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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Milwaukee apartment building fire
Firefighters responded to the scene of an apartment building fire on Fond du Lac Avenue near Bourbon Street in Milwaukee on Friday morning, May 1.
MILWAUKEE – Firefighters responded to the scene of an apartment building fire on Fond du Lac Avenue near Bourbon Street in Milwaukee on Friday morning, May 1.
What we know:
According to the Milwaukee Fire Department, crews responded to the scene shortly before 3 a.m. Upon arrival, they found fire on the first and second floors.
Five occupants jumped from second floor balconies and were taken to the hospital. Six other occupants were rescued from the structure by the Milwaukee Fire Department.
Milwaukee apartment building fire on Fond du Lac Avenue near Bourbon Street
Milwaukee apartment building fire on Fond du Lac Avenue near Bourbon Street
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No additional details have been released – including the cause of the fire or the amount of damage sustained.
The Source: The information in this post was provided by the Milwaukee Fire Department.
2019 CMA Awards: Blake Shelton wins for Single of the Year for “God’s Country”
Blake Shelton wins CMA for Single of the Year for “God’s Country” at the 53rd Annual CMA Awards
Mike Fant, Nashville Tennessean
A crowd huddled around the windows at Ole Red on Broadway, peering through the glass as a purple light poured over country music star Blake Shelton.
“Honey, look, that’s Blake,” one woman said.
Television screens mounted along the exterior showed the performance and, although his voice didn’t cut through the bass and bands coalescing on Broadway, a sea of cellphones pointed toward the “God’s Country” singer.
Inside his honky-tonk, Shelton was performing his new song, “Let Him In Anyway,” a grief- and faith-stricken plea to God to let a non-believer, lost soul into heaven anyway.
“The reaction that I’m getting to that song is absolutely blowing me away,” he told The Tennessean before his performance. “I’ve only performed this once before tonight and I saw a lot of people crying, like ugly crying, because it’s one of those songs that hasn’t ever been said before in such an honest, brutally honest way.”
As smoke surrounded the singer, Shelton quickly pivoted back to the crowd.
“That’s enough sad songs.”
Opening an Ole Red location in Indianapolis
Less than 12 hours earlier, Shelton gathered on an Indianapolis stage for a press conference, flanked by Pacers Sports and Entertainment CEO Mel Raines and Ryman Hospitality Properties Executive Chairman Colin Reed.
“Some of the bigger moments of not just my career, but my life, have been here,” he said. “So I always feel at home when I’m here. And I love the people, and I just love the vibe and the atmosphere in this place.”
The announcement confirmed Ole Red will open a seventh location in the city’s rapidly expanding Fieldhouse District, just steps from Gainbridge Fieldhouse, which hosts more than 2 million visitors and over 500 events each year. It sits at the center of roughly $3 billion in tourism-related infrastructure investments.
The 37,000-square-foot, multi-level venture joins existing Ole Red outposts in Nashville (on Broadway and in the airport); Las Vegas; Orlando; Gatlinburg, Tennessee and Shelton’s hometown of Tishomingo, Oklahoma.
Indianapolis city leaders touted the addition of Ole Red signals another step in Indianapolis’ evolution.
“What I love about coming here is every time I come here, there’s something new and exciting happening,” Governor Mike Braun said. “I think it symbolizes the entrepreneurialism of the city and the state.”
Mayor Joe Hogsett framed the project opening in 2027 as part of a broader transformation downtown.
“Our city is currently undergoing an unprecedented level of growth, especially right here in the urban core,” Hogsett said. “The future is bright, and it starts with announcements like the one we are celebrating today.”
Shelton’s connection to Indianapolis extends back more than two decades ago, when he performed at a local radio station showcase to test out his first hit “Austin.” He returned to sing “America the Beautiful” at Super Bowl XLVI in 2012 and serve as Grand Marshal for the Indianapolis 500 in 2022.
As part of immersing himself in Indy culture, he met WNBA superstars Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham, both of whom he called “awesome.”
Building a brand legacy on Broadway in Nashville
More than 60,000 customers, sometimes up to 100,000, pass through the doors of Ole Red in Nashville each month, a steady stream that has carried the Lower Broadway venue since it opened in 2018.
Operated by Opry Entertainment Group, a division of Ryman Hospitality Properties, the bar was built as more than a namesake venue inspired by Shelton’s song. It has become a destination, carving out its own lane in a landscape where nearly every corner features a country star’s name on a bar. Another branch of the Ole Red brand opened in Las Vegas in 2024.
Brand marketing manager Lindsey Barber credits the success to three things: operating as a full-service restaurant, functioning as a true live music venue and Shelton’s consistent presence.
She recalled a recent trip where Shelton was doing a shoot at the Las Vegas branch and made it to the bar to open the doors and shake hands with fans.
The 6-foot-5 singer joked that he’s become the go-to contact for friends and family hoping to stop by — from last-minute dinners to bachelorette parties and large group reservations.
“I’m not a business guy,” he said. “I just love country music and fun and hopefully people pick up on that and then it bleeds out into these places. People associate me with this bar and it really makes me proud because every time I walk in here there’s new talent. Like I’m sitting here right now watching the Mobile Homeboys and I’m blown away by these guys.”
Plus, there’s another unexpected perk to ownership.
“I’ve got seven concert venues that I could never get kicked out of,” he joked. “That’s a pretty good position to be in.”
Bryan West is a music reporter at The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Instagram, TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV.
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