LOXAHATCHEE, Fla. (CBS12) — New details reveal that the man accused of beating and killing a man with golf clubs at a golf course in Palm Beach Gardens was reported missing less than an hour before the deadly attack.
Junior Boucher is accused of beating Brian Hiltebeitel with golf clubs at the pond near hole one of Sandhill Crane Golf Club on Monday. The arrest affidavit states that once in the water, Boucher reportedly got on top of the victim and began to choke him. A witness told PBGPD that they saw Boucher get off the motionless victim, grab a golf club, and strike him again in the head with the club.
Tragically, the brutal attack resulted in the death of 65-year-old Hiltebeitel.
“This appears to be a random act of violence where Boucher used the victim’s golf clubs as weapons and viciously attacked the victim, ultimately killing him. At this time it does not appear that Boucher had any legitimate purpose for being at the golf course,” said Palm Beach Gardens Police Chief, Dominick Pape in a news conference on Tuesday.
During the news conference, Chief Pape said Boucher was reported missing by his family, and on Wednesday CBS12 News received the missing person’s report.
According to the missing person’s report, Boucher’s mother reported him missing to authorities at around 12:55 p.m. His mother told deputies with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) that Boucher was acting aggressively and making incoherent statements at their home on Royal Palm Beach Boulevard. She was alerted by a frantic call from her younger son, who said Junior was banging on his bedroom door and demanding he leave, despite making delusional claims about a wife he does not have.
Boucher’s mother mentioned to deputies that he has a history of mental health issues, including a past Baker Act incident and possible bipolar disorder. She also noted his frequent marijuana use and recent unusual behavior.
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Upon arriving at the scene, deputies learned that Boucher had left the residence, according to Boucher’s mother and her husband. A missing bicycle suggested he had left the house, according to the missing person’s report. Due to Junior’s altered state of mind and aggressive behavior, deputies entered him as a missing person. A missing person affidavit was completed and signed by Boucher’s mother, and he was entered into the system with a request for evaluation.
At around 3:15 p.m., authorities were informed that Junior had been located by the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department (PBGPD). However, that’s when the situation took a tragic turn.
PBGPD said at 1:22 p.m., calls started coming in reporting the deadly attack at the Sandhill Crane Golf Club.
Police say Boucher and the victim did not know each other and police say they don’t know the motive for the attack. Boucher is still behind bars – charged with first-degree murder.
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