Gerald Bordelon is scheduled to die by lethal injection on Jan. 7.

He strangled Courtney Leblanc and dumped her body in the woods along the Amite River in Livingston Parish.

Bordelon refused an appeal.

Gerald Bordelon – white, age 40

Sentenced to death in Livingston Parish, Louisiana

By: A judge, after a unanimous recommendation of death by a jury

Date of crime:  November 2002

Prosecution’s case/defense response:  Bordelon was convicted of killing his 12-year-old stepdaughter, Courtney LeBlanc.  Bordelon had kidnapped her from her home, and sexually abused her before strangling her to death.  LeBlanc had accused her stepfather of molestation in 2001, but this case did not make it past the grand jury.  Bordelon admitted to killing LeBlanc and led authorities to her body.  During trial, defense argued that LeBlanc’s mother was responsible for the killing, saying she was aware of the molestation, but did not want her husband to go back to jail.  Bordelon escaped from prison in 2003 while awaiting trial.  During the penalty phase, prior victims of Bordelon testified to the brutal sex crimes he was previously convicted of.  Bordelon instructed his attorneys to not offer any defense or cross-examine witnesses during the penalty phase.

Prosecutor(s): Charlotte Herbert
Defense lawyer(s):  Al Benzabat, Reggie McIntyre, Wayne Stewart