A Biddeford man accused of killing his landlord Tuesday shot the man several times in the chest on the porch of their apartment building, went inside briefly, then came back out and shot him once more in the head, according to court documents.

Douglas Michaud Jr. and Jamie Wakefield at a recent event. Wakefield witnessed Michaud’s slaying in Biddeford on Tuesday. Courtesy of Terra Johnson

The victim’s girlfriend witnessed the killing and was consoling him when the final gunshot was fired at close range, police say.

Randal J. Hennessey, 30, made his initial appearance in court Thursday afternoon to face a murder charge in the killing of Douglas Michaud Jr., 31. Hennessey was arrested in New Hampshire several hours after the shooting and has been in custody since.

Hennessey was not asked to enter a plea and will continue to be held without bail. During the brief hearing held via Zoom, Superior Court Justice Wayne Douglas said the state did not request a bail hearing and Hennessey’s attorney waived the requirement that one be held within five days.

The case will be presented to a grand jury and will proceed if Hennessey is indicted, Douglas said. A status conference is expected in approximately 90 days.

Hennessey spoke only to indicate that he understood that he could request to speak with his attorney, Tina Heather Nadeau, at any time during the hearing.

“This is a terribly tragic situation for everyone involved,” Nadeau said in an email. “We are very early on in this difficult process. The state is still investigating the charge against my client – we will be working hard to build our case as well.”

Randal Hennessey

An affidavit filed in York County Superior Court in Alfred details the circumstances that led to the shooting.

Biddeford police received a 911 call at 3:14 p.m. Tuesday from Jamie Wakefield, who said her boyfriend had been shot. When officers arrived a short time later, they found Michaud dead on the porch of the three-story apartment building on Union Street.

Wakefield told the officers several times, “Randy shot him,” referring to Hennessey, according to court documents.

Hennessey lived on the second floor of the apartment building, which Michaud owned. Michaud lived on the third floor with Wakefield.

Wakefield told police that Michaud “was in the process of evicting (Hennessey) who is a tenant in the building,” and that Hennessey was confrontational with her when she arrived home shortly before the shooting.

According to documents filed last year, Michaud had previously tried to evict Hennessey, who was behind on rent and had violated the terms of the lease. But the parties reached an agreement in January 2020, and a judge dismissed the complaint several months later. No new documents had been entered in the file in the year since.

As Wakefield and Hennessey were talking, Michaud arrived and told Hennessey to leave her alone, the documents state.

At that point, Wakefield told police, Hennessey then walked upstairs toward his residence on the second floor while she and Michaud went to the front porch.

Moments later, she heard Hennessey say ‘Doug,’ and then “observed (Hennessey) emerge onto the porch and shoot (Michaud) in the chest several times with a handgun.”

Hennessey then went back inside while Wakefield tried to render medical aid to her boyfriend.

“(Hennessey) then reappeared and shot (Michaud) in the head at close range while (Wakefield) was consoling him,” the documents state.

Hennessey fled the scene on a dirt bike and rode along train tracks from Biddeford to New Hampshire. Law enforcement had been in contact with him on a cellphone, according to court documents, and he agreed to surrender at a location in Durham.

Friends and co-workers of Michaud and Wakefield have started fundraisers to support the family. And Biddeford businesses with connections to the couple have posted messages of support on social media while asking those who can to donate to an online fundraiser.

A GoFundMe created Wednesday revealed that Wakefield is pregnant with their son and asked friends to support the family. The fundraiser had raised more than $28,000 by Thursday afternoon.

Tulu Salon and Spa in Biddeford, where Wakefield is a partner in the business, posted brief messages about the incident and announced the salon will be closed for the rest of the week.

“We are all reeling and deeply saddened from the unexpected passing of a member of our small Tulu community,” the salon’s post said.

Elements, a coffee shop in downtown Biddeford, posted a message on social media saying employees are shocked and saddened by the death of Michaud, a regular customer at the business who was most recently there for his regular order on Monday.

“Doug Michaud Jr. was just a decent dude — always amiable, always brightened our day during our brief interactions. He would call in his order by phone — large iced maple latte with extra maple syrup, and an everything bagel with cream cheese and prosciutto — and would come in a few minutes later to pick up and pay,” the post said.