Fire captain said wife had ‘seizure’ and died, WA cops say. Now he faces murder charge
A fire captain faces a murder charge months after he told first responders his wife was having a “seizure” before her death in their Washington home, deputies said.
Kevin West, 49, was arrested March 22 on suspicion of first-degree murder, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. He’s listed as a “fire captain/paramedic” on the Camas-Washougal Fire Department’s website.
The department did not immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for more information on March 22.
Kevin West called 911 at 4:27 a.m. on Jan. 8 and told first responders his wife, Marcelle “Marcy” West, was having a seizure in Washougal, deputies said. He said she stopped breathing a short time later.
When medics got to their home, they tried to perform life-saving measures, but the 48-year-old woman was pronounced dead at 5:11 a.m., deputies said.
Couple was having marital issues
After she died, people contacted investigators saying they were concerned and believed Marcy West’s death was not natural because the couple was having “potential relationship issues,” deputies said.
Even though the incident happened in Washougal, the local police department handed over the case to the sheriff’s department because of a conflict of interest related to Kevin West’s job at the fire department, deputies said.
Investigators then interviewed Kevin West, witnesses and reviewed body-worn camera footage and photos taken at the scene, deputies said.
Search warrants were also conducted on the couple’s home, cellphones and online service providers.
Through this, deputies said investigators learned the couple was “experiencing marital and financial problems.”
Wife’s death ruled as homicide
On March 20, the medical examiner released Marcy West’s cause of death as asphyxia with blunt trauma to the neck and ruled her death a homicide, which means she was killed by another human being.
Kevin West was arrested two days later on suspicion of first-degree murder.
Deputies said the investigation is ongoing.
Washougal, Washington, is a 25-mile drive northeast from Portland, Oregon.
This story was originally published March 22, 2024, 3:11 PM.
