By Kerri Sandaine
Lewiston Tribune
LEWISTON, Idaho — A former Lewiston-Clarkston Valley resident and serial rapist who was once labeled a sexually violent predator was released Wednesday from the Special Commitment Center in western Washington.
Monte C. Hoisington no longer meets the criteria to remain in custody at the center, according to state experts, and he has informed authorities he will live on the 300 block of West Second Avenue in Spokane.
Hoisington, now 61, was convicted of two rapes in Lewiston in 1977, second-degree burglary and second-degree rape in Asotin County in 1991, and committed as a sexually violent predator on McNeil Island in 2001. Prior to being confined at the Special Commitment Center, Hoisington served 10 years in the Washington prison system and more than 10 years in the Idaho State Penitentiary.
He is prohibited from having any contact with his victims. If he violates the lifetime condition, he must return to McNeil Island, according to the stipulations filed by Asotin County Prosecutor Ben Nichols and signed by Hoisington.
Law enforcement officials said Hoisington is moving to Spokane and must check in with his Department of Corrections probation officer within 24 hours. He has three business days to report to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office and register as a Level III sex offender, which the state defines as a high risk to re-offend. He is expected to register this morning, said Sgt. Dave VanWormer of the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.
After that, the city of Spokane will monitor his address verifications because he will be living inside the city limits, VanWormer said. Hoisington will be on probation for the next 11 months through the Department of Corrections.
Several people, including two of Hoisington’s victims, expressed outrage over the rapist’s imminent release during an emotional proceeding last month in Asotin County Superior Court.
“When he rapes again, and he will, the responsibility lies with those who set him free,” said Sharon Fuller, who was attacked by Hoisington in 1977. “I think he is a despicable human being and he has a problem that is incurable.”
Amy Hudon, who was raped by Hoisington in 1991, burst into tears when the agreement was outlined by Hoisington’s attorney, Lin-Marie Nacht of the Society of Counsel Representing Accused Persons.
Only sex offenders who meet the legal definition of a sexually violent predator may be civilly committed to the Special Commitment Center. The term refers to any person who has been convicted or charged with a crime of sexual violence and who suffers from a mental abnormality or personality disorder that makes the person likely to engage in predatory acts of sexual violence if not confined in a secure facility.
Civil commitment as a sexually violent predator falls under mental health laws and is driven by expert evaluations conducted on an annual basis. After three state psychologists determined Hoisington no longer meets the criteria, his release from confinement was inevitable, officials said.
The center, operated by the Department of Social and Health Services, provides a specialized mental health treatment program for sex offenders who have completed their prison sentences. Hoisington declined all treatment, officials said.
At last month’s court proceeding, Tom White, a retired Asotin County detective and lead investigator in the Hudon case, said Hoisington has a long history of violence and terrorism toward his victims. “I firmly believe when he gets out, he will offend again.”
Under terms of an agreement Hoisington signed prior to his release, he cannot commit any offense against a female, such as threatening, harassing or stalking behavior; trespass in residential neighborhoods; commit any burglaries; or possess stolen property. Violations are considered an overt act and his civil commitment at the Special Commitment Center resumes.
Other conditions in the agreement stipulate no acts of sexual assault or any crime with sexual motivation; no possession of burglary tools; no drugs or alcohol; no weapons; and no pornography or visits to any adult entertainment establishment.