He shot, killed a beloved Hancock County sheriff’s deputy. ‘This was just completely senseless’
Joseph Micheal Rohrbacker will spend the rest of his life in prison for shooting and killing Hancock County Sheriff’s Lt. Michael Boutte on Feb. 1, 2021.
Rohrbacker, 33, pleaded guilty Monday to capital murder in the Feb. 1, 2021, shooting death of Hancock County Sheriff’s Lt. Michael Boutte, 57.
In addition, he pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated assault for shooting at a woman that day and one count of aggravated assault on a peace officer for shooting at a second deputy at the scene.
During his plea before Judge Lisa Dodson in Circuit Court in Gulfport, Rohrbacker, dressed in a red jail jumpsuit with a goatee and disheveled hair, cried at times for his actions.
“I just want closure for this family,” he said.
He also read from a letter, saying, “I know I’m the last person y’all want to hear from ... but I hope one day you and your family will forgive me. I’m not the monster people make me out to be.”
The judge heard from Boutte’s son and daughter about how their lives have not been the same without the beloved father, grandfather and friend.
Rohrbacker said he got upset the day of the killing because a niece “had lied on me” about allegedly molesting her, though no one has disputed the girl’s claims other than him. He was not prosecuted for the sex crimes.
He said he was firing in the air when he shot and killed Boutte and fired at the other officer and another woman; He said he wished it had been him that died that day.
The judge also shared how Boutte’s brother wrote in to share the loss has left a hole in their family, but said he forgave Rohrbacker for his actions and said his only salvation would be through accepting Jesus Christ.
After admitting to the crimes, the judge still had questions for Rohrbacker, who said he was trying to get the officers to shoot and kill him at the time.
“I understand you wanted to kill yourself, and I understand you thought that was the quickest way to kill yourself, (but) why would you shoot at them,” ” Dodson said.
The judge told Rohrbacker the worst that could have happened that day after the deputies responded was that they could have taken him to jail and he could’ve likely bonded out after that.
“The officers were trying to help you,” Dodson said. “This was just completely senseless, Mr. Rohrbacker, so senseless. These are human beings.
“They were police officers, and they were doing their jobs and all they were doing is what they do every day. He (Boutte), didn’t even get a chance to say a word to you,” she said.
In addition to the life sentence, Dodson sentenced Rohrbacker to 20 years in prison for aggravated assault on a neighbor on the property and 30 years for aggravated assault on the second deputy at the scene that day. The judge ordered those sentences to run concurrently.
Assistant District Attorney D. Christopher Daniel read the court a description of the events leading up the shooting before the sentence. District Attorney Crosby Parker sat next to him the courtroom.
Other supporters, including Hancock County Sheriff Ricky Adams, other deputies, and Pearl River County Sheriff David Allison attended the plea hearing.
At the time of his death, Boutte, a married father of two, had been at the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department for eight years. The 20-year law enforcement veteran also served in the Air Force, and other capacities at the Picayune Police Department and at other departments out of state.
The killing
The shooting happened shortly after Boutte and a second sheriff’s deputy responded to a 911 call from Rohrbacker’s wife, Shannon, at the couple’s home on Earl C. Ladner Road in the Necaise community. The couple lived in an apartment attached to a gray brick home on the property.
Boutte was the first of two deputies to respond to the 911 call shortly after 1 p.m. Rohrbacker fatally shot Boutte before he ever made it out of his vehicle. A second deputy, Braxton Manuel, shot and injured Rohrbacker in an exchange of gunfire.
Boutte got a “shots fired” call on the radio and shot out of a window in his vehicle before his killing.
A neighbor reported seeing Rohrbacker crouched down in front of his home, shooting at the officers.
After his arrest, Rohrbacker said he was trying to commit suicide by cop when he shot and killed Boutte.
His attorney, Phil Wittmann, said his client had obtained a GED and had expressed many times how he wished it had been him that died that day.
A ‘mental meltdown’
Rohrbacker’s wife, Shannon, told the Sun Herald in an exclusive interview after the killing that she called 911 that day after her husband started having a “mental meltdown.”
Shannon Rohrbacker said her husband went into a rage after his brother told him he had reported Rohrbacker to the state Department of Child Protective Services for allegedly molesting a teen in the family.
Rohrbacker allegedly had his last sexual encounter with the teen the night before the killing, and she was scheduled for a forensic interview that day.
When Rohrbacker found out about the meeting, his wife said he started cussing, kicking, screaming and punching the seat in their car.
Shannon Rohrbacker said no one could calm him down when they returned home. She attributed his behavior to mental health issues, saying he had bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
After that, Rohrbacker grabbed his dog, Scrappy, cut the dog’s throat in front of three children on the property and headed to his home nearby. After he got there, his wife said he grabbed a .12-gauge shotgun — gifted to him by a relative — and shot at a neighbor before opening fire on the officers.
“There was no reasoning with him,” Shannon Rohrbacker told the Sun Herald after the shooting. “I called 911 to get him help. You could look at his face and know he wasn’t there anymore. I call it a blackout. He doesn’t remember what he does when he gets in that shape, and then reality hits. He’s never done anything this severe.”
Rohrbacker had told investigators that he had obtained his GED from a “special school,” was married, had a job, and had found “the Lord.”
After the sentencing, Parker commented on how the killing shattered a family and devastated the law enforcement community.
“This is a horribly tragic case where Michael’s family has lost a brother, husband, father and grandfather, and our community lost a beloved deputy who was one of the best among us,” Parker said, adding that prosecutors talked to Boutte’s family prior to the sentencing to let them know the death penalty was off the table.
“We are hopeful that that the closure of the criminal matter can help Michael’s family in the healing process,” Parker said. “ We would also like to thank the men and women of our Coastal law enforcement community for the sacrifices they make each and every day in their mission to protect and serve us. Law enforcement is a noble and necessary profession that relies on brave men and women to continue to wear the uniform. We are proud of you and we thank you.”
This story was originally published July 31, 2023 at 3:28 PM.
