Midwest
Minnesota dad told landlord he 'already dug a hole' before executing daughter's boyfriend for suspected abuse
A Minnesota father was sentenced to life in prison without parole on Monday for the brutal murder of his daughter’s allegedly abusive boyfriend after telling a witness he had “already dug a hole” for the man’s grave.
Michael Lee Laflex, 46, was found guilty on one count of first-degree premeditated murder and another of second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Bryce Brogle in April, according to court records reviewed by Fox News Digital. In addition to his sentence, he was ordered to pay $14,596.08 in restitution and court fees by Crow Wing County District Court Judge Charles D. Halverson.
Laflex’s daughter reported her boyfriend missing to the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office on Oct. 28, 2022, according to a criminal complaint obtained by Law & Crime. Her boyfriend was last seen accompanying her father to a storage unit that Laflex had rented two days earlier.
Laflex was interviewed by investigators and initially claimed that Brogle had been placed under arrest by “unknown law enforcement” who confiscated his two cell phones, per the complaint. He later changed his story, saying that he had thrown both of the phones out at a gas station in Brainerd. Both phones were eventually recovered by police.
MINNESOTA MAN WHO JOINED THE ISLAMIC STATE GROUP IS SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS IN PRISON
Michael Laflex. (Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office)
The landlord of the home rented by Brogle and Laflex’s daughter contacted investigators, telling them that Laflex had called him to ask if Brogle had ever hurt his daughter.
“The landlord shared that the landlord had seen [Laflex’s daughter] with two black eyes,” the complaint states. “(Laflex) then said he was going to kill Brogle and had already dug the hole.”
Another witness came forward to the police with information that had been relayed to them by one of Laflex’s family members. Laflex had shot Brogle at the Ossipee-area storage unit on Oct. 26, 2022, that witness said in their sworn statement.
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Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office. (Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office)
“The details included but were not limited to that Michael (Laflex) believed Brogle had been abusing his daughter,” read the statement, per Law & Crime. “Laflex was said to have cleaned up the unit using bleach. Laflex further informed the family member that he had disposed of the body and Brogle would not be found as it had been buried. It was said some sort of sled was used to move Brogle’s body at one point.”
BODIES OF MISSING MINNESOTA FISHERMEN PULLED FROM BOUNDARY WATERS
Michael Laflex was sentenced to life in prison without parole at Crow Wing County Judicial Center on Monday. (Google Maps)
When they executed a search warrant on the storage unit, police wrote, they found blood that someone had attempted to clean with bleach on the concrete floor. Marks on the ground were “consistent with something being dragged across the floor in a similar width to a sled,” according to the complaint.
Authorities identified Brogle’s possible gravesite in an Oct. 30, 2022 foot search, according to the complaint.
“The site was excavated and a body with an apparent gunshot wound to the back of the head was recovered and transported to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy,” the complaint states. “The autopsy determined the cause of death to be a distant gunshot wound to the back of the head. The body has been identified as Bryce Brogle.”
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INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Central Indiana is bracing for a prolonged stretch of intense heat as a strong ridge of high pressure becomes firmly established over the region. High temperatures are expected to climb into the low to mid-90s through Thursday, while heat index values — the combination of heat and humidity — will reach between 100 and 105 degrees each afternoon.
Today Through Thursday: Sustained Heat
A well-entrenched upper-level ridge will maintain hot, dry conditions through Thursday. Daytime heating coupled with suppressed atmospheric mixing will keep dew points elevated, and thus heat indices high, especially during peak afternoon hours between noon and 6 p.m.
Storm chances during this period are expected to remain very low as the stable, dry air mass suppresses convective development.
Late Week: Transition and Storm Chances
The heat will begin to subside by the end of the workweek as the high-pressure ridge weakens and shifts eastward. This opens the door for increased moisture return and the development of scattered showers and thunderstorms, particularly Friday and Saturday afternoons.
Models currently show some variation on the timing and extent of this moisture return, so forecasts may adjust as the weekend approaches.
Residual scattered storms will be possible into Sunday and Monday, but the main story shifts away from oppressive heat to more typical summer storm activity.
7 Day Forecast:
The NBA world is waiting in anticipation to see what 41-year-old LeBron James will do next with his career, and the story just got more interesting.
Over the weekend, Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson had a quote that turned heads. “You guys know there’s a little free agency thing going on right now. That could be our real jump, and you know what I’m talking about. That’s exciting too.”
“We’re in the mix for the greatest player of all time”
Cavs Head Coach Kenny Atkinson discusses with @WorldWideWob, @DarthAmin, and Ryan McDonough what it would be like to have LeBron return to Cleveland
Hear our Summer League coverage! ⬇️https://t.co/jnEcXNELrs pic.twitter.com/RLf47TlpM5 — SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) July 12, 2026
The Cavaliers coach also went on to say, “Listen, this is an exciting time for us, right? Like we’re in the mix for, you know, the greatest player of all time… I think you’re nervous, but we understand how it is. He’s obviously earned that right to take his time.”
Major Interest
The Cavaliers knew roster changes needed to happen following their exit from the playoffs in the Eastern Conference Finals. While making the conference finals was an achievement, getting swept embarrassingly by the eventual champion New York Knicks showed one thing: this team still had a clear gap to close if they were to win a championship.
