VANCOUVER, WA – A former battalion chief with the Camas-Washougal Fire Department was found guilty this week of murdering his wife, marking the end of a two-week trial that drew attention to the couple’s troubled relationship.

A Clark County jury convicted Kevin West, 52, on both first and second-degree murder charges in the January 2024 death of his wife, Marcelle “Marcy” West, 48. Prosecutors said that West, who had served his community for years as a firefighter, strangled his wife at their home after planning to leave her for another woman.

Authorities were first alerted to Marcy West’s death on Jan. 8, when Kevin West called 911 from their residence, reporting that his wife was experiencing a seizure and had stopped breathing. He told emergency dispatchers he was performing CPR. Responding paramedics tried to revive Marcy but declared her dead at the scene.

Suspicion quickly grew in the days following her death. Several concerned individuals contacted law enforcement, expressing unease about the Wests’ marital issues and questioning whether Marcy’s passing was due to natural causes. The medical examiner later determined that the cause of death was asphyxia with neck injuries, ultimately ruling the incident a homicide.

During the trial, prosecutors argued that Kevin West had been engaged in an extramarital affair and that he was planning to end his marriage. Testimony revealed he had become romantically involved with Cynthia Ward, a woman he had known for two decades. Ward testified in court that their relationship, which began as a brief affair in 2004, had been rekindled in 2023 and had grown increasingly serious.

The defense team acknowledged the affair but maintained that Marcy West’s death resulted from a seizure brought on by her history of severe headaches. They presented no evidence or testimony to support that she was intentionally harmed by her husband.

Ward indicated in court that Kevin West had intended to leave his wife at some point, though it remained unclear when that might have occurred. Both Kevin and Marcy West were parents to two adult children. Friends of Marcy described her as outgoing and beloved within her community.

Wendy Chun, a close friend of Marcy’s, remarked that the verdict brought a sense of justice, but she expressed sorrow for the couple’s children, who now face the loss of both parents in the aftermath.

Kevin West is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 27. At present, he remains in custody awaiting the next phase of the court proceedings.