2 brothers charged with luring, murdering William Albrecht

Two Bloomington brothers have been charged with murder in connection to the death of a Minneapolis man who had been missing.

Court records show Preston Scott Sharlow, 32, and Skylar Edmond Labarge, 26, are charged with second-degree murder in the death of William Albrecht.

According to a criminal complaint, officers were called to a home on the 5700 block of Elliot Avenue S. in Minneapolis on a missing person report on Nov. 16. When they arrived, officers spoke to Albrecht’s mother, who said he hadn’t been reachable for several days, had missed work and wasn’t responding on his cellphone. He was last seen on Nov. 14 at a bar in Bloomington and was dropped off at the home of a woman identified as Isabelle Carrie Braveheart.

RELATED: Police confirm body found Thursday was Albrecht’s, 2 suspects still in custody

After speaking with witnesses, including Braveheart, officers learned Albrecht was lured to a residence on the 1500 block of E. 87th Street in Bloomington on Nov. 15 by Sharlow, the complaint states.

The complaint states Sharlow was using Braveheart’s phone and pretended to be her. Once Albrecht arrived at the residence, he was confronted by Sharlow and Labarge. Witnesses told police Albrecht was assaulted by the two men and went missing afterward.

Officers obtained a search warrant for the home and found multiple areas with a blood-like substance and Albrecht’s cellphone. The complaint states officers also noticed the home smelled strongly of recently used cleaning agents.

Police then found and arrested Sharlow and Labarge on Nov. 21.

In an interview with police, the complaint states Sharlow admitted Albrecht arrived at the Bloomington residence and was assaulted in the garage by him and Labarge. After stomping and kicking Albrecht repeatedly, they allegedly brought him downstairs to a shower to “clean him up” before bringing him back to the garage.

Once back in the garage, Sharlow told police Labarge attempted to cut Albrecht’s neck with a piece of glass and then forcibly stepped on Albrecht’s neck. At that point, Sharlow noticed Albrecht’s breathing “was compromised,” the complaint states.

Sharlow then admitted that he and Labarge put Albrecht’s body in a vehicle, transported it to a remote location in Woodbury and left his body there. He also agreed to go to the location with officers, the complaint states.

Officers located Albrecht’s body on Nov. 21. The complaint states his body showed signs of multiple blunt force injury, mainly to his head and face. An autopsy was then scheduled, but results have not yet been released.

The complaint states that when officers spoke to Labarge, he initially denied any involvement. Eventually, he admitted to participating in the assault, murder and transportation of Albrecht’s body, the complaint states. He also admitted to taking Albrecht’s neck chain and cellphone.

“A tragic and senseless murder,” said Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman when describing the murder of Will Albrecht at a news conference on Monday afternoon. “It was a brutal assault over a period of time, although the two individuals denied it, they finally admitted it.”

Sharlow and Labarge remain in custody. Braveheart was taken into custody Thursday, but police said Friday that she’d been released.