Man who set Danville councilman on fire sentenced to 40 years in prison

DANVILLE, Va. (WGHP) — The man who set a Danville councilman on fire will spend the next 40 years in prison.

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Shotsie Buck-Hayes pleaded guilty to his charges in April after he set Danville city councilman Lee Vogler on fire in July 2025.

Shotsie Buck-Hayes sits beside defense attorney Edward Lavado in the General District Courtroom in during a preliminary hearing in Danville, Va., Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. He is charged with setting a city councilman on fire in July. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)
Shotsie Buck-Hayes sits beside defense attorney Edward Lavado in the General District Courtroom during a preliminary hearing in Danville, Va., Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. He is charged with setting a city councilman on fire in July. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)

On Thursday, the judge announced that Buck-Hayes will serve 40 years in prison, followed by a 5-year probation term.

Buck-Hayes will also be required to be on good behavior for the rest of his life, as well as court supervision.

The judge sentenced Buck-Hayes beyond the recommended guidelines for attempted first-degree murder, which are 5 to 12 years in prison. Buck-Hayes’s attorney says he has already asked them for an appeal of his sentence.

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Background

According to warrants, police arrived at the offices of Showcase Magazine on July 30, 2025. They were told by the victim, Lee Vogler, a Danville city councilman, 38, that Buck-Hayes, 29, burned him.

After Buck-Hayes was taken into custody, police claim he “admitted that he had dumped gasoline” onto Vogler and told officials that he intended to kill Vogler.

Lee Vogler (City of Danville, Virginia)
Lee Vogler (City of Danville, Virginia)
Shotsie Michael Buck Hayes (Danville Police Department)
Shotsie Michael Buck Hayes (Danville Police Department)

“The defendant [Buck-Hayes] identified he set someone on fire,” said Danville Police Sgt. G.A. Clay during a September 2025 hearing.

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