What did Kevin West do? Washington state firefighter arrested two months after wife's death

Kevin West, a 49-year-old firefighter from the Camas-Washougal Fire Department, was arrested on Friday, March 22, 2024. He was charged with first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Marcelle “Marcy” West, 48, who died earlier this year.

In a press release, The Clark County Sheriff’s Office said Marcelle West was pronounced dead on the morning of January 8, 2024, by first responders after Kevin West called 911, stating his wife was having a seizure.

During their investigation, authorities reportedly uncovered evidence that incriminated Kevin in his wife’s death after an autopsy revealed indications of trauma to her neck. Kevin West was arrested on Friday, two days after the medical examiner declared the Cause of Death as Asphyxia with blunt trauma to the neck and the Manner of Death as Homicide.

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Kevin West and his wife were having marital issues at the time of her death

Kevin West (Screenshot via Facebook)

Detailing the incident in a press release, authorities said that on January 8, 2024, at 4.27 am, the Camas-Washougal Fire Department and Washougal Police Department responded to a report of an adult female having a seizure in a residence on 34th Street in Washougal. During the call, Kevin West told the dispatcher his wife had stopped breathing and that he was initiating CPR.

Authorities said despite attempting life-saving measures, Marcy Wes was pronounced dead at 5.11 am. Authorities said in the subsequent days after WPD and the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office began a death investigation, several people reached out to them with concerns about potential relationship issues between the couple, noting her death may not have been natural.

Shortly after, authorities reportedly initiated a criminal investigation after an autopsy revealed indications of trauma to the victim’s neck. Clark County Sheriff’s office reportedly took over the investigation to avoid potential conflicts of interest, as Kevin was employed by the Camas-Washougal Fire Department.

Authorities said investigators who served search warrants to conduct searches of the West residence, cell phones, and online service providers learned that Kevin and Marcy were experiencing marital and financial problems.

Shortly after, authorities discovered Kevin had provided contradictory statements to detectives during his interviews, which led them to name him a person of interest in his wife’s death. Authorities said:

“Based on a comparison of interviews with Kevin and the evidence found at the house and contained in Kevin and Marcy’s cell phones, it appears that Kevin had given detectives contradictory statements.”

Two months after the incident, detectives arrested Kevin on March 22, 2024. They booked him into the Clark County Jail on first-degree murder after medical examiners declared his wife’s manner of death as a homicide. Authorities did not provide additional information in the case, citing an active investigation.