UPDATE: A Brown County judge has sentenced Daniel Boucher to 32 years in prison and 30 years of extended supervision for a deadly OWI crash on Packerland Drive. It happened on February 19, 2016. The crash killed 52-year-old James Rush and his wife, 47-year-old Wendy Rush, both of Hobart.
During Friday's court hearing, Boucher apologized to the Rush family saying, "From the bottom of my heart, I am truly sorry."
The judge ordered him not to have any contact with the Rush family.
The Rush family sent out this statement after the sentencing:
On behalf of the family of Jim and Wendy Rush, we want to thank the Green Bay Police, Fire, EMS, Medical Examiner’s office, Child Protective Services, Brown County Accident Investigation and the DA’s office. The people of Green Bay can be proud of the competence, professionalism and kindness of their public servants. We also want to thank the community at large, the high school teachers and administrators, and especially the friends and neighbors who have supported us this past year. This is a special community, and in becoming a part of this community through this tragedy, we now understand why Jim and Wendy were so happy here. My brother and his wife were wonderful people. They are dearly missed by our family and we know by the community as well.
For all of you who have asked about the children, we can tell you that they are surrounded by people who love them, including their four energetic cousins, who are frankly annoyed that this hearing disrupted their sledding plans with Chris and Megan. We continue to work with grief counselors and the best professional help available. But the best therapy has been the kids at both high schools, Pulaski and Ridge High Schools – who have been wonderful. Chris and Megan have some great friends. But it has been a long year, and we are all looking forward to having this milestone behind us.
We are not without sympathy for Mr. Boucher and his family. This is terribly painful for everyone. But reckless criminal behavior has to have severe consequences. We believe that the sentence today serves justice and makes the streets of Green Bay safer. We can only hope that it helps deter others from drinking and reckless driving in the future.
Thank you once again for your support of our family and especially Megan and Chris.
The Rush Family
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Daniel Boucher appeared in Brown County court Monday morning. His lawyer asked for more time to review evidence.
An additional six charges have been added including Boucher's second OWI, following the release of the state's accident reconstruction report.
Now his attorney John D'angelo asking Judge Thomas Walsh for more time so he can send the report to Madison for an expert to review.
"He would need about thirty to forty-five days your honor,"is what D'Angelo asked for from the judge. That judge granted the request.
Ruth Myers is a Bellin Health addiction psychotherapist and she says Boucher's case is one of many she sees in Wisconsin.
"I mean it's all relative i think i mean one death is too many," said Myers.
Myers says on average 35 percent of people who get an OWI and get treatment will not get another one,
but that means more than half will relapse.
"The whole culture of this area seems to be revolving around alcohol," said Myers.
That mentality is making it hard to fight alcoholism says Myers.
"It's not just a problem of self control or will power it's a disease and when someone crosses the line and they go from being a social drinker to a problem drinker they are now in the disease of addiction," explains Myers.
Myers says help is out there for people struggling with alcohol addiction, but they have to be willing to accept it.
Boucher is expected to make his next court appearance on November 1.
