Pierce County, WA man pleads guilty to 2023 gas station murder
Man faces 23 years for Auburn gas station murder
A King County judge is scheduled to sentence a 20-year-old for an unprovoked murder at an Auburn gas station that played out in front of a sheriff's deputy back in 2023.
KING COUNTY, Wash. - A 20-year-old man who pleaded guilty to an unprovoked deadly shooting is scheduled to be sentenced Friday, November 6. The man, from Pierce County, was a teenager when he fatally shot an unarmed man sitting outside a King County gas station.
Tau’rean Forks faces a prison sentence of more than 23 years after pleading guilty to second-degree murder with a firearm enhancement in connection with the July 15, 2023, killing of 27-year-old Donald Harris.
What led up to WA gas station murder
Dig deeper:
According to court documents filed by the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, the shooting occurred around 2:40 a.m. at a gas station at 3910 S. 320th St. in Auburn. Harris was sitting alone on a concrete curb outside the business when two stolen maroon Kia Optima vehicles pulled into the parking lot.
Investigators said Forks was driving one of the stolen vehicles with "associates" in the car. Surveillance video showed Forks pulling up within feet of Harris. Without any prior conflict or hostile movement from the victim, Forks extended his arm out of the driver's side window and fired multiple shots, striking Harris. Harris died at the scene. Detectives said Harris did not know Forks.
An on-duty King County Sheriff’s deputy happened to be driving nearby and witnessed the gun’s muzzle flash, launching a pursuit of both suspect vehicles. While the two cars initially escaped, law enforcement officers recovered the cars days later and tied Forks to the crime scene through fingerprints found on the interior driver-side window.
Year-long investigation leads to arrest
Local perspective:
Forks was arrested in November 2024 following an extensive investigation involving witness interviews and cellular data analysis. During a recorded police interview, Forks confessed to driving the stolen vehicle and firing the deadly shots. Court records said Forks claimed he felt intimidated by an associate in the car who handed him the handgun.
Under the terms of a felony plea agreement accepted in August 2026, King County prosecutors recommended a 220-month sentence for second-degree murder, plus a mandatory, consecutive 60-month firearm enhancement. The State's recommendation also calls for 36 months of community custody upon release and a permanent no-contact order protecting the victim's family.
Forks is scheduled to appear before King County Superior Court Judge Taki Flevaris on Friday at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent for final sentencing.
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The Source: Information in this story comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle reporter Franque Thompson.