Man charged with road rage murder of mother of four in San Antonio

A 24-year-old man has been accused of shooting a woman in a traffic accident.

Nicholas Hernandez has been charged with murder in the death of 31-year-old Julie Marie Butcher. He was arrested after an anonymous tip to law enforcement.

Butcher, a mother of four, was the manager of a Papa John’s restaurant in New Braunfels.

On Nov. 8, San Antonio police responded to the 6200 block of Interstate 35 and Rittiman Road for a shooting.

Arriving officers found Butcher with a gunshot wound to the head while he was in a crashed SUV that had rolled into the bottom of a ditch, according to an arrest affidavit.

A witness who witnessed the incident told police that the driver of a blue and silver sedan shot at Butcher before driving away on Rittiman Road.

Police also obtained surveillance footage that showed the sedan leaving the scene after the shooting.

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Two days after the shooting, police received an anonymous tip that “Nick Hernandez” had confessed to a close friend that he shot Butcher while driving his Volkswagen Jetta.

Investigators identified the man described on the tip as Nicholas Hernandez.

A witness told police that Hernandez called them around the time of the shooting and said he had been involved in a traffic incident, the affidavit said.

Investigators confirmed the call and text exchange through phone records.

On November 15, several witnesses were contacted by police to provide statements

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A second witness said Hernandez told them he was involved in a road rage incident in which he shot at a car that rolled into a ditch, the affidavit said.

A third witness said Hernandez contacted him the night of the shooting and asked him to dispose of two 9mm shell casings that were in his Volkswagen Jetta.

On Nov. 22, investigators obtained Hernandez’s phone records that showed him in the area during and after the shooting.

Hernandez was booked into the Bexar County Jail on Thursday.

His bail is set at $250,000, according to court records.

A GoFundMe campaign for Butcher and her children’s funeral expenses has so far raised over $7,800. “Julie was known not only for her hard work, but also for her selflessness, always putting the needs of others first,” the GoFundMe reads.

In her obituary, Butcher’s family wrote that she was a “valued part of their family who brought joy and kindness to every gathering and her laughter and presence will be sorely missed.”