Federal Way murder suspect added to FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list

Published 3:00 pm Tuesday, March 10, 2026

The suspect in a double murder in Federal Way has been named one of the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, and a $1 million reward is being offered for information leading to his arrest.

The charges against Samuel Ramirez Jr., 33, stem from a May 21, 2023, incident where Ramirez allegedly shot and killed two bartenders at the Stars Bar and Grill, 31216 Pacific Highway S.

The two bartenders were 37-year-old Katie Duhnke and 38-year-old Jessyca Hohn. Following the shooting, Ramirez also allegedly shot at a customer who tried to diffuse an argument that had occurred before the shooting between Ramirez and one of the murdered bartenders.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of Seattle, in a partnership with the Federal Way Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, held a press briefing March 10 at Federal Way City Hall to make the announcement about Ramirez.

Following the homicides, Ramirez fled to Lake Havasu City, Arizona, and on May 23, 2023, his parents drove him to Tijuana, Mexico. According to the FBI, Ramirez has ties to Jalisco and Sinaloa, Mexico; Lake Havasu City, Arizona; Compton, California; and Las Vegas, Nevada.

According to the FBI, Ramirez is described as a Hispanic man who is 6 feet tall, weighs 200 pounds, and has tattoos on several parts of his body, including the face of a lion on his right forearm, wrist and hand. He is considered armed and dangerous.

The FBI stated that people can submit tips at tips.FBI.gov or by calling 800-225-5324. Individuals outside of the United States should contact their nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.

FBI comments

According to FBI Special Agent in Charge Mike Harrington, the U.S. Department of Justice charged Ramirez with flight to avoid prosecution, so now the FBI is taking over the search for Ramirez, while the FWPD handles the murder investigation.

Harrington said the previous reward for information leading to Ramirez’s arrest was $25,000 in December 2025, but the FBI increased the reward to $1 million from the previous standard of up to $250,000.

“Of the 538 fugitives who have appeared on the 10 most wanted fugitives list, 500 have been apprehended or located. That is a 93% success rate,” Harrington said. “Furthermore, 163 of those fugitives have been captured or located as a direct result of citizen cooperation.”

Harrington said that since the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List was established in 1950, 12 of the 538 fugitives have been from Washington state, with eight of them arrested in Washington state. Harrington said the list has proven to be a powerful tool for locating and capturing the country’s most dangerous and elusive offenders.

“Now, through this top 10 designation, people all over the world will know that Samuel Ramirez Jr. has fled from the law, and they will be looking for him,” Harrington said. “He cannot hide forever, and I’m confident he will return to King County to face justice.”

Regarding whether Ramirez’s parents could face charges for driving him to Tijuana, Mexico, Harrington said there is potential for criminal culpability for those who attempt to hide someone fleeing justice. Harrington said it’s an important reminder to people that there are very real consequences for helping someone flee justice.

Regarding why this case rose to the level of needing to be on the top 10 most wanted list, Harrington said the exceptional violence that Ramirez allegedly committed, and the difficulty in locating Ramirez, are what made him a candidate for the list.

FWPD chief’s comments

Expanding on why the FWPD partnered with the FBI on this case, Chief Andy Hwang said it is an unusual occurrence for a double murder and attempted murder to occur in Federal Way, and when murders happen, the FWPD investigates. However, the department does not have the capacity to go after a suspect fleeing justice to another country.

“This is where the partnership comes in at. That we don’t really have the capacity to go to Mexico, investigate, whereas the FBI has a counterpart they can work with to bring this guy into custody,” Hwang said. “I just want to clarify, ‘Why this case?’ Largely in part because Federal Way is asking for assistance because we want to bring this guy to justice. Otherwise, he may continue to live where he’s at and avoid justice.”

U.S. Attorney’s Office comments

Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington Crystal Correa said she is working with the FBI to locate Ramirez and, using the resources of the federal government, she is going to do everything she can to find him so he can be brought back to Washington and face his murder charges. Correa said the federal government will assist the state, but Ramirez’s murder charges remain as state charges, while his flight of prosecution charge is a federal charge.

“Mr. Ramirez may have fled to Mexico, but we don’t rule out the possibility that he may have returned to the United States at this time,” Correa said. “His location remains unknown.”

Details of the case

According to charging documents, around 3:30 a.m. May 21, 2023, police responded to 31216 Pacific Highway S. for reports of a shooting at the Stars Bar and Grill that injured two employees. The two employees, Duhnke and Hohn, died at the scene.

The third victim, a customer, told police the suspect got into a dispute with one of the women and allegedly hit her. The customer said that less than an hour before the killings, he saw Ramirez with a gun. The customer told Duhnke and Hohn about the gun, which reportedly led to the women confronting Ramirez.

The customer intervened and pushed Ramirez away and tackled him to the ground. He held Ramirez down until the suspect said he was done fighting. When Ramirez stood up, he allegedly pulled out a handgun from his pocket and shot both of the women.

Duhnke was shot first, once in the head, according to the medical examiner’s autopsy. Ramirez allegedly shot Hohn in the back and head from behind as she was on the ground and he stood above her, documents state. Ramirez then allegedly shot several rounds toward the customer as he ran away from the scene.

An unidentified witness allegedly told police she was planning to go on a date with Ramirez the morning of May 21, but Ramirez texted her around 4:24 a.m. to cancel, saying he had made a big mistake and that she would read about it in the news.

Receipt transactions from the bar that night showed the suspect’s name, and additional security footage showed a man matching Ramirez’s description.

Autopsy reports from the King County Medical Examiner’s Office show Duhnke died from a single gunshot wound to the head. Hohn died from three gunshot wounds, entering from the back, and one additional gunshot wound to the back of her head. Both deaths are ruled as homicides.