Florida seeks death penalty for church music director accused of killing his wife and two adult children

William Broyles allegedly shot and killed his family in their Jacksonville home before calling 911 and confessing to crimes

William Broyles is charged with three counts of first-degree murder (Nassau County Sheriff’s Office)

Florida is seeking the death penalty for a church music director who allegedly shot dead his wife and two adult children in a “cold, calculated, and premeditated manner” before calling 911 and confessing to the crimes.

State prosecutors notified William Broyles that they plan to seek the death penalty if he is convicted of the first-degree murders of his family, according to a court document filed on 26 January.

The notice of intent listed three aggravating factors including that the capital felonies were “homicides and all were committed in a cold, calculated, and premeditated manner without any pretense of moral or legal justification”.

The 57-year-old suspect was also “previously convicted of felonies involving the use or threat of violence to the person” and “the victim of the capital felony was particularly vulnerable due to advanced age or disability, or because the defendant stood in a position of familial or custodial authority over the victim”, the document states.

The latter aggravating factor could relate in part to his daughter Cora Broyles, who investigators previously said may have had autism.

The notice of intent came just two weeks after Mr Broyles charges were upgraded by a grand jury from three counts of second-degree murder to three counts of first-degree murder.

Mr Broyles is accused of killing his wife Candace L. Broyles, 57, his daughter Cora Lynn Broyles, 27, and his son Aaron Christopher Broyles, 28, at their Jacksonville home back on 1 December.

The 57-year-old, who had been described as “happily married” by the Hodges Boulevard Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville, where he worked as a music director for 23 years, allegedly shot his wife first in the living room before moving room to room killing his children.

Cora was shot dead in her bedroom followed by Aaron in his bedroom, police said.

All three victims had been shot multiple times, Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said in a press conference following the suspect’s arrest.

Mr Broyles later told investigators that he shot each victim multiple times “just to make sure they didn’t suffer”.

Police said that Mr Broyles then called the police and confessed to killing his family. He was arrested close to the family home.

When asked why he did not turn the gun on himself, Mr Broyles allegedly told investigators that he contemplated it but was “too scared”.

The motive for the alleged triple homicide is not clear.

Mr Broyles pleaded not guilty to the charges and is being held without bond in Nassau County Jail.

He is next scheduled to appear in court for his arraignment on 10 February.