Mental health evaluation finds man competent for Palm Beach County murder trial
OCTOBER 1ST. ACCORDING TO THE PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION ACT. NEW DETAILS TONIGHT ABOUT A DEADLY ATTACK AT THE SANDHILL CRANE GOLF CLUB IN PALM BEACH GARDENS. THE SUSPECTED MURDERER, JUNIOR BUTCHER, FACED A JUDGE TODAY. INVESTIGATORS SAY HE BEAT A MAN WITH A GOLF CLUB AND HELD HIM UNDER WATER IN A POND ON THE COURSE AS RACHEL PERRY HAS LEARNED, THE SUSPECT HAS BEEN ARRESTED SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE. THERE’S STILL A LOT OF UNKNOWNS IN TERMS OF ANY MOTIVE. BUT RIGHT NOW, THE CHIEF TELLS US THEY DON’T BELIEVE THE SUSPECT AND VICTIM, EVEN KNEW EACH OTHER. CALLING THIS A RANDOM ATTACK AT ABOUT 130 MONDAY AFTERNOON, MULTIPLE 911 CALLS TO THE PALM BEACH GARDENS POLICE DEPARTMENT CAME IN, REPORTING TWO MEN AT THE SANDHILL CRANE GOLF CLUB IN WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN ALTERCATION. OFFICERS LOCATED AT UNCLOTHED WHITE MALE LATER IDENTIFIED AS JUNIOR BOXER DOB NINE EIGHT, 1988, WHO BEGAN ALERTING OFFICERS BY RUNNING INTO THE WOOD LINE. OFFICERS FOLLOWED HIM INTO THE WATER AND EVENTUALLY ARRESTED HIM AT NEARLY THE SAME TIME. CHIEF DOMINIC PAPE SAYS THE SECOND MAN WAS FOUND. OTHER OFFICERS ON SCENE LOCATED AN UNRESPONSIVE WHITE ADULT MALE, IDENTIFIED AS 65 YEAR OLD BRIAN HILL. T BATTLE, SAYING BRIAN HILL VITAL DIED ON SCENE. NOW COURT RECORDS SHOW A WITNESS TOLD POLICE THEY SAW BOXER SWINGING A GOLF CLUB AT THE VICTIM WHILE THE VICTIM YELLED, QUOTE, HE’S TRYING TO KILL ME MULTIPLE TIMES. BOTH FELL TO THE GROUND WHEN THE WITNESS CLAIMS BOXER STRUCK THE VICTIM OVER AND OVER, SAYING WHEN THE VICTIM GOT AWAY, BOXER CHASED HIM WITH ANOTHER CLUB TOWARDS A POND, HITTING HIM IN THE HEAD AND BOTH FALLING IN. NOW, ACCORDING TO THE WITNESS, BOXER JUMPED ON TOP OF THE VICTIM AND APPEARED TO BE CHOKING HIM BEFORE STRIKING HIM IN THE HEAD. AT THIS TIME, IT DOES NOT APPEAR THAT BOXER HAD ANY LEGITIMATE PURPOSE FOR BEING AT THE GOLF COURSE. THIS APPEARS TO BE A RANDOM ACT OF VIOLENCE, WHERE BASHIR USED THE VICTIM’S GOLF CLUBS AS WEAPONS AND VICIOUSLY ATTACKED THE VICTIM, ULTIMATELY KILLING HIM, TELLING US BOXER HAS A LONG CRIMINAL HISTORY, MOST RECENTLY SERVING OVER 200 DAYS IN JAIL BEFORE BEING RELEASED, ALSO SAYING FAMILY HAD REPORTED HIM MISSING SHORTLY BEFORE THE HOMICIDE TOOK PLACE. THE PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT AT 12:30 P.M., JUST ONE HOUR BEFORE THE INCIDENT, BOXER WAS REPORTED MISSING BY THE PALM BEACH COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE. FROM COURT RECORDS, WPBF 25 NEWS ALSO LEARNED BASHIR WAS RECENTLY SERVED AN EVICTION NOTICE FOR A HOME NOT FAR FROM THE GOLF COURSE, AND THAT CITES DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, ERRATIC AND AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR AND MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS. BOWSHER IS BEING HELD IN THE JAIL WITH NO BOND. POLICE TELL US THIS IS STILL A VERY ACTIVE INVESTIGATION, SO STICK WITH US FOR ANY UPDATES IN PALM BEA
Mental health evaluation finds man competent for Palm Beach County murder trial
Updated: 2:34 PM EST Feb 25, 2026
A mental health evaluation for a man accused of attacking and killing another man while he was playing golf in Palm Beach County nearly two years ago was completed.According to a Feb. 16 court document in Palm Beach County, the Florida Department of Children and Families and the South Florida Evaluation and Treatment center have determined that Junior Boucher, 37, is competent to proceed in a murder trial.Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 NewsBoucher was declared incompetent by the court to continue with court proceedings on Sept. 17, 2025.Boucher is accused of attacking and killing Brian Hiltebeitel, 65, while the victim played a round of golf with a group at the Sandhill Crane Golf Club on Nov. 25, 2024.Boucher, who was charged with first-degree murder, pleaded not guilty on April 15, 2025. His next court date is scheduled for April 10.Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. —
A mental health evaluation for a man accused of attacking and killing another man while he was playing golf in Palm Beach County nearly two years ago was completed.
According to a Feb. 16 court document in Palm Beach County, the Florida Department of Children and Families and the South Florida Evaluation and Treatment center have determined that Junior Boucher, 37, is competent to proceed in a murder trial.
Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office
Junior Boucher
Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News
Boucher was declared incompetent by the court to continue with court proceedings on Sept. 17, 2025.
Boucher is accused of attacking and killing Brian Hiltebeitel, 65, while the victim played a round of golf with a group at the Sandhill Crane Golf Club on Nov. 25, 2024.
Boucher, who was charged with first-degree murder, pleaded not guilty on April 15, 2025.
His next court date is scheduled for April 10.
Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.