Man sentenced to life in prison after murdering Rhode Island man that was dating his ex-girlfriend

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Attorney General Peter F. Neronha has announced that a man has been sentenced in Washington County Superior Court to life in prison after being found guilty of the 2020 murder of 28-year-old Vincent Sebastian in Westerly.

On October 11, 2022, following the conclusion of a 14-day jury trial before Superior Court Justice Melanie Wilk Thunberg, the jury found 33-year-old Louis Seignious, of Norwich, Conn., guilty of first-degree murder, carrying a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence, and domestic breaking and entering. The jury returned the verdict after approximately two days of deliberation.

At a hearing on December 13, 2022, before Judge Thunberg, the Court sentenced the defendant to a life sentence at the Adult Correctional Institutions, followed by a consecutive 10-year sentence. The Court also ordered that the defendant complete batterers intervention classes and issued a No Contact Order between him and the victim of the domestic breaking and entering.

“In 2020, this defendant violently took the life of Mr. Sebastian in a senseless act of domestic rage and jealousy,” said Attorney General Neronha. “Nothing can bring Mr. Sebastian back to his family and friends, but I hope that today’s lengthy sentence delivers a measure of justice for them. The defendant will now be unable to harm anyone else, whether at the point of a gun or otherwise. I am grateful to the men and women of the Westerly Police Department for their outstanding work, in this case and in so many others.”

During the trial, the State proved that during the early evening on January 25, 2020, the defendant shot and killed 28-year-old Vincent Sebastian at a home in Westerly and subsequently eluded law enforcement for the following week.

Earlier that day, the defendant threatened Sebastian after he learned that Sebastian was romantically involved with a woman that he had previously dated and shared a child with.

Following these threats, the defendant drove to a home on Marriot Avenue where Sebastian was located and entered through the front door uninvited. The defendant encountered Sebastian, drew a revolver, and shot him once in the chest. Despite his injury, Mr. Sebastian was able to force the defendant out of the home by pushing the front door closed. Moments later, Sebastian collapsed and died of the injuries he sustained from the gunshot.

Seignious drove away from the scene and hid from investigators for the following week, until he was captured by law enforcement at a home in Groton, Connecticut.

Investigators never recovered the gun that the defendant used to murder Sebastian.

“Today’s sentencing represents another significant step in our pursuit of justice for Mr. Sebastian,” said Westerly Police Chief Paul J. Gingerella. “Senseless violence has no place in our communities and the Westerly Police Department is committed to preventing such violence and holding those accountable who would commit it. I applaud the investigative efforts of the Westerly Police Department, including our detective division, and the Attorney General’s office for bringing the defendant to justice.”

Assistant Attorney General Mark Trovato of the Office of the Attorney General and Detective Sergeant Dana Gervasini and Detective Sergeant David Turano (retired) of the Westerly Police Department led the investigation and prosecution of the case.