A quote like this from an NBA coach is not typical in the slightest. Atkinson is making his interest in LeBron clear on a national stage, and rightfully so. LeBron brings a skill set the Cavaliers have been missing since his departure: a lengthy forward who can help with spacing while also adding playmaking, postseason experience, and late-game control.
A New Mentality
Aside from roster fit, LeBron can bring something this team has needed for quite some time: a new mentality. The Cavaliers have been labeled as soft, stemming from a quote such as “the lights were brighter than expected” by Jarrett Allen after a series loss to the Knicks in 2023.
“Even for me, the lights were brighter than expected.”
– Jarrett Allen on his playoff struggles
(Via @SpinDavies ) pic.twitter.com/f9ax5rUXkJ
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 27, 2023
LeBron, despite his age, still has his championship mentality. This is evident from his playoff series against the Rockets while he was still with the Lakers this past May. LeBron led the Lakers past a younger, arguably more talented team in the Rockets to advance to the second round.
The hope is that this championship mentality can rub off on the Cavs’ younger talent while LeBron wraps up his career in the wine and gold.
It looks like everyone is waiting on what “The King” does next, including his next potential head coach. This is for good reason, as LeBron could be the missing piece needed to take the Cavaliers to the next level, not only because he remains one of the greatest players of all time, but because he could bring a championship mentality to a core that desperately needs it.
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Editor’s note: This article discusses domestic violence. If you or someone you love is experiencing domestic violence or an abusive relationship, call the National Domestic Abuse Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (1-800-799-7233) or visit www.thehotline.org. Callers can remain anonymous.
Two teenagers have been taken into custody following a shooting spree targeting a family in southern Illinois that left five people dead and two others wounded, authorities said.
The 15- and 16-year-old suspects were arrested on July 12 at Frank Holten State Park, a recreation area near the city of East St. Louis, according to the Illinois State Police. The suspects were apprehended after state police officers executed a precision immobilization technique, or PIT, maneuver on a vehicle that one of the suspects was driving.
During a brief news conference, Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly said the shootings unfolded at three locations within a few miles of one another and targeted members of the same family.
“At least seven members of the targeted family were shot at multiple locations in the East St. Louis area, and as of right now, five victims have been confirmed deceased,” Kelly said, adding that the two other victims were seriously injured.
At least one of the suspects is related to the victims, according to Kelly. State police declined to provide further details on the suspects and the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
Kelly noted that state police are working with the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office and will seek charges against the suspects. The investigation into the incident remains ongoing.
East St. Louis is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, and has a population of nearly 18,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The city is located across the Mississippi River from downtown St. Louis.
Victims slain in shooting spree identified
State police identified the five people killed as Cherie L. May, 49; Devin D. May, 24; Patricia A. May, 74; Quentin L. Thompson, 21; and Shania W. Thompson, 25.
One victim was killed near North 39th Street and Summit Avenue, three were killed at the Samuel Gompers Homes, and another died at Jones Park, according to Kelly.
The two other victims were wounded at Jones Park and survived, Kelly said. They sustained serious injuries and were being treated at a hospital in St. Louis.
“These alleged acts of horrific violence, taking this number of lives, here in this community it’s terrible. It’s evil, but it will not keep this city down,” Kelly said.
Latest domestic-related shooting
The incident in East St. Louis is the latest domestic-related shooting to occur in the United States in recent months.
A man killed four people, including his parents, brother, and his brother’s girlfriend, in a shooting at the family’s home in suburban Detroit before surrendering to police on June 9, authorities said. At the time, police said the suspect had a “contentious relationship” with his parents.
On June 1, a 52-year-old man killed six members of his family in a shooting spree across a small city in eastern Iowa in an apparent domestic dispute, according to local police. The suspect killed himself when confronted by officers, police said.
In May, the Houston Police Department said it was investigating a murder-suicide after four relatives were found fatally shot in their home. Authorities later reported that evidence indicated a 52-year-old man had shot his wife and two children before shooting himself.
A community in northwest Louisiana was rocked by a mass shooting in April that left eight children dead. At the time, the Shreveport Police Department said the suspected gunman killed seven of his own children and injured his wife and another woman.
That same month, authorities said former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax fatally shot his wife, Cerina Fairfax, before killing himself while the couple was involved in a “complicated or messy” divorce. Police said the couple’s teenage son and daughter were at the home at the time of the incident but were not harmed.
Domestic violence in the United States
According to the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, domestic violence is a “public health crisis, and, given the accessibility and availability of guns in America, this violence is often perpetrated with a firearm.”
Researchers have found that almost half of all women murdered in the United States are killed by a current or former intimate partner, the center states on its website. Of those cases, the center said over half involved a firearm.
The center also noted that about 68% of mass shooting cases that occurred from 2014 to 2019 included a perpetrator who either killed family or intimate partners, or had a history of domestic violence.
A 2023 investigation from the Indianapolis Star, part of the USA TODAY Network, identified at least 227 family annihilation cases across the United States from 2020 to April 2023, resulting in 754 deaths. The newspaper’s analysis found such killings occurred on average once every five days.
The investigation described family annihilations as among the most extreme forms of domestic violence. It also found that family annihilators killed themselves in 64% of the cases.
Contributing: Mary Claire Molloy, Indianapolis Star
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