At a Florida golf course, a man was killed by being hit with his clubs in what police called a “random” attack.
Brian Hiltebeitel, 65, died on Monday afternoon at the Sandhill Crane Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens. A probable cause document says that 36-year-old Junior Boucher of West Palm Beach is charged with first-degree murder in his death.
A witness told police that the suspect hit the victim over the head several times with golf clubs and seemed to choke him as they fought in a pond near the first hole.
The victim was pulled from the pond and tried to save his life, but the affidavit said he was declared dead at the golf course.
Palm Beach Gardens Police Chief Dominick Pape said Tuesday, “It doesn’t look like Boucher had a good reason to be at the golf course.” “Boucher killed the victim by viciously attacking him with his golf clubs, which seems to have been an act of violence that he did for no reason.”
Documents in court show that Boucher has a public lawyer, but that person could not be reached right away Wednesday afternoon.
A person who works at the Palm Beach County jail said that Boucher was being held there without bond on Wednesday afternoon.
Pape said Boucher has a criminal record that includes being arrested for drug possession and distribution, hitting a family member, and violently fighting arrest.
Bocher’s family called the county sheriff’s office to report him missing about an hour before police got at the golf course, the police chief said.
Police were told that the victim was running away as Boucher swung a club at him. Based on the statement, the witness told police that Hiltebeitel kept screaming, “He’s trying to kill me!”
It was said in the statement that Boucher jumped on top of the victim in the water and seemed to choke him. The statement says that Boucher “struck him repeatedly in the head” until the victim could no longer move.
People in charge say Boucher left the pond and took off his clothes.
The affidavit said that Boucher was caught on the golf course while he was naked and was held down with an “electronic control weapon.”
