NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. — The Nassau County man accused of killing his wife, son and daughter inside their family home near Callahan appeared before a judge for the first time Thursday morning.
William Broyles, 57, appeared via Zoom in Nassau County court. He is charged with three counts of second-degree murder.
Broyles spoke clearly but appeared to twitch as he stood barefoot and gripping the bottom of his smock during court proceedings. He told the judge he could not afford an attorney to represent him.
On Wednesday morning, Nassau County Sheriff's Office was called to the 55000 block of Deer Run Road when a man, later identified as Broyles, called 911 to say he had committed a crime. When deputies arrived, they found Broyles lying down in the driveway waiting for them.
When deputies searched they home, they found three people with gunshot wounds. Broyles admitted to deputies that he shot each of his family members multiple times to make sure they did not suffer, according to a report from the sheriff's office.
Sheriff Bill Leeper said in a news conference Wednesday that Broyles shot his wife, Candice, in the living room, then moved to the room of his 27-year-old daughter, Cora Lynn, and shot her as she was first waking up. Broyles then shot his son, 28-year-old Aaron, in his bedroom, Leeper said, before leaving the room to get another gun and coming back to shoot his son again.
Thursday, the judge agreed to assign a court-appointed attorney to represent Broyles and ordered him to be held on no bond. Broyles' next court date is set for Dec. 21.
The motive for the shooting is still under investigation, according to the sheriff's office.