Jury finds man guilty of murdering daughter’s boyfriend in Crow Wing County

A Crow Wing County jury on Wednesday found a 51-year-old man guilty of killing his daughter’s boyfriend.

Michael Lee Laflex was convicted of both first- and second-degree murder, according to court documents. He will only be sentenced for first-degree murder, as it is the higher offense.

Bryce Brogle, 23, was reported missing in October of 2022 by his girlfriend, Laflex’s daughter. According to a criminal complaint, she told police he went missing after visiting Laflex at his storage unit.

The complaint goes on to state that a concerned citizen told police that in a conversation with Laflex’s family member, the family member said Laflex thought Brogle was abusing his daughter and that Laflex shot him at a storage unit complex.

The next day, authorities executed a search warrant at the storage unit, which tested positive for traces of blood. A bottle of bleach was also found there, court documents state.

Law enforcement shortly after recovered Brogle’s body. The Ramsey County Medical Examiner determined that his cause of death was a single gunshot wound to the back of the head.

Police also got a call from the landlord of Brogle and his girlfriend, who told police that Laflex called and asked if Brogle had hurt his daughter. When the landlord said he had seen Laflex’s daughter with two black eyes, Laflex said he was going to kill Brogle and that he already had the hole dug, court documents state.

Laflex is scheduled to be sentenced June 10.