The man who set a Virginia city council member on fire gets 40 years in prison

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DANVILLE, Va. (AP) — A man who set a Virginia council member on fire last year in an alleged jealous rage was sentenced to 40 years in prison on Thursday.

Shotsie Buck-Hayes pleaded guilty in April to one count each of attempted first-degree murder and aggravated malicious wounding in the July 30, 2025, attack on Lee Vogler. Witnesses said Buck-Hayes walked into Vogler’s Danville office with a bucket of gasoline, doused him, chased him from the building and set him ablaze.

Blair Vogler, the council member’s wife, testified that Lee Vogler’s burns covered 60% of his body.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael Newman said Vogler and his family attended Thursday’s hearing in Danville Circuit Court, where the visibly scarred councilman made an emotional statement about how the attack had altered his life. Newman said Buck-Hayes also spoke, offering “what he claimed to be an apology,” but repeating that he was motivated by an alleged affair between Vogler and Buck-Hayes’ wife.

Circuit Judge James Reynolds sentenced Buck-Hayes to 10 years in prison on the attempted murder charge, with five of those years suspended. He imposed a sentence of life for the malicious wounding count, suspending all but 35 years of that term.

Newman noted that Reynolds imposed triple the sentence on the wounding charge than that called for under citizen guidelines.

“I’m glad the court agreed that it’s an aggravating case and went above the guidelines and sentenced in such a way to hopefully hold this defendant accountable for this horrific act,” Newman said.

A breaking and entering charge was dropped as part of Buck-Hayes April 1 plea.