The Brief
- Noel Stepney, with a criminal history dating back to 1991, was convicted of second-degree rape in King County after assaulting a woman in her apartment; he was mistakenly released on $75,000 bail.
- A bench warrant was issued for Stepney’s arrest after prosecutors realized he was not remanded into custody; he faces a minimum 159-month sentence, pending a court decision.
- Authorities urge anyone who spots Stepney to call 911, with Crime Stoppers offering up to $1,000 for information leading to his arrest.
SEATTLE – King County detectives need help tracking down a convicted rapist who was mistakenly released from jail in July.
49-year-old Noel Stepney has multiple convictions dating back to 1991, but his most recent crime is by far the worst.
He was convicted of second-degree rape in King County. A woman saw him in the laundry room of her building and thought he was a fellow tenant.…