Hopkins man who killed ex-neighbor with splitting maul found incompetent

A Hopkins man who was charged in connection with the murder of his former neighbor has been found incompetent, according to court records.

Mitchell Edward Hoogenakker, 30, is charged with one count of second-degree murder for killing his former neighbor with a splitting maul, an axe-like tool, according to court records.

Court records indicate Hoogenakker was first deemed incompetent in September 2017 and has been tested for competency every six months since.

According to a criminal complaint, in the early morning hours of Aug. 25, 2017, the victim’s wife reported hearing a loud noise at the door and seeing Hoogenakker pull the victim onto the floor of the living room before hitting him with both arms and dragging him outside.

A second witness told law enforcement he heard the sound of an “impact” of a weapon on a body before seeing a man walk away from the scene.

Law enforcement from the Hopkins Police Department arrived around 3:40 a.m. and found the victim dead with multiple wounds to his back and head, including a large hole in his skull. Officers noted in the complaint that the wounds appeared to have been made by an axe-like tool. The door to the residence had been forced open.

Using the help of canines, law enforcement arrested Hoogenakker at his residence, where they found a splitting maul with the name “Hoogenakker” etched on it, according to the complaint.

Court records say Hoogernakker later told law enforcement that he had been at the victim’s house and had hit the victim until he stopped breathing.

The victim had a previous harassment restraining order against Hoogenakker, according to court documents.