Man murders golfer on Florida course after attacking him with clubs and drowning him in pond in ‘random act of violence’

A career criminal is accused of killing a golfer on a Florida golf course in a “random act of violence,” hitting the victim with golf clubs and drowning him in a pond.

Junior Boucher, 36, is now being held without bail in the Palm Beach County Jail on charges of first-degree murder in the death of Brian Hiltebeitel, 65, at Sandhill Crane Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, WPTV reports.

Police said they responded to the scene just before 1.30pm on Monday after receiving reports of a man attacking another man with a golf club.

When officers arrived at the golf course, they found Hiltebeitel’s body in the fairway of hole one and Boucher, who was naked, fleeing the scene.

When he then refused to stop, Palm Beach Gardens police said they were forced to use an “electronic surveillance weapon” on him to take him into custody.

During a subsequent investigation, police spoke with a witness who said he was playing golf with two others – including Hiltebeitel – on the first hole when they heard Boucher shouting: according to WBPF.

Hiltebeitel then tried to distance himself from Boucher, who at the time was “holding a golf club and waving it at Hiltebeitel,” according to a police report.

“Hiltebeitel shouted ‘he’s trying to kill me’ several times,” the witness told police.

Police who arrived on the scene later found Hiltebeitel with “deep lacerations to the back of his head” and was pronounced dead at the scene, despite life-saving measures

Soon both men fell to the ground, after which Boucher started hitting Hiltebeitel several times with the golf club.’

He then allegedly chased the victim to the pond on hole one, hitting him in the head “repeatedly” with the golf club, and once the men reached the water, Boucher jumped on top of Hiltebeitel and “appeared to choke him.”

Hiltebeitel eventually stopped moving, at which point Boucher allegedly grabbed one of the victim’s golf clubs and hit him repeatedly in the head.

Boucher then got out of the water, took off his clothes and started walking away, the witness said.

Police who arrived on the scene later found Hiltebeitel with “deep lacerations to the back of his head” and was pronounced dead at the scene, despite life-saving measures.

They said it does not appear Boucher had any motive to attack Hiltebeitel.

“At this time, it does not appear that Boucher had a legitimate purpose for being on the golf course,” Police Chief Dominick Pape said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon.

“This appears to be a random act of violence in which Boucher used the victim’s golf clubs as a weapon and viciously attacked the victim, ultimately killing him.”

Police Chief Dominick Pape said Monday’s attack “appears to be a random act of violence.”

Police said they responded to the scene just before 1.30pm on Monday after receiving reports of a man attacking another man with a golf club

Just hours before the brutal attack, his relatives, Anna and Kevin Boucher, asked for police help to remove him from a bedroom in their home, citing domestic violence, erratic behavior, mental health, aggressive behavior and verbal abuse.

It is unclear whether Boucher was under the influence of substances at the time of the attack.

But when a judge denied bail for Boucher on Tuesday, the suspect claimed he was the victim of witchcraft. Local 10 reports.

Boucher claimed in court on Tuesday that he was the victim of witchcraft when he attacked

Boucher has a criminal history dating back to at least 2006, when he was arrested for drug possession with intent to distribute near a park or school in Westport, Massachusetts. NBC Miami reports.

Boucher was subsequently arrested again in 2008 for drug possession, and arrested again in 2009 and 2011 for failure to appear.

In 2018, Boucher was arrested again for domestic battery, and in 2022 he was arrested for fleeing and eluding, assaulting a law enforcement officer and resisting with violence.

Deputies with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said he put one of the agency’s K9 units in a chokehold and tried to “sight the dog” after leading officers on a chase through Okeechobee Park. according to WPTV.

Boucher ultimately pleaded guilty to the charges, served approximately 230 days in the Palm Beach County Jail and completed 115 hours of community service after enrolling in a program at a nonprofit organization.

Brian Hiltebeitel normally went golfing in the morning, but on Monday morning he was busy helping a friend – and had to postpone his golf game until the afternoon, when Boucher allegedly attacked.

Hiltebeitel’s longtime girlfriend Dina Lauro described him as ‘such a good, good person’

Meanwhile, Hiltebeitel’s longtime friend Dina Lauro said she is struggling to understand what happened.

She described him to WPTV as ‘just such a good, good person.’

Lauro went on to say, “It was an exciting time dealing with him, always in a good mood, never depressed” and “he woke up happy.”

The two met at their shared apartment complex in Philadelphia, and after Lauro moved to Florida to work as a chef, Hiltebeitel followed her. Together they opened Chunkie Dunkie and Dina’s Vegan Deli and Desserts.

On a normal day before work, Lauro said, Hiltebeitel would go golfing in the morning, but on Monday morning he was busy helping a friend – and had to postpone his golf game until the afternoon, when Boucher allegedly attacked.

Lauro’s family said they also loved Hiltebeitel.

“Dina recently said, ‘I’ve never been happier,’” said her mother, Nancy Lauro. “He just made us happy; he was just the best man ever.”

Dina said the best way to describe how she feels right now is “numb.”

“I don’t know how I’m doing,” she admitted. “I’m just taking it moment by moment, that’s what I’m going to do, that’s the plan.”