Man charged after allegedly killing estranged wife and her boyfriend
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POCATELLO — A Pocatello man is charged after allegedly shooting and killing his estranged wife and her new boyfriend.
Jesse Patrick Leigh, 39, was charged Monday with two counts of voluntary manslaughter and a use of a deadly weapon enhancement after being arrested Saturday morning. Pocatello Police Department officers found the bodies of 41-year-old Jennifer D. Leigh and 21-year-old Timothy D. Hunt inside Jesse Leigh’s home off Philbin Road.
Officials have not said much surrounding the deadly shooting, but court documents obtained by EastIdahoNews.com shed more light on the case.
Around 11:30 p.m., Pocatello Police received a 911 call about shots fired near the mobile home park on Philbin Road. A neighbor said Leigh fired the gun six times before walking away. The neighbor also said he found Jennifer’s body at her estranged husband’s house.
Officers arrived at the home and found Jennifer with a gunshot wound to her head and Hunt with gunshot wounds to his back and arm. Both were dead.
The Chubbuck Police Department, Pocatello Police Department and Bannock County Sheriff’s Office began searching for Leigh and eventually found him at his mother’s Chubbuck home. Leigh reportedly had a loaded 9mm handgun and blood was on his clothes, according to court documents. Police found 9mm shell casings at the crime scene.
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While on the way to the police station, Leigh asked, “Are they dead?” and reportedly said he had made a mistake. Before detectives could interview Leigh, he asked for an attorney, and an interview was not conducted.
Investigators spoke with Leigh’s mother, who said he had busted into her and her husband’s house and said, “I shot them, Mom. I shot them. I just couldn’t take it anymore,” according to court documents. The mother said Leigh told her Jennifer and Hunt had broken into his home and they had guns. Court documents do not indicate if Jennifer or Hunt actually had weapons.
Detectives spoke with another witness who said he had been with Hunt and Jennifer that night. The witness said he had dropped off the couple at the home on Philbin Road when he heard gunshots. Leigh’s young son reportedly ran from the house and told the witness to run.
The neighbor who called 911 said he saw Leigh tell his son he had “done something bad” and asked the neighbor to take his son before walking away from the scene.
The son reportedly told neighbors his mother (Jennifer) and Hunt went into Leigh’s home to find him sleeping on the floor. Jennifer kicked Leigh awake, and he told his son to run, the son said. The shots were then fired, according to court documents.
At the time of the shooting, Jennifer was living with Hunt.
With the statements of witnesses, police booked Leigh into the Bannock County Jail. He made his initial court appearance Monday morning where a judge scheduled a preliminary hearing for Oct. 25.
Prosecutors have requested Leigh’s bail be set at $1 million. If convicted of both manslaughter counts with the enhancement, Leigh faces up to 35-years in prison.