A man was fatally beaten with his own golf clubs in a seemingly "random" attack at a Florida golf course, authorities said.
Junior Boucher, 36, of West Palm Beach, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of 65-year-old golfer Brian Hiltebeitel on Monday afternoon at the Sandhill Crane Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, according to a probable cause affidavit.
A witness told police the suspect hit the victim repeatedly over the head with golf clubs and appeared to choke the man as they physically struggled in a pond near the first hole.
Authorities pulled the victim from the pond and attempted life-saving measures but he was pronounced dead at the golf course, the affidavit said.
“It does not appear that Boucher had any legitimate purpose for being at the golf course,” Palm Beach Gardens Police Chief Dominick Pape said Tuesday. “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.”
A public defender listed in court documents as representing Boucher could not immediately be reached Wednesday afternoon.
Boucher was being held without bond at the Palm Beach County jail on Wednesday afternoon, a representative of the facility said.
Pape said Boucher has a criminal history that includes arrests for drug possession and distribution, domestic battery and a conviction for resisting arrest with violence.
About an hour before police arrived at the golf course, Boucher’s family reported him missing to the county sheriff’s office, the police chief said.
A witness told police the victim was retreating as Boucher swung a club at him. Hiltebeitel repeatedly screamed, “He’s trying to kill me,” the witness told police, according to the affidavit.
Once in the water, Boucher jumped on top of the victim and appeared to choke him, the affidavit said. When the victim no longer moved, Boucher “struck him repeatedly in the head,” according to the affidavit.
Boucher walked away from the pond and stripped off his clothes, officials said.
Police arrested Boucher at the golf course, the affidavit said, where he was nude and was restrained after an “electronic control weapon” was used on him.
