Providence, R.I. ― A Norwich man awaits sentencing after his conviction earlier this month of murder in the fatal shooting of his cousin at a Westerly residence.

A jury found Louis Seignious Jr., 33, guilty of murder in the Jan. 25, 2020 killing of 28-year-old Vincent Sebastian III. Seignious was found guilty on Oct. 11 after a 14-day trial at Washington County Superior Court, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced in a statement on Thursday.

The jury found Seignious guilty of first-degree murder, carrying a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence and domestic breaking and entering.

Court records show the shooting was motivated by jealousy over a woman Sebastian was dating. The woman had a child with Seignious. When Seignious found out about Sebastian dating the woman, police said he confronted Sebastian at an apartment on Marriott Avenue in Westerly and shot him in the chest.

“In 2020, this defendant violently took the life of Mr. Sebastian in a senseless act of domestic rage and jealousy,” Attorney General Neronha said in a statement. “Nothing can bring Mr. Sebastian back to his family and friends, but I hope that this verdict delivers a measure of justice for them.”

Seignious had eluded police for a week after the shooting and had been spotted on the Mashantucket Pequot reservation on the day of the shooting where police said he nearly crashed into a police cruiser. Mashantucket police had been notified of the shooting because Seignious had relatives on the reservation.

Seignious remained at large until Feb. 1, 2020 when Groton City police received a tip that he was at the Branford Manor apartment complex. During a search of one unit, police said Seignious fell from his hiding spot, through a ceiling and onto the floor. The gun Seignious used during the shooting was never recovered.

“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,” Westerly Police Chief Paul J. Gingerella said in a statement. “Our community is safer today now that the defendant has been found guilty and will ultimately be sentenced to a significant amount of time in prison.”

Seignious remains held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institutions, pending a sentencing hearing scheduled for Nov. 29. Seignious has a criminal record in Connecticut that includes a conviction and five years in prison for his role in home invasions in Montville and Ledyard in 2011.

G.smith@theday.com