Randal Hennessey listens as the jury foreman delivers a guilty verdict at the York Judicial Center in Biddeford on Monday. Hennessey was found guilty of murder for fatally shooting his landlord, Douglas Michaud Jr., in Biddeford in 2021. Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer

BIDDEFORD — A York County jury found a Biddeford man guilty of murder on Monday for killing the landlord who was trying to evict him from an apartment in 2021.

The jury deliberated for about an hour before finding Randal J. Hennessey guilty of one count of knowing or intentional murder in the death of Douglas Michaud Jr., 31., at the building Michaud owned on Union Street in Biddeford. The judge ruled that Hennessey also is guilty of possessing a gun despite being prohibited from having one because of a 2009 felony conviction.

Hennessey appeared somber as the verdict was delivered in the York Judicial Center and glanced only once at the jury while each member affirmed their guilty verdict.

Some of Michaud’s family and friends, who packed four rows of the courtroom, cried quietly. Outside the courtroom, they embraced, and several people cheered. One family member said they were all “very happy” but declined to talk more about the verdict.

Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Ackerman said the prosecution was very satisfied with the verdict. She expects sentencing to take place in late August or September.

Defense attorney George Hess, who argued that his client acted in self-defense, said he was disappointed but declined to talk more about the verdict.

Before the trial started, Hennessey rejected at least two plea deals, including an offer from prosecutors that would have capped his sentence at 47 years in prison.

He took the stand in his own defense last week, providing testimony that contradicted what other witnesses said during the jury trial in York County Superior Court. He said Michaud lunged at him during a confrontation on the building’s porch on Sept. 14, 2021.

“I knew he was going to cause some serious injury,” said Hennessey, who at 5 feet, 10 inches tall and 130 pounds is smaller than Michaud was. “He just came at me and I had a reaction of fear and adrenaline, and I just pulled my weapon as fast as I could.”

Michaud’s girlfriend, Jamie Wakefield, witnessed the shooting and testified that her boyfriend had never threatened Hennessey. She said Michaud had been avoiding his tenant, who was becoming increasingly confrontational. He was trying to evict Hennessey following a disagreement about the multiple motorcycles that Hennessey was keeping outside the apartment.

Before starting closing arguments Monday morning, the state called a rebuttal witness, Maine State Police Sgt. Larry Rose, whose specialty is shooting trajectory analysis. Rose testified that the evidence did not line up with Hennessey’s claims that Michaud was spinning as he was shot, or that Hennessey was standing at Michaud’s feet when he shot him in the head.

In her closing argument, Ackerman described the tension between Hennessey and Michaud, who lived on the third floor with Wakefield. Michaud had twice tried to evict Hennessey, who was keeping motorcycles at the property that he intended to fix and sell, despite his landlord’s objection.

Hennessey harassed Michaud, called him names and was increasingly angry about the situation. The day before the shooting, Hennessey sent Michaud a message saying he would move out if his girlfriend and their children could stay.

“Doug had decided he had a child on the way, and he wasn’t going to deal with it anymore,” Ackerman said.

Ackerman asked the jury to consider the testimony of Wakefield, who was seen on the body-worn camera of a responding police officer saying repeatedly that Hennessey had shot Michaud. Her testimony was consistent, Ackerman said, unlike Hennessey, who “cannot keep it straight.”

Hennessey was jealous of Michaud and angry that his family was being evicted, Ackerman said.

“In his heart of hearts, he knew he was the one making his family homeless,” she said.

DISCREPANCY IN TESTIMONY

Hess argued that Hennessey told the truth on the stand and that the jury should question the accuracy of testimony from other witnesses. He described Hennessey as a man who was devoted to his family and worried about becoming homeless. On the day of the shooting, Hennessey wanted to talk to Michaud about his offer to leave if his family could stay, but his landlord wouldn’t talk to him, he said.

When Michaud returned to the building that afternoon, he was “angry and agitated,” Hess said. Hennessey was nervous and afraid of him but still decided to talk to him. Hess said Michaud was yelling and swearing at Hennessey, then lunged at him.

“He was terrified,” Hess said. “He knew Doug could hurt him.”

After shooting Michaud five times in the back, Hennessey briefly went inside, then came back out to try to pat down Michaud to see if he had a weapon, Hess said. It was then that Wakefield pushed him, causing his gun to go off and fire a bullet at Michaud’s head, he said.

During her rebuttal, Ackerman told the jury that the testimony of other witnesses and Rose does not support Hennessey’s version of events. Hennessey deliberately shot Michaud twice in the head after he came back outside, Ackerman said.

She also described how after being arrested in New Hampshire, Hennessey said in the car on the way back to Maine that “I just want this all to end and get sentenced.”

“This time, in this room, I ask you to give him what he wants,” Ackerman said.