KINGMAN, Kan. – A former Kansas lawman has been found guilty in his wife's April 2011 death.
Brett Seacat was accused of killing 34-year-old Vashti Seacat, 16 days after she filed for divorce. Her charred body was found next to a melted gas container on the remains of her bed, along with a .44-caliber pistol.
A Kingman County jury on Tuesday found the 37-year-old guilty of first-degree murder, aggravated arson and two counts of aggravated endangering a child.
Seacat is a former Sedgwick County deputy who was an instructor at the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center when his wife's body was found. He and the couple's two sons, ages 2 and 4, escaped from the fire.
Prosecutors allege Seacat shot his wife, then set their home afire to cover it up.
