A Seattle man who fatally shot a woman in Auburn in 2023 has pleaded guilty to murder and faces up to 26 years in prison.
On Dec. 11, Marketha McCoy, 24, of Seattle, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. This charge stems from a June 28, 2023, incident where McCoy is accused of fatally shooting Kayshia B. Hardiman, 37.
Documents state that with one adult felony and six juvenile felonies, McCoy has an offender score of seven, putting the range for his sentence between 216 and 316 months — between 18 years and about 26 years. As part of a felony plea agreement, McCoy agreed to request confinement of no less than 180 months (15 years). Additionally, as part of his plea agreement and amended information in his second-degree murder charge, a mandatory firearm enhancement will not be added to McCoy’s sentence.
Prosecutor Don Raz recommended that McCoy receive a 240-month sentence (20 years). McCoy’s sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 23, 2026.
Details of the case
According to documents, at about 4:15 a.m. June 28, 2023, Auburn officers were dispatched to an illegal discharge near the Green Tree Condos. Multiple callers reported hearing gunshots and then a woman screaming, “He shot me.” Another caller stated that they heard arguing prior to the gunshots.
When officers arrived on the scene, they found Hardiman on the ground. Lifesaving measures were attempted, but she was pronounced dead at 4:29 a.m. Officers located numerous items near Hardiman, such as liquor, drug paraphernalia, .40 caliber shell casings, a purse and a wallet. When officers discovered her, her bottom half was not clothed.
Officers were then handed a note by a witness who told officers that they saw who would later be identified as McCoy walking with a girl before they heard shots fired. The witness told officers that after they heard the gunshots, they saw McCoy running, and he told the witness, “She is crazy, she is losing it, don’t listen to her.” The witness said that McCoy then ran toward an apartment unit.
Documents state that officers located traffic cameras and cameras from the nearby Big Nation Station gas station that captured Hardiman’s death.
Officers found that a man they identified as McCoy was walking with Hardiman before they stopped at a fence shared with the Muckleshoot Casino and the Green Tree Condo property. Documents state that on the camera, McCoy and Hardiman are seen at about 3:59 a.m., beginning to engage in intercourse. At 4:11 a.m., McCoy is seen standing up, adjusting his pants, then pulling out an object, and two muzzle flashes are seen on camera.
Documents state that McCoy is then seen running, and Hardiman is seen taking a few steps after the muzzle flashes before falling to the ground. The events shown on video are consistent with what the witness told officers.
An autopsy found that Hardiman died as a result of a single gunshot wound to the front left of her chest, penetrating her heart and left lung. The bullet was found inside her chest cavity.
Kayshia Hardiman, 37.
