A former fire chief accused of strangling his wife to death did so to clear the path for a future with his mistress, a court in Washington state has heard. Kevin West, 51, is on trial for the alleged murder of his wife of 22 years, Marcelle 'Marcy' West, 47, in their family home on 8 January 2024.
The Fateful Morning and Contradicting Stories
Kevin West dialled 911 just before 4:30am on 8 January, reporting his wife was having a seizure and had stopped breathing. Colleagues from the Camas-Washougal Fire Department, where West served as chief, rushed to the scene but were unable to save Marcy. She was pronounced dead at 5:11am.
West told investigators his wife had been unwell the night before with a headache and vomiting. He claimed he woke to find her body 'vibrating' from a seizure. However, the official medical finding starkly contradicted his account. The medical examiner determined Marcy died from asphyxiation due to blunt neck trauma and ruled her death a homicide.
Investigators noted bruising on the back of Marcy's head, behind her ears, and haemorrhaging on a major neck vein. Prosecutors also highlighted that West's mobile phone data tracked hundreds of steps taken throughout the night, including in the hour before the 911 call.
Motive: A New Life and Financial Pressures
Prosecutors presented a compelling motive for the alleged crime. They stated West had been in a relationship with Cynthia Ward since 2023 and was actively planning to leave his wife. He intended to move out on 8 January and serve divorce papers the following day, according to text messages he allegedly sent to Ward's family.
The court heard the couple had been struggling with their $7,000 monthly mortgage on their Washougal home, valued around $723,000, despite West's $160,000 salary. Prosecutors alleged he wanted to avoid paying alimony and splitting his pension in a divorce.
'His plan to replace Marcy with Cynthia without the financial ruin had been successful,' Senior Prosecutor Jessica E. Smith told the jury. She questioned the coincidence of Marcy dying of alleged natural causes on the very day West planned to leave, stating, 'This is not grief — this is a man who could not be more ready to move on.'
The Defence and the Ongoing Trial
West has pleaded not guilty to first and second-degree domestic violence murder. His defence contends Marcy died from medical complications. Defence attorney Brian Walker suggested the bruising on her body could have resulted from a 'deep and firm' massage administered by her son, Ted West, the day before her death.
During the trial, Ward testified about their rekindled affair, which involved hotel meetings and trips together. She confirmed West had proposed in September 2024 and they now live together in Oregon. Shockingly, she admitted she may have been at the West home on the morning Marcy died and was present, but hidden, when police arrived later.
First responders testified that West showed little emotion after his wife's death, allegedly asking if it was 'too soon' to discard her belongings and remarking, 'I feel bad for not feeling bad,' just three hours after she died. The jury is now set to begin deliberations.
