PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (CBS12) — Our CBS12 News team is digging deeper into the shocking case of Junior Boucher, accused of murdering a man in a violent, seemingly random attack at a Palm Beach Gardens golf course this week.

Newly obtained documents paint a disturbing picture of Boucher’s history of mental illness, bizarre behavior, and troubling encounters with law enforcement.

Police say 36-year-old Boucher viciously attacked 65-year-old Brian Hiltebeitel at the Sandhill Crane Golf Club. According to investigators, Boucher repeatedly struck Hiltebeitel with golf clubs, dragged him into a nearby pond, and drowned him.

When officers arrived, they found Hiltebeitel’s body on the fairway near the first hole and Boucher, naked, running away.

But even before the attack, there were warning signs. Earlier that day, deputies were called to Boucher’s home in Loxahatchee after his mother reported his erratic and aggressive behavior.

According to the missing persons report filed that afternoon, Boucher had been banging on doors, making incoherent and delusional statements, and frightening family members.

His mother said he had a history of mental illness.

Deputies noted he was also a chronic marijuana user.

Less than an hour later, Boucher was at the golf course, allegedly attacking a man he didn’t know in what police called a “random act of violence.”

CBS12 News reporter Katie Bente spoke with forensic psychologist Dr. Michael Brannon, who shed light on how untreated mental illness can lead to tragedy, though he couldn’t comment on the specifics of this case.

He says even when warning signs are clear, the system often can’t intervene unless specific criteria are met.

“As an adult, you can’t force treatment on somebody. So, if they refuse treatment, refuse to go in for sessions, refuse to take their medications, they’re more often than not, going to wind up in situations where they get arrested,” Dr. Brannon explained.

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This wasn’t Boucher’s first run-in with the law. In 2022, he was arrested after trying to run over a deputy and attacking a police K9.

His mother also revealed he had been Baker-Acted in the past—a process allowing for temporary, involuntary hospitalization for mental health evaluation.

“For most people with severe mental illness, the families have worked very hard to try to get them treatment, especially adults. And they’ve had a number of frustrations,” Dr. Brannon said.

Dr. Brannon also emphasized the lack of resources for individuals with severe mental illness.

“Some of them need round-the-clock treatment, and they’re not enough residential facilities to fill that void,” Dr. Brannon said.

Police are still searching for a motive in the attack, but they confirm Boucher and Hiltebeitel did not know each other.

This tragic case serves as a grim reminder of how untreated mental illness, coupled with gaps in the system, can spiral into violence—with devastating consequences.