A Massachusetts man charged with murdering his 67-year-old father walked into a North Adams police station and confessed to the killing, authorities said.
David Louis Boucher, 48, of North Adams, was arraigned Tuesday, May 12, at Northern Berkshire District Court on one count of murder in the death of his father, David Allen Boucher, 67, after he walked into the North Adams Police Department at approximately 11:49 a.m. on Monday, May 11, and told officers he had killed him, according to the Berkshire District Attorney's Office.
Not-guilty pleas were entered on Boucher's behalf, and a judge ordered him held without bail at the prosecution's request. He is being held at the Berkshire County House of Correction and is scheduled to return to Northern Berkshire District Court on Jun. 12, according to the Berkshire District Attorney.
Berkshire District Attorney Timothy Shugrue said the elder Boucher had been stabbed multiple times with multiple sharp objects. "The victim had been stabbed multiple times, with different objects, sharp objects," Shugrue said after the arraignment.
"Multiple wounds. Struggle in the bedroom, struggle in the kitchen. The decedent struggled and fought hard. It was a brutal scene."
Based on the state of the body and statements made by the defendant, authorities believe the attack occurred on Tuesday, May 5 — approximately one week before the younger Boucher walked into the police station. Police also said the assault included a physical attack on the elder Boucher before the stabbing, prosecutors alleged, People reported.
The two men lived in separate units of the same multi-unit family home on Walnut Street in North Adams — the son downstairs and his father upstairs, the DA said. Shugrue noted the motive remains unclear but said it "might have been about a gambling debt."
Shugrue said the younger Boucher has a minor criminal record and that there were indications he had "thoughts about hurting himself." "I think there's some mental health components to this case as well, so we'll be investigating that further," Shugrue said, adding that family members had confirmed as much.
The DA noted that in rural communities, a lack of access to mental health care has contributed to "awful situations and family tragedies."
The investigation involved the North Adams Police Department, the Berkshire State Police Detective Unit, State Police Crime Scene Services Section, and the State Police Crime Laboratory.
Investigators executed search warrants at the home at approximately 11 p.m. Monday and worked through the night; the DA said he received reports at around 6:30 a.m. Tuesday. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner took custody of the body.
About a half-dozen of Boucher's relatives were present at the courthouse during the arraignment but declined to comment to reporters afterward. Shugrue offered his condolences to the family, saying, "We're here for you as well. We'll get you through this," as per iberkshires.
