Topeka father sentenced to life in prison for fire that killed his 2 children and girlfriend | News, Sports, Jobs

TOPEKA — A Kansas man was sentenced to life in prison for setting a house on fire, killing his girlfriend and two daughters.

Kyle Tyler, 33, will not be eligible for parole until he has served at least 25 years of a life sentence for felony first-degree murder. He was sentenced Wednesday to an additional 11 years in prison for two arson charges, the Topeka Capital-Journal reported.

When firefighters rushed to a burning home in Topeka in January 2023, they found Tyler on the back deck with a butane torch lighter. They later extinguished a pair of fires in the living room and basement that were determined to have been deliberately started.

His girlfriend, 30-year-old Genny Fitzpatrick, and their 1-year-old daughter, Kourtney Tyler, were found dead on the second floor. Her 9-year-old daughter, Peyton Tyler, died after being taken to a Topeka hospital from her first-floor bedroom, the affidavit said.

Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay said the deaths of all three victims were likely caused by smoke inhalation.

In exchange for the guilty plea in August, prosecutors dismissed two aggravated child endangerment charges as well as two other murder charges, according to court records.