Gerald James Bordelon was born on February 19, 1962, in Denham Springs, Louisiana. He grew up in a small community and attended schools in the Baton Rouge area. During his early years in school, he was considered to have learning difficulties. Because of this, he was placed in a special resource class. However, his mother decided to withdraw him from school entirely after receiving advice from the principal.

As he grew older, doctors diagnosed Bordelon with antisocial personality disorder and sexual sadism disorder. Despite these diagnoses, they noted that his IQ was in the normal range. Bordelon's troubled early life would later be marked by a series of legal issues.

In March 1982, he was involved in a serious incident when he offered a ride to an 18-year-old girl. This event led to his first conviction when he pleaded guilty to sexual battery and received a ten-year prison sentence. Bordelon's actions attracted significant attention and concern in his community.

After serving some time and being released, his life continued to be troubled, and he committed more serious offenses in 1990. These offenses led to further convictions, resulting in a twenty-year prison sentence. 

In 2000, Gerald Bordelon was released on parole after serving time for previous offenses. He began a relationship with Jennifer Kocke online and they married in July 2001. They moved to Gloster, Mississippi, later that year. During Christmas in 2001, Kocke's daughters, including 12-year-old Courtney LeBlanc, reported that Bordelon had molested them. Kocke notified child protective services, leading to Bordelon's departure from the family home.

On November 15, 2002, Courtney LeBlanc went missing from her home in Denham Springs, Louisiana. Kocke found out she was missing when she returned home and immediately called the police. The initial theory was that LeBlanc may have run away. However, after some investigation, authorities began to focus on Bordelon as a suspect and placed him under surveillance.

Bordelon was questioned by police and eventually confessed to abducting and murdering Courtney LeBlanc. He led investigators to her body on November 26, 2002. Bordelon admitted that he had used a knife to kidnap her and took her to Mississippi, where he forced her to perform sexual acts. He then returned to Louisiana, where he strangled her near the Amite River and discarded her body in a wooded area in Livingston Parish.

Bordelon faced charges of first-degree murder and second-degree kidnapping. On June 29, 2006, he was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. He waived his appeals and requested that his execution take place, stating he would commit similar crimes if given the chance.

On January 7, 2010, Bordelon was executed by lethal injection at Louisiana State Penitentiary. He was one of three people executed that day in the United States. His last statement included an apology to the family of Courtney LeBlanc. Bordelon's final meal consisted of fried fish, crawfish étouffée, a peanut butter and apple jelly sandwich, and cookies. He was pronounced dead at 6:32 p.m.