Man accused in double murder at Federal Way bar pleads not guilty

Published 12:56 pm Wednesday, March 25, 2026

A man accused of committing a double murder in 2023 at a bar in Federal Way, who was then placed on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list in March 2025, has pleaded not guilty to his charges.

On Wednesday morning, March 25 at the Kent Maleng Regional Justice Center, Samuel Ramirez Jr., 33, pleaded not guilty to his three charges of first-degree murder for shooting Jessyca Hohn, 38, second-degree murder for shooting Katie Duhnke, 37, and attempted first-degree murder for shooting and injuring a man during the alleged incident.

Ramirez’s charges stem from a May 21, 2023, incident at the Stars Bar and Grill in Federal Way, where, after an argument with a bartender, Ramirez allegedly fatally shot Duhnke, fatally shot Hohn and then shot a third involved man who did not die.

The U.S. Department of Justice also charged Ramirez with flight to avoid prosecution. According to the FBI, following the homicides, Ramirez fled to Lake Havasu City, Arizona, and on May 23, 2023, his parents drove him to Tijuana, Mexico.

On March 10, the FBI placed Ramirez on its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list with a $1 million reward attached. Subsequently, in record time, Ramirez was captured in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico, one hour and 13 minutes later.

Notably, the court did not allow photography of Ramirez’s face at his hearing March 25, permitting only photos from the neck down, with the judge noting an identity issue. Ramirez’s defense counsel filed a motion to the court requesting that Ramirez’s face not be filmed or photographed.

Ramirez’s motion stated that his case has been covered by numerous media outlets, and his case has generated hundreds of public comments targeting Ramirez’s presumed race, nationality and immigration status, as well as comments calling for his death. The motion stated that there is also a risk of prejudicial pretrial publicity, since Ramirez being shown in jail clothing against the backdrop of public comments would imperil his right to a fair trial before an impartial jury.

The motion also stated that identity remains an issue in the case, citing that the probable cause documents raise questions about the integrity of the identification procedure.

Ramirez’s bail is set at $5 million.

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.