The FBI has put up a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Samuel Ramirez Jr., the man accused in the brutal May 21, 2023, slayings of two bartenders outside Stars Bar and Grill in Federal Way. This is an active manhunt for a suspect described by federal agents as armed and dangerous, and the bureau is publicly pleading for tips from anyone who can bring this killer to justice.
The victims were identified as 37-year-old Katie Duhnke and 38-year-old Jessyca Hohn, two women who worked at the neighborhood bar and were gunned down in the early morning hours while doing their jobs. A patron who tried to intervene was also shot and survived, leaving a community shattered and demanding answers about how such violence could happen in a place that should feel safe.
According to charging documents and witness accounts, the encounter began with a dispute that escalated when the suspect allegedly produced a gun; a customer tackled him, believing he had ended the fight, only to watch the suspect rise and shoot the two women at close range. The autopsies show the callous, execution-style nature of the killings — details that should harden resolve among law enforcement to track this suspect down and keep our neighborhoods safe.
Investigators say Ramirez fled the state after the shootings, heading to Lake Havasu City, Arizona, and that his parents transported him into Tijuana, Mexico, on May 23, 2023 — an allegation that raises uncomfortable questions about family responsibility and the porous routes that let fugitives slip across our borders. Federal authorities later issued an unlawful-flight-to-avoid-prosecution warrant, underscoring that this is not just a local homicide probe but a cross-jurisdictional effort to bring him home to face the charges.
The FBI and local media report Ramirez has ties to Compton, Las Vegas, Lake Havasu City and areas in Mexico, and they warn he should not be approached because he may be armed. This is the kind of case that proves why strong cooperation between county prosecutors, federal agents, and border authorities matters; every delay or bureaucratic excuse risks letting a violent criminal vanish.
Enough platitudes — hardworking Americans deserve streets where bartenders can earn a living without fearing for their lives. Lawmakers who waffle on border enforcement and prosecutors who offer hollow rhetoric instead of accountability owe these families a better answer; bring him back, try him, and ensure justice is swift and certain.
If you have any information, do the right thing and call the FBI or submit a tip — the $25,000 reward exists because every lead matters and every American has a role in keeping our communities safe. We owe it to Katie and Jessyca to see this through until the suspect is behind bars and those mothers can finally have some measure of closure.
