Man accused of killing former Lake Linden resident in Arizona headed to trial

MESA, Ariz. (WLUC) - The 19-year-old man accused of shooting and killing a man originally from Lake Linden is headed to trial.

Monday, an Ariz. grand jury found probable cause to charge Elliot Bennett, formerly of Hancock, with first degree murder, first degree burglary, and endangerment, according to Maricopa County Criminal Court documents.

Bennett was arrested earlier this month after Mesa Police responded to reports of shots fired at a home around 7:30 p.m. on March 7. Inside the home, officers found 44-year-old Jacques Bourdeau, originally from Lake Linden, dead in a bathtub. Police say he had been shot multiple times.

Based on a witness account, police identified the shooter as Bennett and interviewed him later in the week. They arrested him for first-degree murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and first-degree burglary.

Bennett is scheduled for an initial pretrial conference on May 12, a pretrial conference on Nov. 9, and a jury trial beginning Nov. 16.

It is still unclear how Bourdeau and Bennett knew each other and police have not released details on a possible motive for the shooting.

Last published: Mar 11, 2023 9:11:21 PM

A 19-year-old Arizona man has been arrested for the murder of a man originally from Lake Linden.

Mesa Police responded to reports of shots fired at a home in Mesa around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. Inside the home, officers found 44-year-old Jacques Bourdeau dead in a bathtub. Police say he had been shot multiple times.

TV6 has confirmed, with the help of sister station Arizona’s Family and Bourdeau’s facebook page, that he was originally from Lake Linden.

The shooter was identified as 19-year-old Elliot Bennett. TV6 has also been told Bennett is from Hancock. We are working to confirm that information.

According to police records, three other people were at the home when the shooting happened, including a woman who told police Bourdeau got a call from someone named Elliot. Bourdeau identified Elliot as a friend and said he was also coming over.

The witness said Elliot arrived a short time later and briefly came inside the house before going back out to the front yard, followed by Bourdeau. The woman told officers she then heard gunshots and Bourdeau ran back into the house, saying, “he just shot at me,” and locked the doors.

Both Bourdeau and the woman then ran to a bathroom down the hall and locked the door.

The woman said she then heard glass breaking and footsteps coming down the hall. She said the suspect broke down the bathroom door and shot Bourdeau in the stomach. Then she said the man “emptied the gun,” shooting Bourdeau, who fell into the bathtub, multiple times before leaving the house and driving away.

She told police the shooter’s first name was Elliot and that he was wearing a red sweatshirt, black shorts and was driving a gray sedan with a spoiler on the trunk. Based on that information and area traffic cameras, police were able to identify Bennett as a suspect.

Police interviewed Bennett later in the week, who reportedly denied having gone to Mesa. He was arrested for first-degree murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and first-degree burglary. He is currently being held in the Maricopa County jail.

It’s unclear how Bourdeau and Bennett knew each other and police have not released details on a possible motive for the shooting.

A GoFundMe is set up to help Bordeau’s family.