Camp Verde AZ (February 4, 2020) – On Friday, January 31, 2020, a Yavapai County Jury found Jesse Michael Etienne, 21, of Camp Verde, Arizona, guilty of Second Degree Murder.
The case occurred on July 10, 2018 at approximately 8:30 p.m. on State Route 260, Milepost 208.7 and Western Road in Cottonwood, Arizona. At that time, a Cottonwood police officer observed a vehicle traveling at 107 miles per hour in a posted 55 miles per hour zone. The driver of the vehicle, later identified as Jesse Etienne, entered a posted 45 mile per hour zone traveling at over 100 miles per hour, running a red light at the intersection of Western Road, striking a pedestrian in the crosswalk causing fatal injuries. The defendant then lost control of his vehicle, rolled several times, and came to rest approximately a quarter mile from the intersection where he struck the pedestrian. The victim’s body was located near Jesse Etienne’s vehicle.
On the first day of trial, prior to jury selection, Jesse Etienne pled “No Contest” to the Court to the charges of Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, both class six felonies.
Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk emphasized her gratitude to the jury and the Cottonwood Police Department for their work. She stated, “I’d especially like to thank Trooper Humphrey from the Regional Advanced Collision Team of Arizona Department of Public Safety for his testimony, and his expert training, experience and knowledge that was so crucial to helping the jury understand the case.”
Jesse Etienne is facing a minimum sentence of 16 years in the Arizona Department of Corrections because he was on felony probation at the time he committed this offense. He is facing a possible maximum sentence of 25 years. Sentencing is set for March 17, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. before the Honorable Michael R. Bluff, Division 7 of the Yavapai County Superior Court.