A Washington state firefighter who strangled his wife, then called police and told them she suffered a fatal seizure in a failed attempt to abscond with his mistress, has just been found guilty of the killing.
Kevin West, a former battalion chief for the Camas-Washougal Fire Department, was convicted of first and second-degree murder in the death of his wife and the mother of his two children, 48-year-old Marcelle “Marcy” West.
Footage from the courtroom shows 52-year-old Kevin West breaking out in tears and falling into his sister’s arms after the jury read the verdict.
Marcelle West, a former emergency room nurse, was killed at the couple’s home on Jan. 8, 2024.
Kevin West called 911 that night and told first responders that he awoke to find his wife suffering a seizure. He reported trying to save her using CPR, but was unsuccessful in his attempts.
A medical examiner initially ruled Marcelle’s death inconclusive, but more information came to light that prompted a second autopsy.
Friends and neighbors told deputies that the couple was suffering marital issues and were concerned that Marcelle didn’t die a natural death, according to The Oregonian. Investigators also learned that West was involved in an extramarital affair with another woman.
Results from the second autopsy revealed that Marcelle suffered hemorrhaging in her neck, a bruise to the back of her head, and red dots, known as petechiae, on her face — injuries all consistent with strangulation. The manner of death was ruled homicide.
Detectives discovered a Christmas card that West addressed to his mistress that read, “2024 will be our year. Our story will ring in the New Year, loud for all to hear. I love you.”
He also exchanged text messages with her mother on the day of the murder about getting a divorce.
“I want you to know how spiritually connected we are,” he texted the mother, per Law&Crime. “I absolutely ache for her wishing tomorrow would come.”
Prosecutors revealed that getting a divorce would have set West back financially.
If the couple divorced, West would have had to pay $4,500 a month in alimony payments. According to the prosecution, West was paying a high mortgage amount and had little money in his savings despite earning a $160,000 salary.
Still, prosecutors say he planned to purchase a new home for his mistress and her family in a neighboring town.
“To call it an affair is a little bit of an understatement — it was an obsession,” senior prosecutor Jessica E. Smith said in closing arguments, adding that the motive for the murder was “glaringly obvious.”
West took the stand and denied killing his wife, but admitted to his affair.
He said he met his mistress when she worked as a volunteer at his fire station. They had a monthslong affair, then lost touch. He tried finding her on social media, and later reconnected with her in July 2023. A short time later, they restarted their affair.
West also testified to a growing list of health issues that his wife suffered in the last months of her life, including migraines. He claimed that the night of her death, the pair shared a romantic evening watching movies and eating Chinese takeout, then went to bed at 11 p.m.
He said that Marcelle had suffered severe headaches and vomited before she went to sleep.
However, Apple Health data showed that Kevin was up and moving all night, taking nearly 1,000 steps in bursts until 4 a.m.
Jurors took two hours to deliberate West’s fate. He’ll be sentenced on Feb. 27. He could face 20 years in prison or more for the convictions.
Before his trial, he had been free on bond from jail for about a year, living off his pension. He proposed to his mistress in September, and the pair have been living together ever since.
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