Topeka father sentenced to life in prison for fire that killed two children and his girlfriend

TOPEKA – A Kansas man has been sentenced to life in prison for setting a house fire that killed his girlfriend and their two daughters.

Kyle Tyler, 33, will not be eligible for parole until he serves at least 25 years of his life sentence for first-degree murder during the commission of a felony. In addition, he was sentenced Wednesday to an additional 11 years on two counts of arson, The Topeka Capital-Journal reported.

Firefighters found Tyler, along with a butane torch lighter, on a back deck when they rushed to a burning Topeka home in January 2023. They then extinguished a few fires that were determined to have started deliberately in the living room and basement.

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

The deaths of all three victims were likely due to smoke inhalation, Shawnee County Attorney Mike Kagay said.

In exchange for entering a guilty plea in August, prosecutors dismissed two other murder charges, along with two aggravated child endangerment charges, court records show.