Federal authorities arrested a man accused of executing two bar employees in Federal Way nearly two years ago, capturing him in Mexico just over an hour after adding him to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list in a remarkably swift conclusion to an international manhunt.
Samuel Ramirez Jr., 33, was arrested without incident Tuesday in Culiacán, Mexico, and returned to the United States the same day, landing in Seattle where Federal Way police took him into custody. The rapid capture came after the FBI offered up to $1 million for information leading to his arrest and warned he should be considered armed and dangerous.
Ramirez is accused of killing Jessyca Hohn and Katie Duhnke during a shooting on May 21, 2023, outside Stars Bar & Grill in Federal Way. A third person was shot but survived. Officers responding around 3:30 a.m. found three victims in the parking lot. Hohn and Duhnke, both employees at the bar, died at the scene.
Federal Way Police Chief Andy Hwang previously described the violence as execution-style killings that followed an argument involving Ramirez inside the bar. “One female victim was killed instantly; she was shot in the head. The second victim was shot multiple times, and he stood over her and shot her in the head,” Hwang said at a news conference during the investigation.
Jessica Blackshear, a friend of both victims, said the arrest brings relief after nearly two years of waiting for justice. “We’ve always been committed to the idea that he would pay some day. It’s such a burden off of our own shoulders. It’s such a weight off of us to know that he’s been captured and that we can finally breathe a little bit and celebrate knowing that he will finally face justice,” Blackshear said.
Investigators determined Ramirez fled Washington shortly after the murders. Authorities believe he traveled to Lake Havasu City, Arizona, before his parents drove him across the border into Tijuana, Mexico, on May 23, 2023, just two days after the killings. Authorities have not confirmed whether Ramirez’s parents will face charges for assisting in his escape, though aiding a fugitive could carry federal charges.
Ramirez was charged by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, and attempted murder. A federal arrest warrant issued Nov. 14, 2025, charged him with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, which allowed the FBI to join the manhunt and eventually add him to the Ten Most Wanted list.
The speed of the capture suggests either immediate action on a credible tip or that authorities already had strong intelligence about Ramirez’s location before publicly announcing the reward. FBI Special-Agent-In-Charge Mike Herrington emphasized the bureau’s commitment to pursuing fugitives regardless of how long they evade capture.
“At the end of the day, if somebody is a fugitive from justice, it doesn’t matter how far they’ve fled or how long they’ve been a fugitive, we’re going to continue to do everything we can to bring them to justice,” Herrington said. Hwang credited collaboration between local, federal, and international law enforcement agencies for the swift resolution. “We are deeply grateful for the FBI’s partnership and the swift coordination among local, federal, and international law enforcement that led to Samuel Ramirez Jr.’s capture so quickly. This arrest is an important step toward justice for the victims and toward bringing some measure of closure to their families and our community,” Hwang said.
