Port Angeles man pleads guilty to murder

Published 1:30 am Thursday, March 26, 2026

PORT ANGELES — A Port Angeles man has pleaded guilty to the 2024 shooting death of his roommate, Rebecca Rule-Cowles.

Marquise Hagans-Moore, 28, entered the plea Wednesday in Clallam County Superior Court before Judge Simon Barnhart, admitting to second-degree murder with domestic violence and firearm enhancements. He was represented by attorney William Payne.

The plea was not negotiated with prosecutors, allowing both sides to recommend a sentence.

Second-degree murder is a Class A felony. With no prior criminal history, Hagans-Moore faces a standard sentencing range of 123 months to 220 months (about 10 to 18 years), plus a mandatory five-year firearm enhancement.

Sentencing is scheduled for 9 a.m. May 6. Hagans-Moore is being held without bail pending that hearing.

In a statement read in court by Barnhart, Hagans-Moore said he became distraught the day of the shooting after responding to a family member’s suicide and later argued with Rule-Cowles about house guests at their shared residence.

“At some point I snapped,” Barnhart read. “While I do not have a specific memory of the incident, I’m aware that I acted with intent to cause Rebecca’s death by shooting her with a firearm, but without premeditation.”

He added, “I recognize the trauma that this has caused and I cannot imagine what the family has had to endure. And for this, I apologize.”

At the request of Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Steven Johnson, Barnhart ordered a presentence investigation by the state Department of Corrections, which will provide background on the defendant and the offense.

“This is a case that requires a particularly careful and deliberative approach,” Barnhart said.

Hagans-Moore was arrested Sept. 28, 2024, after police found Rule-Cowles, 51, during a welfare check and recovered a handgun at the scene. Officers later took Hagans-Moore into custody in Tacoma, where he had contacted law enforcement and reported the killing.

Earlier hearings addressed his behavior in custody and mental health. Prosecutors had requested that he be shackled in court following reports of violent behavior at the Clallam County Jail, a request Barnhart granted. The order was later lifted after Hagans-Moore underwent a psychiatric evaluation at Western State Hospital.