Kevin Bui: Man pleads guilty to 2020 house fire that killed family of 5 as retaliation for stolen iPhone
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
DENVER, COLORADO: Kevin Bui, 20, will be spending several decades in prison for his heinous act on August 5, 2020.
He was one of the three individuals charged with the deliberate house fire that claimed the lives of five family members in Colorado, including two children. They thought the house had an iPhone that had been stolen, but they were wrong.
During the court appearance on Friday, May 17, Bui formally pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder in connection with the appalling 2020 killings of Djibril 'Jibby' Diol, his 23-year-old wife Adja, their 21-month-old daughter, Khadija, Diol’s sister Hassan, and her 6-month-old daughter, Hawa Beye.
Kevin Bui accepts 60-year prison sentence
Bui's legal team struck a deal with prosecutors from the Denver District Attorney’s Office. In the agreement, he accepted a 60-year prison sentence instead of facing an additional 60 criminal charges.
Bui, who was 16 years old at the time, along with Gavin Seymour and Dillon Siebert, ignited the deadly fire at the home in the 5300 block of North Truckee Street in Green Valley Ranch. The five victims were inside, along with three others, when the fire started.
The three survivors escaped by jumping from a second-floor window. Authorities identified Bui as the owner of the stolen phone and believed he was the leader of the group. Police mentioned he used the Find My iPhone app to locate his stolen device, leading them to the general area of the family’s home. But the family that was killed had no connection with the stolen iPhone.
Kevin Bui and two others spent weeks planning house fire
The three accused reportedly spent weeks planning how to set the house on fire as retribution for Bui’s stolen cellphone, as per Law&Crime.
They visited a costume shop and purchased hockey-style masks before unlawfully entering the residence through the back door, armed with containers brimming with gasoline.
They proceeded to saturate the walls with the accelerant, igniting the home before hastily fleeing on foot. The house was engulfed in flames in no time.
Law enforcement authorities stated that they were able to pinpoint Bui, Seymour, and Siebert's presence at the scene through cell phone location data.
Additionally, surveillance footage captured the three individuals purchasing masks, later worn during the crime, from a local store. Furthermore, the incident was recorded by a neighbor’s doorbell camera, as per authorities.
Kevin Bui and 2 others arrested in 2021 for killing 5 family members
The trio was apprehended by police in January 2021 and faced numerous serious charges such as first-degree murder and arson.
Seymour, also 16 at the time, admitted guilt to second-degree murder earlier this year and received a 40-year prison term.
Siebert, aged only 14, similarly confessed to second-degree murder and was sentenced to three years in a juvenile detention center plus seven years in state prison.
During Friday's court proceedings, Bui remained largely silent, offering brief responses to Judge Karen Brody's questions. None of the victims' family members attended the hearing, opting to watch online via livestream.
Bui is set to return to court before Judge Brody on June 2 for formal sentencing.
