A Florida man was found guilty of fatally shooting his girlfriend.
33-year-old Leslie Boileau Jr. was found guilty in the case involving the death of his girlfriend, 25-year-old Polina Wright. After a multi-day trial, jurors found Boileau guilty of Manslaughter by Use of a Firearm.
With his conviction, Boileau faces up to 30 years in prison.
“This verdict underscores that no one is above the law and offenders must be held accountable when negligence or recklessness leads to the tragic loss of life,” said Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Bill Gladson. “Our office extends our deepest condolences to Ms. Wright’s family, and we thank the jury for their service and the law enforcement personnel who pursued this case with professionalism and thoroughness.”
On September 19, 2024 around 11pm, the dispatch center of the Ocala Police Department (OPD) received a 9-1-1 call from the defendant claiming that his girlfriend, later identified as Wright, was shot in the head while cleaning guns. First responders arrived at the home located off SE 32nd Ave. in Ocala, in Marion County. Upon their arrival, they observed Boileau standing behind a chair in which the victim sat, holding the victim. Emergency medical services personnel began rendering aid to the victim, who, unfortunately, was promptly pronounced deceased on scene.
During initial questioning, Boileau, a law enforcement officer at the time, stated he and his girlfriend had gone out to dinner earlier that night and consumed a few alcoholic beverages. Once they arrived back home, Boileau stated the victim wanted him to teach her about cleaning and using the firearms. During this, Boileau claimed he had cleared the weapon the victim was handling before she pointed it at him and dry-fired.
At that time, he picked up a semi-automatic rifle before pointing it at the victim and firing the weapon. Boileau stated the gun was dry-fired the first time, before shooting an actual round, fatally injuring the victim.
After collecting evidence from the scene, conducting a trajectory analysis of the crime, coupled with the defendant’s own admissions, Boileau was arrested and charged.
This case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Richard Buxman and Tucker O’Neill.
