Kevin West, a Washington state fire department battalion chief, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of his wife, 48-year-old Marcelle 'Marcy' West. On January 8, 2024 Kevin West called 911 saying that his wife was having a seizure, had stopped breathing, and that he had begun performing CPR on her. Medics arrived and performed life-saving measures on her but were unable to resuscitate her. An autopsy revealed 'indications of trauma to Marcy West's neck', so authorities launched a criminal investigation. On March 20, the medical examiner determined that Marcy West's cause of death was asphyxia with blunt trauma to the neck. The manner of death was homicide. Investigators discovered Kevin West had been having an affair with a woman he met in the early 2000s when she was a volunteer with the fire department. The affair apparently began in 2004. The Wests' phones were seized for evidence. Hundreds of recovered deleted messages revealed Kevin West had plans to leave his wife for his lover on January 8, the day Marcy West died. In a letter written by Kevin West addressed to his lover he wrote '2024 will be our year', and said 'We will be together celebrating everyday with love and understanding of what it means for you and I to be together'.