Just five days before her eighth birthday, seven-year-old Joey Bochicchio-Hauser was murdered alongside her mother, Nancy Bochicchio, in a crime that shook the city of Boca Raton, Florida. A bright and bubbly second-grade student at St. Jude Catholic School, Joey was known for her outgoing and mature personality. She loved ballet, golf, and singing, and was deeply cherished by those who knew her. Joey and her 47-year-old mother were inseparable, often described as being more like sisters than mother and daughter. Their exceptionally close bond made the events of December 12, 2007, all the more devastating.
That Wednesday afternoon began with Christmas shopping. Nancy picked Joey up from school for a doctor's appointment, after which they headed to the upscale Town Center at Boca Raton mall. Security cameras showed them entering the mall around 2:19 p.m. and leaving through the same doors at 3:11 p.m.
It is what happened in the moments after they exited the mall that remains one of South Florida's most haunting mysteries. Investigators believe that upon reaching their black Chrysler Aspen SUV, the mother and daughter were abducted at gunpoint. A 911 call was made from Nancy’s cell phone but was disconnected before anyone could answer; a return call from the dispatcher went unanswered.
The abductor then forced Nancy to drive to a nearby ATM, where she withdrew $500. Surveillance footage from the bank showed Nancy's SUV at the drive-thru, and it was believed others were in the vehicle with her. After the withdrawal, the trail goes cold for several hours. It wasn't until shortly before midnight that a mall security guard noticed the Aspen, its engine still running, parked in the lot near the Sears department store. Inside, police made a horrific discovery. Both Nancy and Joey had been bound with duct tape, plastic zip ties, and handcuffs. Their eyes were covered with blacked-out goggles. Both had been shot to death in what was described as an execution-style killing.
The investigation launched by the Boca Raton Police Department was massive, involving local, state, and federal agencies. Hundreds of pieces of evidence were collected from the SUV, including DNA samples. The killer had used a specific collection of restraints, suggesting a planned and organized attack rather than a simple robbery gone wrong. Investigators later determined that the zip ties and duct tape had likely been purchased from a home-improvement store in Miami-Dade County. Nancy's purse and credit cards were found in Miami, though the two men who found them were quickly cleared of any involvement in the murders.
The brutality and unique methods used in the Bochicchio murders led police to believe they were connected to other violent crimes targeting women at the same mall that year. In August 2007, just four months prior, a woman and her two-year-old son were abducted from the mall's parking lot. The assailant, using similar methods including zip ties and blacked-out goggles, forced the woman to withdraw money from an ATM before eventually releasing her and her child. Another homicide, that of 52-year-old Randi Gorenberg in March 2007, was also considered possibly related. She too was last seen leaving the Town Center mall before being found shot to death. These incidents led to fears of a serial killer, dubbed the "Boca Raton Mall Killer," preying on shoppers.
Despite a reward that grew to $400,000 and thousands of tips over the years, the case remains unsolved. A police task force was formed to investigate the string of attacks, and the case was profiled multiple times on national television, but no suspect has ever been definitively identified. The randomness of the crime and the lack of a clear motive have frustrated law enforcement for more than a decade. Investigators have noted that the primary motive may have been domination and control, rather than financial gain.
For Joey’s family, the passage of time has not eased the pain. Her aunt, JoAnn Bruno, has repeatedly made public pleas for information, stating that her sister and niece cannot rest in peace until their killer is caught. "I just beg of you, if you know anything, please come forward," she cried at a press conference. The Boca Raton Police Services Department keeps photos of Nancy and Joey displayed as a constant reminder of their commitment to finding justice for them. The case remains open and active, a cold but not forgotten tragedy, as investigators and a grieving family continue to hope that one day, the person responsible for ending the lives of a loving mother and her little girl will be held accountable.
