A man accused of shooting and killing two women at Federal Way's Stars Bar & Grill nearly three years ago is now one of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives.
Samuel Ramirez Jr., 33, is charged in King County Superior Court with first-degree and second-degree murder in the May 2023 killings of 37-year-old Katie Duhnke and 36-year-old Jessyca Hohn. Authorities believe he fled to Tijuana, Mexico, that year and has evaded capture since.
Ramirez is also charged with attempted first-degree murder for allegedly shooting a male patron in the arm as the customer ran away. In federal court, he is charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
In December, the FBI announced a $25,000 reward for information leading to Ramirez's arrest and conviction. The reward is now up to $1 million, FBI Seattle Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington said Tuesday at a news conference.
He cannot hide forever, and I am confident he will return to King County to face justice," Herrington said.
Authorities said Tuesday that it is possible Ramirez returned to the U.S. and his exact location remains unknown.
According to charging documents filed in 2023, the injured man told police he had seen another bar regular — identified as Ramirez — brandishing a gun about 45 minutes before the shooting. The man reported alerting Duhnke and Hohn, who confronted Ramirez about the gun, the charges say.
Duhnke and Hohn were leaving the bar after closing up when Ramirez hit one of them, prompting the male patron to tackle and punch Ramirez, charging papers say. The man let Ramirez up after he said he was done fighting, the charges say, but Ramirez got to his feet, pulled a gun and shot the two women and man.
Hours later, a woman called 911 and asked to speak with police about the double homicide. She told detectives she had met a man she knew as “Sam” on a dating app and was supposed to meet up with him earlier in the day, according to charging papers.
The man had unexpectedly canceled their date, the woman said, and later told her he was sorry, had messed up and needed to leave. The woman also shared three photos “Sam” had texted her. The man in the photos was wearing the same clothing seen in the bar’s surveillance footage, the charges say. Detectives also obtained a bar receipt from the night of the shooting with Ramirez’s name on it.
"Violence of this nature has no place in our community, and we stand united in supporting the victims' families and in seeking justice, Mayor Jim Ferrell said at the news conference.
Ramirez should be considered armed and dangerous, FBI officials said. Anyone with information about his whereabouts can submit a tip at tips.fbi.gov or call 1-800-225-5324. People with information outside the U.S. should contact the U.S. embassy or consulate.
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