PORT ANGELES — A 26-year-old man charged with murder of a Port Angeles woman pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on Tuesday.
Marquise Gregory Hagans-Moore is facing charges of second-degree murder with domestic violence and firearm enhancements in the death of 51-year-old Rebecca Rule-Cowles.
During the hearing in Clallam County Superior Court, defense attorney William Payne said Hagans-Moore reserves the right to change his plea “as some facts flesh out.”
Deputy prosecuting attorney Steven Johnson said the state would not object if the defense changes the plea.
After Hagans-Moore waived his right to a speedy trial, the parties agreed on a trial commencement date of May 5, 2025. Johnson said he anticipates the trial will last about two weeks.
In September, Hagans-Moore turned himself in at the Pierce County Corrections facility in Tacoma, where he told law enforcement that he had killed his roommate in Port Angeles, according to prior reporting.
Patrol officers then conducted a welfare check in the 300 block of East Whidby Avenue, where they found Rule-Cowles dead from an apparent gunshot wound.
Hagans-Moore is now facing possible life in prison plus five years, a maximum fine of $50,000 or a combination of both. He was found competent for trial after undergoing a mental evaluation and a 15-day stay at Western State Hospital in Lakewood.
At Tuesday’s hearing, Hagans-Moore was unshackled for the first time, a move his attorney had unsuccessfully argued for during the five previous court hearings.
Previously, prosecutors argued that Hagans-Moore should remain shackled while in court after a report by a Peninsula Behavioral Health Designated Crisis Responder said Hagans-Moore “presented an imminent likelihood of harm to himself and others.”
Johnson said the state changed its position regarding Hagans-Moore’s shackling due to the lack of “behavior issues” he has exhibited since he returned to the Clallam County Jail.
A status hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Jan. 31, although Judge Simon Barnhart said the court would accommodate requests for court appearances prior to that date.
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Reporter Emma Maple can be reached by email at emma.maple@peninsuladailynews.com.
