'She doesn't have a brain, sir,' says Hollywood Lakes man charged with killing his mother, scattering her organs

By JAMES H. BURNETT III
The Miami Herald

Updated: 12:51 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2010
Posted: 10:03 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2010

On Halloween Eve, Beau Henri Bruneau woke up and decided to kill his mother, he told police.

When the cops found the partially gutted body of Nancy Bruneau face down on the lawn of her upscale Hollywood Lakes home, they also found a cinder block, a knife, and a hammer -- all covered in blood -- nearby.

Human organs -- presumably Nancy Bruneau's liver and brain matter -- were scattered about.

On Monday, Bruneau was at the Broward County jail, charged with the murder.

Bruneau, 29, had a long history of mental illness, violence and threats against himself, his mother and others. Police reports date back to 2001, when he jumped off the Hollywood Bread building, breaking both his legs. He has been Baker-Acted at least 10 times over the years -- including as recently as Sept. 30 after he allegedly threatened to cut his mother's throat.

According to Saturday's arrest affidavit, Bruneau told detectives he decided to kill his 62-year-old mother because he was upset that she was ``trying to kill him by neglecting him and yelling at him.''

At first, he tried to poison her by putting lithium in her drink. But, he said, she caught him and yelled at him.

Then he hatched a second plan that involved interrupting her shower by fondling himself. Finally, he began hitting her lightly on the back.

Nancy Bruneau began to hit back, so her son hit her harder. When Nancy Bruneau then tried to wrestle her son to the ground, he grabbed a hammer from a tool box and slammed into into her skull.

At one point, he said he tried to cut out her heart, just to make sure she was dead, the report said.

Afterward, Bruneau called 911, telling the dispatcher: ``I just tried to kill my mom. I hit her. Then I hit her with a hammer, and then with a brick.''

When the 911 dispatcher asked Bruneau if his mother was conscious, he responded ``No, she doesn't have a brain, sir.''

When police found her body, in front of her home at 1452 Van Buren St., a ``portion of her skull above her nose was completely shattered.''

The Broward County Medical Examiner formalized the ruling of homicide on Monday, declaring Nancy Bruneau's cause of death to be blunt force trauma.

According to the affidavit, neighbors described Bruneau as a loner who strolled the neighborhood talking and singing to himself.

Police reports reflect his family's struggle to care for Bruneau, who suffered from manic depression. On Sept. 30, his sister Amber called 911, telling police her brother had threatened to kill himself and his mother. At the time, she told authorities that Bruneau had not been taking his medications for three months.

From: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/crime/she-doesnt-have-a-brain-sir-says-hollywood-1014146.html?cxntlid=cmg_cntnt_rss