Minnesota Father Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder of Daughter's Alleged Abusive Boyfriend

On Monday, a Minnesota father, Michael Lee Laflex, was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the brutal murder of his daughter's allegedly abusive boyfriend, Bryce Brogle. Laflex, 46, was found guilty of first-degree premeditated murder and second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Brogle in April, according to court records reviewed by Fox News Digital. In addition to his sentence, he was ordered to pay $14,596.08 in restitution and court fees by Crow Wing County District Court Judge Charles D. Halverson.

Daughter's Report and Witness Testimonies

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 two days earlier. Investigators later found out that Laflex had initially claimed that Brogle had been arrested by "unknown law enforcement," but he later changed his story, stating that he had thrown both of the phones out at a gas station in Brainerd. Both phones were eventually recovered by the police.

The landlord of the home rented by Brogle and Laflex's daughter also provided crucial information to investigators, stating that Laflex had called him to inquire about any harm Brogle had caused to his daughter. The landlord mentioned witnessing Laflex's daughter with two black eyes, and Laflex had threatened to kill Brogle, claiming that he had already dug a hole.

Witness Testimony and Evidence

Another witness came forward to the police with information that had been relayed to them by one of Laflex's family members. The witness stated that Laflex had shot Brogle at the storage unit and had cleaned up the unit using bleach. The family member was informed by Laflex that he had disposed of the body and that Brogle would not be found as it had been buried, mentioning the use of a sled to move Brogle’s body at one point.

When the police executed a search warrant on the storage unit, they found blood that had been attempted to be cleaned with bleach on the concrete floor. Marks on the ground were consistent with something being dragged across the floor in a similar width to a sled.

Authorities' Discovery and Autopsy

Authorities were able to identify Brogle's possible gravesite during a foot search on Oct. 30, 2022. The site was excavated, and a body with an apparent gunshot wound to the back of the head was recovered and transported for an autopsy. The autopsy revealed the cause of death to be a distant gunshot wound to the back of the head, and the body was identified as Bryce Brogle.

The details of this case are truly disturbing, and the sentencing of Michael Lee Laflex serves as a somber reminder of the consequences of extreme violence. It is a tragic situation that has left a family shattered and a community in mourning.