Shraman Mitra
Residents of New Orleans, Louisiana, were left shocked when businessman Bruce Cucchiara was murdered in the parking lot of an apartment complex. Although he was killed in broad daylight, the investigation suffered a setback due to a lack of witnesses. On top of it, reports mentioned that the victim was looking at investment properties in the area at the time of the slaying. The podcast ‘Counterclock’ season 5 chronicles the brutal murder and even documents the investigation that tried to get to the bottom of the incident.
How Did Bruce Cucchiara Die?
A resident of St. Tammany Parish in Louisiana, Bruce Cucchiara was a loving father of two and was well respected in the community. People who knew him described him as a kindhearted, caring, and family-oriented individual who always put his loved ones above everything else. Besides, Bruce was known for helping people in need and maintaining amicable relationships with most others around him. Reports mention that he worked for the Riecke family in Covington, Louisiana.
Bruce previously held prestigious positions such as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Resource Bank and the Chief Financial Officer of the real estate development company SECO. On top of it, the father of two had a soft corner for baseball and was involved in baseball and basketball coaching at a community level. Thus, seeing how Bruce’s community widely loved him, people had no idea why anyone would want such a kind soul dead. According to sources, he received a call on April 24, 2012, informing him about a potential property for investment in Lafayette, Louisiana.
By 8:00 AM, Bruce arrived at the office, and after fielding some emails and a phone call from his associate, Glen Angus, he set off for the Mark VII apartment complex. It is said that he reached the apartment complex by 9:30 AM and enquired about the visit with the building manager. However, to Bruce’s surprise, he realized the address was incorrect, and no one was informed about his visit. Unable to clarify the situation, he began walking back towards his car at around 10:14 AM when he was shot dead at close range.
When first responders arrived, they found Bruce lying on the ground with blood pooling around him. An initial medical examination soon proved that the victim had passed away, while investigators also noticed bullet wounds. Later, an autopsy confirmed that Bruce Cucchiara was shot to death at close range with a handgun. Yet, much to the police’s surprise, not even a single bullet casing was located at the murder scene.
Bruce Cucchiara’s Murder Mystery Remains Unsolved
The initial investigation into Bruce Cucchiara’s murder was challenging as the police had no leads or witnesses to work with. Law enforcement officers thoroughly searched the crime scene and even canvassed the area around the parking lot but to no avail. In fact, not even a bullet casing was found near the victim’s body, and there appeared to be no eyewitnesses to the murder. Besides, the building manager Bruce had spoken to previously insisted he saw nothing, and the victim’s acquaintances had no idea why anyone would want to murder the businessman.
Hence, without any clues or an immediate suspect, the investigation stalled for quite some time. When investigating the murder, the police discovered that Bruce and his associate, Glen Angus, spoke twice over the phone on the day of his murder; the second call ended moments before the fatal gunshot. However, when questioned, the latter insisted on his innocence and claimed he had nothing to do with the homicide. On the other hand, shortly after the incident, the police noticed Bruce’s cell phone had been stolen, and they received a notification when someone tried to log into the victim’s Apple account with the wrong password.
Yet, even this lead led to a dead end, and the murderer remained at large. Nevertheless, about two days after Bruce was shot, the police managed to sketch a possible suspect and began circulating it among the public. The man they were looking for appeared to be in his mid-20s, clean-shaven, and six feet tall. In addition, he was described as wearing an all-black outfit and a hood on his head. Unfortunately, the suspect in question has never been spotted or apprehended, although the police remain hopeful about a successful conclusion to the case.
On the other hand, reports state that five insurance claims, ranging from a million to two million dollars, were allegedly taken out on Bruce in the years following his death. Naturally, with the case sitting idle for a long time, his daughter, Caitlin Picou, and her brother took the investigation into their own hands. In 2019, she revealed that a new detective was working on the case and said, “With the investigation, it’s been extremely frustrating. We have a third new detective that is now on the case. The details just don’t seem to line up that it was a robbery gone wrong. It seems that it was more of a setup of our father.”
Caitlin even mentioned that the detectives showed a renewed interest in talking to Glen Angus. That was the case’s last progress, as it has been dormant ever since. Still, officers consider it an active investigation and are reportedly looking for two individuals named Richard Chambers and Joyce Whitfield, who apparently have essential information to share. Meanwhile, Bruce’s children are determined to get to the bottom of the incident and are unwilling to give up until their father gets the justice he deserves.
Read More: Kristy Ohnstad Murder: Where is Clark Elmore Now?
