Pamela Bordeaux is a 60-year-old retired Las Vegas police detective who was just sentenced for the fatal shooting of her former son-in-law. Bordeaux was convicted in June 2024 for the murder of Sean Babbitt. The shooting took place in 2019 at Bordeaux’s home during a supervised visit with Babbitt and her grandson. Police described the shooting as “execution” style, and Babbitt had almost a dozen bullet wounds. Bordeaux was arrested the day of the shooting but was later released on a one million dollar bail. She has been on house arrest pending her trial, which began in June 2024. Six days into her trial, Pamela Bordeaux was found guilty of first-degree murder.
The Shooting
Sean Babbitt was visiting his 3-year-old son at Pamela Bordeaux’s home the day he was shot. He had an hour-long visitation, and by the end of it, he was dead. Bordeaux’s daughter, Erika Carnell, had full custody of their son, and her ex-husband had been doing hour-long weekly visitations for three years. His family told the police he was seeking to increase his visitation rights after supposedly terminating them in 2015. Towards the end of his visit on April 22, 2019, Bordeaux and Babbitt were downstairs while his ex-wife and son were upstairs. Babbitt was allegedly prone to violent tendencies and lunged at Bordeaux. In an attempt to allegedly defend herself, Pamela Bordeaux shot Babbitt ten times.
Babbitt was reported to have been shot in the back, chest, and head. The prosecution claimed that the location and number of his wounds did not show self-defense. Her defense claimed self-defense, and said she was only protecting her family. Pamela Bordeaux claimed her former son-in-law was dangerous and a deviant. When the police arrived, she verbally admitted to shooting Babbitt and was taken into custody. Bordeaux was held without bail at the Clark County Detention Center until her initial hearing later that month.
The Trial
Pamela Bordeaux took the stand on day 4 of the trial and testified on her behalf. She described the events leading up to the shooting and how she felt in the moment. At the end of the visit, her daughter and grandson went up to their bedroom, leaving her alone with Babbitt. She said as she was opening the door, Babbitt started charging her with his arms out in front of him. Bordeaux claimed she was in fear of being strangled to death. According to her, Babbitt’s eyes were wide, and even after shooting him, he kept charging her, leading to more shots fired.
Pamela Bordeaux’s trial lasted six days, with the prosecution arguing her actions were premeditated and the defense arguing self-defense. The prosecutor, Michelle Fleck, claimed that Bordeaux manipulated the crime scene by moving around the bullet casings with Babbitt’s sock. Fleck also made a statement on behalf of Babbitt that, “He has absolutely no reason, and he had absolutely no motive to attack her on this particular day in April.” With that statement, the prosecution motioned for the jury to think about who the one with the motive was. During closing arguments, both the prosecution and the defense asked the jury to use their common sense when they deliberated.
Final Thoughts
Pamela Bordeaux stood trial for the fatal shooting of her former son-in-law. On October 1, 2024, Pamela Bordeaux was sentenced to 24 years to life in prison for the murder of Sean Babbitt. The jury deliberated over two days for hours before delivering a guilty verdict. The judge said the shooting of Babbitt “seemed incredibly premeditated” before sentencing Bordeaux. Pamela Bordeaux showed no emotion when she was convicted of first-degree murder.
