CAMAS, WA – A Washington state fire department battalion chief is under investigation after a second autopsy determined his wife’s death was a homicide, contradicting initial findings that had proven inconclusive.
Kevin West, a battalion chief with the Camas-Washougal Fire Department, called 911 at 4:27 a.m. reporting that his wife, Marcy West, 48, was unconscious and appeared to be having a seizure. He told dispatchers he performed CPR, but Marcy was pronounced dead after emergency responders arrived.
An initial autopsy failed to determine a definitive cause of death, and Marcy’s body was released to a funeral home. However, investigators ordered a second examination after police received reports that the couple’s marriage was troubled and that Kevin West was allegedly having an extramarital affair.
The second autopsy revealed findings that medical experts said “would have been nearly impossible to miss the first time,” according to investigators familiar with the case. The manner of death was reclassified as homicide.
Authorities have not disclosed the specific cause of death or the nature of the injuries discovered during the second examination. Kevin West has not been formally charged, but the investigation remains active and focused on the circumstances surrounding his wife’s death.
The case has raised questions about the thoroughness of the original autopsy and how the initial findings failed to detect evidence of foul play. Officials have not commented on whether the first medical examiner’s work is under review.
West remains employed by the fire department, though his current duty status has not been publicly disclosed. The Camas-Washougal Fire Department has declined to comment on the ongoing investigation.
Anyone with information related to the case is asked to contact local authorities.
