Man kills his daughter’s boyfriend he suspects was abusing her, Minnesota cops say
A man has been arrested in Minnesota after authorities say he killed his daughter’s boyfriend and buried his body.
Bryce Brogle was found in a makeshift grave with a gunshot wound to the back of the head, according to a probable cause statement filed in Crow Wing County. Michael Lee Laflex, 45, has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of Brogle, his daughter’s boyfriend.
Laflex’s daughter reported her boyfriend missing on Friday, Oct. 28, telling deputies that he was last seen “going to a storage unit rented by her father,” according to court documents.
The storage unit indicated signs of a crime scene, including blood on the floors and the discovery of a bottle of bleach, the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office said. Marks on the floor also suggested something was “dragged across the floor in a similar width to a sled,” deputies said.
Deputies interviewed Laflex, who said Brogle had been arrested and the unknown cops took Brogle’s two cellphones, according to the probable cause statement. But he later changed his story, telling deputies that he had thrown Brogle’s phones in a gas station’s garbage can.
A “concerned citizen” told investigators he had a conversation with one of Laflex’s family members, who detailed information that Laflex “believed Brogle had been abusing his daughter,” the court documents show.
Investigators said Laflex shot Brogle in the storage shed, then moved his body using a sled.
“(Laflex) informed the family member that he had disposed of the body and that ... Brogle would not be found as the body had been buried,” the sheriff’s office said.
A landlord for Brogle and his girlfriend further tied Laflex to the killing, deputies said. The landlord said he saw Laflex’s daughter with two black eyes before receiving a call from her father, according to court documents.
Laflex told the landlord “he was going to kill Brogle and already had the hole dug,” according to the sheriff’s office.
Brogle’s body was found on Sunday, Oct. 30, in a gravesite on public land, investigators said. Brogle was 23.
Court records show Laflex was jailed on a $2 million bond. He is due back in court on Tuesday, Nov. 15. Crow Wing County is about 140 miles north of Minneapolis.
This story was originally published November 2, 2022 at 11:35 AM with the headline "Man kills his daughter’s boyfriend he suspects was abusing her, Minnesota cops say."