'You are going to hell!' Ex-cop screams at judge as he is sentenced to life for murdering wife days after she filed for divorce



Before Brett Seacat was sentenced for the murder of his wife today he abused the judge in a lengthy diatribe

Seacat told the Judge Larry Soloman that he would go to hell for sending him to jail

Judge Soloman said Seacat's comments made it clear he 'lives in some kind of bizarre alternate reality

Seacat was sentenced to a total of 31 years in jail

A former Kansas police instructor screamed at the judge as he was sentenced to life in prison today for the April 2011 shooting death of his wife.



Minutes before Brett Seacat was sentenced, he delivered a courtroom rant accusing the judge of helping to convict him by hiding evidence that proves his innocence.



Accusations of family abuse, multiple suicide attempts, and life insurance payouts - all kept out of the murder trial - got an airing at the sentencing in the high-profile case.

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Bizarre rant: Brett Seacat delivered a diatribe before he was sentenced in court today, accusing the judge of hiding evidence

Life in prison: Brett Seacat was sentenced to a total of 31 years today for killing his wife Vashti and setting their home on fire two years ago

Seacat was convicted in June of shooting 34-year-old Vashti Seacat days after she filed for divorce, then setting fire to their house to cover the evidence.



Investigators found her charred body in the Kingman home where the couple lived with their two sons, aged two and four.



Seacat, a former instructor at the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center in Reno County and former Sedgwick County deputy, escaped with the boys.



Prosecutors at his trial portrayed Seacat as a manipulative man who used his law enforcement background to make it look like his wife shot herself. The defense argued it was suicide, noting even an experienced coroner couldn't decide whether the death was suicide or homicide.



At his sentencing, the 37-year-old Kingman man accused Kingman County District Judge Larry Solomon of seeking publicity and assuring his wife's family even before the hearing that he would receive a harsh sentence.





Devastated family: Vashti Seacat's sister Taylor Forrest reacts to comments made to her by Brett Seacat

In his statement, Seacat said he did not kill his wife. He also questioned much of the evidence against him and made accusations against Vashti Seacat's family.



Seacat said it was 'ridiculous' to suggest that he tried to destroy evidence because of his knowledge relating to crime scenes.



'I teach about crimes,' he said. “I know what covers up crimes and what doesn’t. I know that a bullet hole has never been covered up by a fire. '



He told the court that Vashti had committed suicide, and that she had attempted it before.



'I said it before and I’ll say it again,' he said. 'Vashti’s suicide was my fault. In my life, I’ve saved a lot of people from death, none more often than Vashti. No matter how many times you save someone, you can only fail to save them once. I failed with Vashti and it is the first and last thing I think about every day. '

Orphans: Rich Forrest holds up a photograph of his sister Vashti Seacat and his nephews as he speaks to the judge Monday morning

Solomon imposed a sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years for premeditated, first-degree murder. He also gave Seacat a total of more than six years in prison for one count of aggravated arson and two counts of child endangerment. Since the four counts will run consecutively, Seacat will not be eligible for parole for more than 31 years.

'This is the kind of sentence you believe you will need for a Kansas Supreme Court nomination,' Seacat told the judge.



'You are going to hell for what you have done in this case,' Seacat told the judge.



Seacatt vowed that the evidence the court suppressed will one day be presented and 'I will be free.'



When the defendant had finished, the judge calmly told the courtroom some of the comments were so bizarre they don't deserve a response. But he said it affirmed to him that the jury made the right decision.



Solomon said Vashti Seacat was not depressed or suicidal but was looking forward to a future with her two sons after the divorce was finalized. He said her family 'hit it on the head' in their victim impact statements when they described Seacat as being controlling, self-centered and narcissistic.



'Your statement this morning confirms to me you live in some sort of bizarre alternate reality,' Solomon told him.



The judge also said he considered the fact Seacat hadn't admitted guilt, hadn't admitted responsibility and didn't express any remorse.



Bemused: Judge Larry Solomon laughed as Brett Seacat told him, 'Go ahead and pass the sentence that you hope will get you the biggest headline. You are going to hell for what you did in this case.'

'I don't intend to show any mercy; you didn't show Vashti any mercy,' Solomon said.

Earlier in the hearing, Vashti Seacat's family recounted her fears about what her husband was capable of doing, the concerns for their own safety and the emotional havoc on the lives of the couple's two young children.

'On behalf of the family, I would like to thank you for your arrogance, Brett,' Taylor Forrest said, adding that his belief that he could get away with murder led him to make mistakes.



Rich Forrest, Vashti Seacat's brother, told the court that Brett Seacatt destroyed his children's innocence and deprived them of knowing both their parents growing up.

