An arrest has been made in the shooting death of Tenino man Ezra West, whose body was found in a west Olympia cul de sac.
Paul Bourgault, 41, was arrested Thursday, Feb. 9, on suspicion of second-degree murder while armed with a firearm, as well as for unlawful possession of a firearm.
He appeared in Thurston County Superior Court on Friday, Feb. 10, and was denied bail. Judge John Skinder denied the defense’s request to set Bourgault’s bail at $500,000 because Bourgault had changed his appearance, fled the state and took other actions to try and evade police since West’s death.
According to court documents, Olympia police detectives used eyewitness accounts and surveillance footage to track down a green Subaru that was spotted leaving the Caton Way cul de sac. Detectives were led to a homeless encampment near the 2800 block of Capitol Boulevard Southeast, where they found the vehicle abandoned. There were bullet casings matching those at the scene on top of the dash. It was registered under Bourgault’s name, court documents say.
Detectives interviewed people living in the area and learned Bourgault had been living on and off at the encampment for a couple of years. They also learned the identity of a woman seen leaving the crime scene in a separate car; she also lived at the encampment.
According to court documents, on the day of the shooting, Ezra West’s car could be seen on surveillance footage parking near an encampment on Kaiser Road west Olympia. He got out and walked toward the encampment, then returned to his car and drove away. A few minutes later, Leighton got in her car and drove away.
Eyewitnesses told detectives that Bourgault was already parked in the cul-de-sac on Caton Way when Leighton arrived, being tailed closely by West. Detectives interviewed Bourgault’s significant other, who said Leighton had called Bourgault saying she was being chased. West parked his car, got out and started walking north toward Leighton’s car when he was fatally shot in the head.
After abandoning the green Subaru at the homeless encampment and tossing the gun into the woods, police say Bourgault and Leighton drove with Bourgault’s girlfriend to a bus converted into a home. Bourgault and Leighton went inside to shave his head and change his appearance, court documents say, then fled to Oregon.
On Jan. 31, detectives were notified that Leighton’s car had been seen in Idaho a couple days prior. Bourgault had gotten rid of his cellphone, but Leighton was still active on hers. Interviews with some of their acquaintances led police to make the arrests.
On Friday, Bourgault’s defense attorney Ahmed Jenkins argued against the state’s no-bail hold, contending the shooting could have occurred in self defense. Jenkins said while the nature of the offense is severe, Bourgault’s criminal history is dated and nonviolent.
Bourgault was ordered to not have contact with any of the victim’s next of kin, or with his co-defendant Rachel Leighton, or any eyewitnesses. A jury trial has been scheduled for 9 a.m. March 27.
