Mental competence evaluation hearing set for Nassau County man accused of killing wife, 2 adult children

3rd evaluation found William Broyles ‘was no longer competent,’ his lawyer says

William Broyles appeared via Zoom for a status conference Thursday. (Copyright 2022 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.)

NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. – The man accused of fatally shooting his wife and their adult daughter and son at their Nassau County home in December appeared via Zoom for a status conference Thursday.

William Broyles’ later informed the judge that the psychologist who did a third evaluation found that “he was no longer competent.”

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The judge set Sept. 8 for the mental competence evaluation hearing. The psychologists who’ve examined Broyles will testify at that time.

Broyles watched but said nothing on Thursday.

The next pretrial hearing is Aug. 18.

RELATED: ‘Doesn’t make sense’: Man fatally shoots wife, daughter, son at Nassau County home, sheriff says | Who is William Broyles, Nassau man accused of killing wife, daughter & son? | Another psychologist to evaluate man accused of killing wife, 2 adult children

The State Attorney’s Office has told Broyles, 57, of Callahan, that it will seek the death penalty if he’s convicted.

Broyles was indicted in January on three counts of first-degree murder. He is accused of fatally shooting his 57-year-old wife, 27-year-old daughter and 28-year-old son in December in their home.

Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said that before the shooting there was no history of domestic problems at that address.

“This case is just tragic. It just, it’s crazy. It just doesn’t make sense,” Leeper said in a news conference following the shooting.

As revealed in December on the staff page of Hodges Boulevard Presbyterian Church, Broyles was listed as the church’s director of music ministries. His name has since been removed from the page. The staff page stated that Broyles had been its church musician for 23 years, holds a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering and has worked in the aerospace and medical device industries.