Boca Raton Attorney Charged With Father's Murder Found Dead in Jail

A Florida attorney accused of killing his dad was found dead in his jail cell yesterday.

Brandon Labiner, a suspended Boca Raton lawyer facing a first-degree murder charge in the July murder of his 68-year-old father, died in an apparent suicide Wednesday after hanging himself in his Palm Beach County jail cell, according to the Sun Sentinel. Fire rescue pronounced him dead after deputies' unsuccessful attempts to revive him.

On the afternoon of July 1, surveillance footage allegedly captured the then-34-year-old University of Florida graduate arriving at the parking garage outside of his father's Boca law office on a bicycle, removing a box from a drawstring bag, and pulling out what appeared to be a gun.

Police claim Labiner paced around the garage for several minutes before coming face-to-face with his victim — his father Paul Labiner — and fatally shooting him in the head, upper chest, and twice in the lower body outside the building off North Federal Highway. Brandon Labiner was arrested the following day at his separate law office nearby.

As previously reported by New Times, an arrest affidavit revealed how Labiner's family immediately pegged him as the alleged killer, noting his souring relationship with his father and a recent legal dispute between them.

"They suspect Brandon is the suspect because Brandon and [the victim] had a bad relationship due to a legal battle they have been involved in regarding their law firm," the affidavit states. "They also noted that Brandon has been under a lot of stress because his unborn child died...and he is going through a divorce from his wife."

In February, Labiner announced the death of his unborn son in a Facebook post, saying, "I am at a loss writing this, trying to figure out how we can move forward."

In April, the Florida Supreme Court suspended his law license after his father filed a lawsuit and a bar complaint against him, alleging that he had stolen roughly $450,000 from a family trust account, of which he was a trustee.

Court documents show that the father-and-son dispute was heating up shortly before the murder. Among other developments, the elder Labiner accused his son of filing a bogus document to dismiss the lawsuit while masquerading as the plaintiffs in the case.

Brandon Labiner was indicted last month for the murder and was scheduled to appear in court on November 28.

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or Lifeline website can offer help and connect you with a trained counselor. Text or call 988 or visit the website at 988lifeline.org.