A family of five immigrants from Senegal who tragically lost their lives in 2020, when a fire broke out in their home, targeted one of the two young men on trial because he thought, as it turned out, that someone in this house his cell phone had been stolen, it was revealed at the preliminary hearing yesterday Friday.
Kevin Bowie and Gavin Seymour, the two young defendants, are on trial for premeditated and serial murder, arson, assault and other offenses.
Judge Martin Egelhof ruled that there was sufficient evidence to prosecute the juveniles and ordered that the young men be remanded in custody without parole after posting bail.
The defendants were 16 years old when they were arrested in January 2021. They are being tried as adults, although defense attorneys are seeking the case to be taken to court for juvenile delinquency.
The third suspect, who was 15 years old at the time of his arrest, is on trial in a juvenile delinquency court.
The fire set by the young people in the early morning hours resulted in the death of 29-year-old Jibril Diol, the 23-year-old wife of Aja Diol, the couple’s youngest daughter, Haditza, 2 years old, Hassan Diol, 25 years old, his sister wife, and her young daughter, Hawa Be. Three other members of the family were able to escape the flames by jumping from a second floor window.
Neil Baker, a police investigator, testified yesterday that Kevin Bowie pleaded guilty shortly after his arrest. According to Baker, the young man said he located his stolen cell phone at home in northeastern Denver, where he and two accomplices poured gasoline into the building and set it on fire.
“He admitted setting fire to the house,” Detective Baker said.
When he heard the news of the fire, Kevin Bowie realized that the victims were not the people who had stolen his phone, Mr. Baker added.
The tragedy shocked the Senegalese community of people living in Denver; its members feared that the motive was racist and turned against Muslim immigrants in the United States.
Police led the young suspects to cell phone records and the course of the escape car, according to Colorado authorities.
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