In the early morning hours of November 11, 2016, a tragic and violent encounter unfolded in Tacoma, Washington, culminating in the death of 23-year-old Morgan Deines, a Caucasian female. Deines was discovered in the driver's seat of her Lexus SUV around 2:30 a.m. with a gunshot wound to the back of her head. Her vehicle had continued for about a block after the shooting before coming to a stop against another car.
She was transported to a local hospital where she later succumbed to her injuries.
Initially, the motive for the shooting was a mystery to investigators. However, it later came to light that the events leading to Deines' death began with a car prowling incident. Deines and a male accomplice were reportedly stealing items from parked cars near North Seventh and North Junett streets when they came across James Reha, a 28-year-old man, asleep in his vehicle. They proceeded to steal his cellphone and were attempting to remove speakers from the trunk when Reha awoke.
A confrontation ensued, and as Deines and her accomplice attempted to flee the scene, Reha retrieved a gun and fired multiple shots into the back of Deines' departing vehicle, striking her. Her accomplice, who fled on foot, heard the gunshots. Reha was later seen acting erratically in the vicinity before being contacted by police. Although he initially ran from officers, he was soon taken into custody.
James Reha was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm. He claimed he was acting in defense of his property. Ultimately, Reha pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. The accomplice in the car prowling was interviewed by police but was not arrested.
