Wilfrid Buteau, a 58-year-old man, admitted in court on Tuesday to the brutal murder of his wife, Aliette Buteau, 49. The man confessed to using a knife and a claw hammer as weapons in the fatal attack. The court sentenced Buteau to 28 years in prison, taking into account the 1,429 days he had already served. The charges against him were second-degree murder with a weapon.
The gruesome crime took place on December 10, 2019, in Palm Beach County, Florida. Buteau himself alerted the authorities, stating he needed police assistance. Upon arrival, law enforcement discovered a horrific scene. Aliette Buteau was found with a claw hammer lodged in her eye and a blanket around her neck. Upon removing the blanket, a large slash across her throat was revealed. A bloody knife with a black handle was also found at the scene. Aliette was pronounced dead at the location.
The court documents also revealed that an 8-year-old child was present at the home during the murder. The child was later found safe at a neighbor’s house. The victim’s sister, Irlande Saint Vil, revealed to local media that the child was the product of Buteau’s extramarital affair. Despite this, Aliette Buteau had accepted the child as her own.
In his defense, Buteau claimed that his wife had attacked him with a knife and had been abusing him for the past 14 years. He also stated that voices in his head had instructed him to kill her. However, investigators found no evidence of injuries on Buteau that would suggest he had been attacked.
Following his arrest, Buteau was taken to a sheriff’s office substation where he requested legal representation. Saint Vil, the victim’s sister, dismissed Buteau’s claims of hearing voices, stating that he was fabricating the story. She also pointed out that Buteau, who was a school bus driver, could not have held such a job if he had mental disabilities.