On 10/28/22 a missing person report was received by the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office. The reporting party, Cordelia Laflex, informed law enforcement that her boyfriend, Bryce Brogle, had gone missing after going to a storage unit rented by her father, Michael Lee Laflex (DOB: 6/18/1977), Defendant, on 10/26/2022. Defendant had gone to the storage unit with Bryce Brogle.

During the ensuing investigation, Defendant initially told investigating law enforcement that Brogle had been arrested by unknown law enforcement. Defendant also initially stated that Brogle had 2 cell phones and the unknown law enforcement took those with. He later changed his story to that he had disposed of the phones in a garbage can at a gas station in the City of Brainerd. The phones were ultimately located by investigating law enforcement.

Further investigation included information gained from a concerned citizen (CC) who wished to remain anonymous but their identity was known to investigating Law Enforcement. The CC was having occasional conversations, throughout the evening of 10/28/22, with a family member of Defendant. The family member was informing the CC that Defendant was disclosing details of the incident to the family member. The details included that Defendant believed Brogle had been abusing his daughter, Cordelia. Defendant had shot Brogle at a storage unit complex located in in the County of Crow Wing, State of Minnesota on or about the evening of 10/26/2022. Defendant subsequently moved the body using a sled. Defendant then cleaned up the storage unit using bleach. Defendant further informed the family member that he had disposed of the body and that the deceased, Brogle, would not be found as the body had been buried.

On 10/29/2022, a search warrant was executed at the storage unit rented by Defendant. On the concrete floor of the storage unit, a substance-testing positive for blood and a bottle of bleach were recovered. There were also marks on the concrete floor of the storage unit that appeared consistent with something being dragged across the floor in a similar width to a sled.

On 10/30/2022, investigating law enforcement conducted a foot search of public land in Crow Wing County in search of Bryce Brogle’s body. A possible gravesite was identified. The site was excavated and a body with an apparent gunshot wound to the back of the head was recovered and transported to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy. The autopsy determined the cause of death to be a distant gunshot wound to the back of the head. The body has been identified as Bryce Brogle.

During the investigation, The CWCSO received a phone call from the land lord of Cordelia Laflex and Bryce Brogle. The land lord disclosed the Defendant had called and asked if Brogle had hurt his daughter. The land lord shared that the land lord had seen Cordelia with two black eyes. Defendant then said he was going to kill Brogle and already had the hole dug.