A Minnesota father, Michael Lee Laflex, 46, was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the brutal murder of his daughter's allegedly abusive boyfriend, Bryce Brogle. Laflex was found guilty on one count of first-degree premeditated murder and another of second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Brogle in April.
The incident came to light when Laflex's daughter reported her boyfriend missing to the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office on Oct. 28, 2022. She mentioned that her boyfriend was last seen accompanying her father to a storage unit that Laflex had rented just two days earlier.
During the investigation, it was revealed that Laflex had initially claimed that Brogle had been arrested by unknown law enforcement officers who confiscated his cell phones. Laflex later changed his story, stating that he had disposed of the phones at a gas station in Brainerd. However, both phones were eventually recovered by the police.
Further evidence emerged when a witness informed the authorities that Laflex had shot Brogle at the storage unit on Oct. 26, 2022, believing that Brogle had been abusing his daughter. The witness mentioned that Laflex had cleaned up the unit using bleach and had disposed of the body, which was later found buried at the site.
Upon executing a search warrant at the storage unit, investigators discovered blood stains that had been attempted to be cleaned with bleach on the floor. Marks on the ground indicated that something had been dragged across the floor, resembling the width of a sled.
Authorities located Brogle's possible gravesite during a foot search on Oct. 30, 2022. The body recovered from the site had an apparent gunshot wound to the back of the head, confirmed by the Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office during the autopsy.
As a result of the evidence presented, Laflex was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole and ordered to pay restitution and court fees. The tragic incident serves as a reminder of the devastating consequences of violence and the importance of seeking help in situations of abuse.
