On a cold winter evening in Westerly, Rhode Island, the life of Vincent Sebastian, a 28-year-old Black/African American male, was brought to a sudden and violent end. The tragic events of January 25, 2020, unfolded in an apartment on Marriott Avenue, stemming from a bitter family dispute fueled by jealousy. The man responsible for his death was not a stranger, but his own cousin, Louis Seignious, then 31 years old. The conflict arose from a tangled romantic situation; Seignious had a child with a woman who had recently become involved with Sebastian.
Earlier on that fateful day, upon discovering the new relationship, Seignious had made threats against his cousin. This animosity escalated until just before 4 p.m., when Seignious drove to the Marriott Avenue home where Sebastian was located. He entered the residence uninvited and, in an act of domestic rage, shot his cousin once in the chest. Despite the fatal wound, a struggle ensued, and Sebastian managed to force Seignious out of the home, pushing the front door closed. Moments later, Vincent Sebastian collapsed and succumbed to his injury at the scene.
Immediately following the shooting, Louis Seignious fled, sparking a week-long manhunt that crossed state lines into Connecticut. Law enforcement agencies from Westerly, Ledyard, Groton, Norwich, and the Mashantucket Tribal Police collaborated in the extensive search. Seignious's car was found abandoned in Ledyard, but he remained elusive. The search concluded a week later when authorities captured him at a home in Groton, Connecticut. The firearm used in the murder was never recovered by investigators.
After his capture, the wheels of justice began to turn. In October 2022, following a 14-day trial in Washington County Superior Court, a jury found Louis Seignious guilty of first-degree murder, carrying a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence, and domestic breaking and entering. The verdict came after approximately two days of deliberation. On December 13, 2022, a judge sentenced Seignious to life in prison for the murder of his cousin, with an additional 10-year sentence to be served consecutively.
