Biddeford man accused of shooting homeowner 6 times in 2021 to stand trial

A Biddeford man accused of fatally shooting his landlord in September 2021 is preparing to go to trial at the end of the month after more than two years of waiting.

Jury selection in the trial of Randal Hennessey, accused of shooting Douglas Michaud Jr. six times on the porch of his apartment, is scheduled to begin June 24. At a preliminary hearing in York County Superior Court Tuesday, attorneys argued for more than an hour over what details of the crime the jury would be allowed to hear.

Hennessey pleaded not guilty in December 2021 to charges of intentional and knowing murder and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

At Tuesday's hearing, his defense attorney, George Hess, and Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Ackerman debated whether any evidence about Hennessey's character should be excluded, such as terms like “passive- aggressive” to describe the accused. The judge ultimately ruled that the evidence could not be used.

According to court documents, Hennessey shot Michaud five times on the porch of their apartment building. As Michaud's girlfriend, Jamie Wakefield, attempted to help him, Hennessey returned outside and shot Michaud once more in the head and fled on a dirt bike, following the railroad tracks to 'to turn himself in to the New Hampshire police.

Wakefield, who was pregnant at the time, repeatedly told officers that “Randy,” referring to Hennessey, had shot her boyfriend, according to court records. Attorneys also debated Tuesday whether to tell the jury that Wakefield was pregnant at the time of the shooting.

Hess said that detail would be used as a “big hammer” to elicit emotional reactions from the jury. Ackerman argued that it was relevant because Wakefield was taken to the hospital after the shooting to make sure her pregnancy was still healthy. During the ambulance ride and in body camera footage, she told authorities that Hennessey was the shooter. The judge agreed with Ackerman.

Friends of Michaud told the Press Herald in 2021 that he had a bright future with Wakefield. He was excited about fatherhood and was training to become a firefighter. They said he loved motorcycles, old cars and was always helping others.

Wakefield told police after the shooting that Michaud was “in the process of evicting (Hennessey) who is a tenant in the building” and that Hennessey had confronted her when she returned home before the shooting, according to court records .

Ackerman suggested Hess would claim the shooting was in self-defense, even though Michaud was shot in the back. Hess, who did not respond Tuesday to a phone message asking to discuss the case, gave no indication of his defense strategy in court Tuesday.

It took more than two years for the case to come to trial. In November 2022, Hennessey requested that his court-appointed attorney, Tina Nadeau, be replaced because he felt she was not representing him as much as she should. Nadeau withdrew from the case and the judge named Hess.

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