South Hill area between the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Vesser told KIRO 7 News that her work to protect her community is far from over.
Several months ago, he was released into the South Sound area, striking fear into Vesser’s community and prompting her to take action to safeguard her neighborhood.
“What we’ve been through for two months is the most unacceptable reality,” Vesser said, emphasizing her commitment to protecting her community.
Vesser began checking in on her neighbors and collecting signatures from those concerned about Coe’s presence. Her goal is to use this petition to change the system that allowed a rapist to be released into her neighborhood.
“To keep this from happening in the future, I’ll take my signatures, I’ll represent, I will work on this because I’m retired and can, so that this, any area is not a dumping ground for these criminals,” Vesser told KIRO 7.
The release of Coe and then his settling in Western Washington was a surprise to Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus.
Coe originally was supposed to be in Auburn, but he ultimately moved to Federal Way.
Backus said she learned about Coe only from news reports.
“That is not how a city should find out a level three sex offender has been released into their community,” she told KIRO 7.
“The system failed us miserably, and unfortunately, the system has failed everybody,” Vesser said. She is determined to push for legislative review of laws regarding unconditional release.
Vesser plans to continue her efforts to ensure community safety and is prepared to advocate for change at the legislative level.
“The fear spread in rings throughout this entire region, and we were helpless. The system failed us, and that’s my direction to make sure this doesn’t ever happen again.”
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