Post by Graveyardbride on Dec 2, 2021 20:56:47 GMT -5
‘Happily Married’ Florida Music Minister Kills Family
On the morning of Thursday (December 2), William C. “Bill” Broyles stood barefoot before a judge in Yulee, Florida, and said he couldn’t afford a lawyer. The day before, the 57-year-old music minister at Hodges Boulevard Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville, called 911 to report he had killed his family. He is currently charged with three counts of second-degree murder and being held without bond in the Nassau County Jail.
When deputies arrived at the Broyles home in the Spring Lakes Estates community in Callahan, a small town just west of Jacksonville, they found the unarmed suspect lying down in the driveway. Inside the house, they discovered the corpse of Candace Lynn Broyles, 57, in the living room, and the bodies of the couple’s two adult children, Cara Lynn Broyles, 27, and Aaron Broyles, 28, in their respective bedrooms. Cara Lynn, who reportedly had autism, was shot dead in her bed and Aaron’s bedroom door was broken in, an indication he was attempting to flee. All three had been shot multiple times. A third child lives elsewhere.
Details of what led up to the attack have not been released, however, Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said he has a “pretty good idea,” adding that it was “just a senseless act” and when asked why he didn’t shoot himself, Broyles said he “was too scared to do that.” The suspect also said he shot the victims multiple times “to make sure they didn’t suffer.” The sheriff confirmed there had been no domestic violence calls to the Broyles residence.
Brolyes had been director at the Presbyterian Church for 23 years and is listed as a director of engineering at Sunoptic Technologies, a manufacturer of surgical light sources, surgical headlights and other items used in the medical and dental professions, also located in Jacksonville.
According to the church’s website, Broyles has been “happily married” for 30 years, however, experts say domestic violence among family members and acquaintances during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays is an issue.
Sources: Dan Scanlon, The Florida Times-Union, December 1, 2021; The Nassau County Sheriff's Office; and WJXT.