Shotsie Michael Buck-Hayes allegedly set Danville City Council member Lee Vogler on fire for having affair with his wife, Mary Alice Buck-Hayes who had filed for divorce from her husband just two weeks earlier. Virginia lawmaker was forced to undergo series of skin graft procedures following burns of up to 60% of his body in summer attack.
A jilted husband set fire to a Virginia lawmaker for allegedly having an affair with his wife, a court was told during a Tuesday court hearing.
Shotsie Michael Buck-Hayes was arrested in July after allegedly pouring gasoline on Danville City Council member Lee Vogler inside his office and setting him alight.
J. Lee Vogler Danville council member left with burns of up to 60% of his body
At a preliminary hearing held on Tuesday, Danville Police Sgt. Clay took the stand to say that Buck-Hayes told officers ‘he set the person on fire who had an affair with his wife’.
Buck-Hayes is alleged to have told cops that he had purchased gasoline at a gas station with the intent of killing Vogler, his wife’s alleged paramour, using a lighter to start the fire according to WDBJ7.
Vogler’s wife Blair told the court that her husband suffered second and third-degree burns to 60 percent of his body.
According to his wife it took 35 percent of his skin to cover the burns, he also suffered burn shock and septic shock, as well as burning to his lungs due to smoke.
The defense made no presentation at the hearing. The Grand Jury is scheduled to get the case October 27 according to the Times Union.
Danville council member nor defendant’s wife have confirmed alleged affair
Of note, neither Vogler nor Hayes’ wife, Mary Alice Buck-Hayes have confirmed the alleged affair taking place.
Vogler has been in hospital ever since the incident and is still recovering. He shares two children with his wife.
Three witnesses testified at the hearing, an employee of Showcase Magazine where the attack happened and Lee worked, a police investigator and Vogler’s wife.
According to the employee, Stephen Seiple, Buck-Hayes walked into the building with a bucket and chased Vogler, pouring gasoline on him.
Seiple told the court that he saw the actual burning happen, and described the wounds on Vogler.
He said: ‘The next think I remember was Lee screaming ‘call 911 he threw gas on me’, he came running by. He had a burgundy shirt on, I could smell gas.
Marriage woes leads to scorned husband acting out
‘Somebody came behind Lee with a bucket’, when asked to identify the person holding the bucket he pointed to Buck-Hayes, who appeared in a prison jumpsuit.
Seiple continued: ‘I called 911, and by the time I got to Lee’s office and they were going out to the street.
‘When I got [out front], his shirt had been burned off. His chest was very pink and his arms were really, really bad.’
Buck-Hayes was charged with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated malicious wounding following the attack.
In court on Tuesday, a lawyer representing Buck-Hayes offered no evidence to the contrary as the judge found probable cause in the case – certifying the charges.
The episode comes as with Hayes’ wife filing for divorce just two weeks before according to the dailymail.
The couple married in 2021, according to her Facebook page.
A GoFundMe for Vogler, set up by his wife, has raised over $160,000 with the latest update last week saying he underwent another skin graft.
Vogler made history in May 2012 when he was elected to the City Council at just 24 years old and became the youngest person ever to hold the position.
He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2010 and now serves as Managing Partner at Andrew Brooks Media Group which owns Showcase Magazine.
