A SHOCKING picture has emerged of the Brit, his wife and the US politician she reportedly had an affair with just months before the expat is thought to have set him on fire.
Devon-born Shotsie Michael Buck-Hayes, 29, is accused of dousing Danville City Council member Lee Vogler, 38, with gasoline and setting him alight inside his Virginia office on July 30.
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 are understood to have been friendly before Buck-Hayes caught wind of Vogler’s alleged affair with his wife Mary.
Now, an unearthed selfie shows the rivals grinning from cheek-to-cheek as they pose with their respective families at a fairground in Danville, Virginia.
The photograph – posted by Vogler on his Instagram in September 2024 – is captioned: “We had an awesome time at the fair last night!”
The councillor appears to be all smiles next to his wife Blair Vogler.
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 later, Buck-Hayes was arrested for breaking into Vogler’s office, Showcase Magazine, dousing him in gasoline and setting him on fire.
His mom’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.
Over a year later, the Danville councilman has undergone what is hoped to be his last skin graft procedure, she said.
In a statement shared on a GoFund me 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.
Who is Lee Vogler?
VOGLER was first elected to the Danville City Council in May 2012.
At the time, Vogler was 24 years old, becoming the youngest person ever elected to the position.
Vogler won re-election last November, while running as an Independent.
In his pitch to voters, Vogler called serving the people of Danville from the city council “one of the great honors of my life.”
“It’s one I don’t take for granted. I have to earn it. That’s why I’m running FOR re-election,” he said during his campaign at the time.
“I’m not running against anyone. I’m running for the people of Danville and the future of our city.
“I’m Lee Vogler and I’d appreciate consideration for one of the five votes people have for City Council.”
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.”
The suspect, Shotsie 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.
Virginia councilman Lee Vogler was set fire to[/caption]
Suspect Buck Hayes and his ex-wife Mary Alice[/caption]
Blair Vogler testifies during a preliminary hearing[/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.”
‘MALICIOUS INTENT’
Emergency services were called to reports of the fire at around 11.30am on July 30.
Hayes 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.
In a video posted on Facebook, Brooks said: “This type of senseless act of violence has to stop.”
“You do not have the right as a human being to get upset with someone enough to lash out and attempt to harm them in any way, much less this way.”
Virginia Danville Councilman Lee Vogler[/caption]
