A BRIT expat accused of setting a US politician on fire over an alleged affair with his wife got divorced just two weeks before the horrifying attack.
Devon-born Shotsie Michael Buck-Hayes, 29, allegedly doused local councillor Lee Vogler, 38, with gasoline before setting him alight.
Shotsie Michael Buck-Hayes pictured alongside his wife Mary Alice[/caption]
Virginia councilman Lee Vogler was set on fire after an alleged affair with Mary, Buck-Hayes’ former wife[/caption]
The pair were divorced just two weeks before the attack[/caption]
The attack reportedly took place in the Danville City Council member’s Virginia office on July 30.
Buck-Hayes and Vogler are understood to have been friendly with each other before the heartbroken Brit caught wind of his wife Mary’s alleged affair.
The claims of both the affair and attack come from court proceedings and have not been proven.
Buck-Hayes married his now former wife in September 2023, according to their public wedding site, which shows them tying the knot in Ruffin, North Carolina.
The happy couple are seen gleefully celebrating together with loves ones – in stark contrast to their tarnished relationship today.
It comes after The Sun revealed selfies showing the rivals grinning from cheek-to-cheek as they posed with their respective families at a fairground.
The bombshell photo – posted by Vogler on his Instagram in September 2024 – is captioned: “We had an awesome time at the fair last night!”
Huddled behind him, Buck-Hayes is pictured next to his wife Mary – holding up two peace signs in an ironic kind of foreboding.
While it’s unclear whether Mary and Vogler were having their alleged affair at the time, it would be one of the last peaceful moments shared between the families.
Just months after the snaps were taken, Buck-Hayes was arrested for breaking into Vogler’s office, Showcase Magazine, dousing him in gasoline and setting him on fire.
The expat’s mum’s neighbour in South Molton, Devon, told The Sun: “The last time I saw Shotsie he was as teenager at college, I heard he went to America but I don’t know what he’s doing out there.”
Blair said her husband sustained third and second degree burns on a staggering 60 per cent of his body.
He was also treated for burn and septic shock, as well as scorched lungs from smoke inhalation.
The Danville councilman has since undergone what is hoped to be his last skin graft procedure, his wife said.
On a GoFundMe page for Vogler’s treatment, she added: “The procedure went well, and we are hopeful that this will mark a significant step toward his full recovery.
“As we have said before, the team at the UNC Chapel Hill Burn Center has been nothing short of amazing – our hearts are full of gratitude for their expertise, compassion, and dedication in caring for Lee.”
The fund has amassed over $160,000 in donations as dozens shared heartfelt messages of support for the family.
Blair and Lee Vogler, Shotsie Michael Buck-Hayes and wife Mary Alice at a fairground in Danville, Virginia[/caption]
Victim Lee Vogler is pictured next to his wife[/caption]
The pair married in 2023[/caption]
Earlier this year, Blair said in a statement: “As anyone who knows him would expect, he is facing this challenge the same way he’s faced every obstacle in his life — with courage, determination, and an unbreakable spirit.
“Lee is a fighter,” she added.
Citing the public attention her husband has received since the near-fatal attack she insisted that “behind the headlines” is a “man who deeply loves his family, city, and its people”.
She also thanked the first responders for their “swift action” – owing her husband’s life to their “compassion and professionalism”.
She added: “I have seen firsthand the tireless work, the late nights, and the unwavering commitment he brings to every decision he makes.
“He doesn’t take his responsibilities lightly — he carries the weight of the city’s hopes and challenges with sincerity, humility and resolve.”
Friends back in the UK say Buck-Hayes was “desperate to make it work” with wife Mary Alice Hayes after a “roller coaster” marriage that had veered toward divorce.
Longtime friend Cal Darcy told Cardinal News: “They agreed to do couples therapy.
“He loved her to bits and he was desperate to make it work.”
Suspect Buck-Hayes, was charged with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated malicious wounding.
At a preliminary court hearing on Tuesday, General District Judge Greg Haymore determined there was enough evidence to confirm both charges.
A mugshot of Buck-Hayes after he was arrested for allegedly setting councilman Vogler on fire at his office[/caption]
Buck-Hayes was divorced just two weeks before the attack[/caption]
These will be heard by a grand jury on October 27 in Danville Circuit Court.
If he is indicted, the case will go to trial where Buck-Hayes could be sentenced to 10 years for attempted first-degree murder.
The maximum sentence for aggravated malicious wounding is 20 years to life, Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael Newman added.
Prosecutors described the nature of the attack as personal between the two men.
Testifying in court, Vogler’s colleague, Stephen Seiple, recalled the horrific moment the 38-year-old was doused in the gasoline and set alight.
He remembered Vogler desperately trying to escape the crazed attacker and screaming for help.
“The next thing I remember was Lee screaming, ‘Call 911, he threw gas on me,” Seiple said.
Seiple added he noticed Vogler’s burgundy shirt was “thoroughly burned and his chest pink.”
Suspect Buck Hayes and his ex-wife Mary[/caption]
Blair testifies during a preliminary hearing[/caption]
Emergency services were called to reports of the fire at around 11.30am on July 30 earlier this year.
Buck-Hayes had fled the scene but was quickly arrested several blocks from where the incident occurred, authorities said.
Vogler was rushed to a local hospital where he was treated for serious burns.
Cops said at the time: “The attack stems from a personal matter not related to the victim’s position on Danville City Council or any political affiliation.”
Andrew Brooks, the publisher and owner of Showcase Magazine, witnessed parts of the attack and confirmed Vogler was “awake and talking” as he was being transported to a burn center in Lynchburg.
Buck-Hayes’ friends claim he was desperate to save his marriage before the attack[/caption]
