18-year-old Sandalwood High School student Dylan Broughman is accused of beating his 69-year-old grandmother to death following an argument about beer, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
via News4Jax:
JSO announced Friday that Dylan Broughman has been charged with the murder of Joyce Courson.
Broughman was ordered held without bond at his first appearance in court Friday. He will be arraigned at 9 a.m. Nov. 23.
According to JSO, police responded just before 8 a.m. Oct. 10 to a domestic disturbance call on Ashridge Circle in East Arlington. They found Courson on the floor, bleeding from her face.
Dillon Ross, who lived in the home, told police he heard Courson and Broughman arguing because Courson took Broughman’s beer and hid it while he was taking a shower. Ross said Courson didn’t want Broughman to drink because he wasn’t 21 years old.
Ross said he heard a couple of bangs and then Courson screaming for help, police said.
Ross found Courson on the floor and saw Broughman leaving the home.
“She was just covered in blood,” Ross said. “There’s blood everywhere, all over the floor, and she was bleeding profusely from her head, and the house was trashed. Holes in the walls and whatnot.”
Courson was taken to Memorial Hospital with multiple facial injuries, and was able to tell police that during the argument, Broughman began punching holes in the walls near the kitchen of the home, police said.
As Courson was coming down the hall near the kitchen, Broughman pushed her to the ground, police said.
After she was on the ground, he held her down and punched her in the face repeatedly with a closed fist and began kicking her while she was on the ground, police said.
Police found Broughman a short time later walking on Kernan Boulevard. He was arrested and charged with aggravated battery.
Courson died from her injuries eight days later, and the medical examiner has ruled her death a homicide, police said.
Broughman’s charges were upgraded to murder on Nov. 3, police said. He had no previous arrest record.
His mother said Broughman has a history of anger issues, but that physical violence isn’t like him.
“He’s a sweet, sweet little boy,” said Tracey Broughman, Courson’s daughter. “Very soft-spoken.”
Tracey Broughman said she is sick about what happened to her mother and sick that her child is facing charges for it.
“I’m lost,” she said. “We would do everything together.”
But Dylan Broughman’s paternal grandmother told News4Jax after his court appearance Friday that the family has a number of past issues, and an incident like this was bound to happen.
“The state has to understand what has happened to this child for six years. He always had an anger issue. I told them that,” Evelyn Stepka said. “How does your anger issue dissipate if you’re living in this situation?”
She said she hope’s her grandson’s charges will be reduced.
What a terrible incident. Let this be a reminder to get your loved ones the mental help they need before it’s too late! Don’t ignore the signs!
