Violent sex offender released from McNeil Island to Enumclaw, WA
SEATTLE - Convicted Level III sex offender Robert Lough was released from McNeil Island recently and moved into a neighborhood in Enumclaw, and neighbors are in an uproar.
A King County judge ruled on July 8 that he be released from McNeil Island. Experts for both the prosecution and the defense determined that, while Lough is predisposed to commit future violent acts, he is not considered to be sexually violent anymore.
Residents in Enumclaw are upset because they were never notified of Lough's release.
Who is Robert Lough?
Robert Lough was convicted of first-degree rape and first-degree attempted murder in 1986.
According to court documents obtained by FOX 13 Seattle, Lough met with a woman at a bar in Renton, and after some games of pool, lured her into his van and drove out to the highway. He raped her, choked her unconscious, and then tried to stab her to death.
The victim awoke on the side of the road hours later, where she was spotted by a passing driver who took her to the hospital.
Lough was also accused of molesting a child in 1971, and another child between 1972–1977, and accused of raping his ex-wife in 1985.
Aside from sex crimes, Lough has a long history of violent crimes and drug crimes stretching from 1973 to his rape conviction in 1986. He was also convicted of third-degree assault while incarcerated on McNeil Island in 2010.
Robert Eugene Lough (FOX 13 Seattle, Washington State Department of Corrections)
Why was Robert Lough released?
He refused sex offender treatment while at McNeil Island. The only treatment he had was for substance abuse.
His history while incarcerated and on the island includes multiple violent incidents and threats against staff, with two assaults as recent as 2024 and 2025. Staff also found child sexual exploitation material on his cell phone in 2022.
"It would not be surprising if, upon release, he engaged in future acts of non-sexual violence," read an opinion by Dr. Marianne Davis, who the state hired to evaluate Lough before his release. Davis also notes that she was not informed of the child sex abuse material found on his phone until after the evaluation.
The King County Sheriff's Office says they are currently working with their partners to hold an online community meeting.
MORE NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE
6-year-old Bellingham, WA boy dies from injuries after beach driftwood accident
Grandmother thwarts Pike Place kidnapping, Seattle police make arrest
'Transfer Fire' near Lake Chelan, WA hospital prompts evacuation notices
Here's where WA wildfires are currently burning
Seattle office vacancy crisis shifts tax burden onto homeowners
Thurston County, WA couple desperate to find dog after Rover sitter vanishes
Husband of pregnant wife killed in Seattle sues King County homeless authority
To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
The Source: Information in this story comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle anchor David Rose, as well as previous coverage by FOX 13 Seattle.