Woman headed for second-degree murder trial faces civil suit from victim's estate

Haydee Rivera-Nadeau (Photo via Webex)

DOVER - The Somersworth woman accused in the death of her former partner in May of 2023 appeared in Strafford Superior Court via Webex today to represent herself in a complaint filed by the estate of the woman she is alleged to have fatally shot.
Haydee Rivera-Nadeau, 66, of 212 Old Rochester Road, Somersworth, has been held at Strafford County Jail since she was arrested days after fleeing New Hampshire following the May 1, 2023, shooting of Lisa Rocheleau, 50, of Rochester, at the Professional Arts building on Winter Street in Rochester where she worked.
Nadeau-River was arrested by Charlotte, N.C., police two days later.

Lisa Rocheleau (Courtesy)

In its complaint the estate of Rocheleau is asking for a jury trial in seeking compensation "to recover damages, including liberal compensatory damages, for the mental and physical pain suffered by Rocheleau in consequence of the injuries, the reasonable expenses occasioned to the Estate by the injuries, the probable duration of life but for the injuries, and the capacity to earn money during Rocheleau's probable working life, together with such other damages as may allowed by law in the same manner as if Rocheleau had survived."
During today's hearing, Rivera-Nadeau told Judge Andrew B. Livernois she had been unable to answer the complaint due to her being incarcerated and that a Covid outbreak at the jail had caused the jail population to be further isolated. She also said she had been very busy getting ready for a possible criminal trial on second-degree murder charges in Rocheleau's death.
Nadeau-Rivera was indicted in August 2023 on two counts of second degree murder, one count of falsifying physical evidence and one count of stalking.
The indictment alleges that on May 1, 2023, Rivera-Nadeau followed Rocheleau to her place of employment on Winter Street in Rochester, where she "aimed a firearm at Ms. Rocheleau's face ... and shot her."
Judge Livernois agreed to strike the order of default brought forward by Attorney Carl Potvin, who is representing the Rocheleau's estate, but ordered Nadeau-Rivera to formally respond to the complaint within 30 days.
"If you don't you risk losing the case by default," the judge added.
According to a Rochester Police affidavit, Rivera-Nadeau told an acquaintance the day after the shooting that her former lover's death was an accident.
Rocheleau died at Portsmouth Regional Hospital a few days after she was shot.
Rivera-Nadeau and Rocheleau had been in a longtime "toxic" relationship, according to a Gofundme page set up to help the Rocheleau family.
"Lisa was finally happy for once in her life, after working up the courage to leave (the relationship)," the Gofundme page states.
A member of Rocheleau's family who discovered her on the floor of her title business inside the Winter Street Professional Arts building told police that Rivera-Nadeau "had a history of being verbally and physically violent," however no law enforcement agency had documentation of such.
A digital extraction of Rocheleau's phone revealed that Rivera-Nadeau had texted her regarding the possibility of her "cheating on her" within the week preceding the shooting.
On the day of the shooting an employee of the suspect's pest control business said she got a call from her boss around 7:45 a.m. during which she said, "I love you, I'm sorry, I'm going away, please take care of my dog," the affidavit states.
Surveillance video at the 40 Winter St. building shows that a person identified as Rivera-Nadeau arrived at 6:39 a.m. on May 1, 2023, and left the property at 7:16 a.m.
Police spoke with another acquaintance of the suspect on May 2, who said Rivera-Nadeau called her that day to tell her that the shooting was an accident, the affidavit states.
Also that, "she didn't mean to hurt anyone, that she just went to Lisa's office to drop off a plant" and "that they got into an argument."
According to the affidavit, "At some point she (Haydee) had the gun in her hand and it clicked. Lisa then got scared and went towards her (Haydee) and the gun accidentally went off and hit Lisa in the head."
Rivera-Nadeau then told the acquaintance she was on the run, because "the police won't believe it was an accident."
Rivera-Nadeau remains held at Strafford County Jail on no bail.