FFK Blog Fehmeeda Farid Khan Blog for Unsolved Miseries
Related Articles
At the age of 27, Levi Axtell, a resident of Minnesota, tragically took the life of an elderly gentleman whom he suspected of committing acts of child exploitation. He embarked on a journey from the abode of his victim on the North Shore to the Sheriff’s Office, where he surrendered himself.
In the year 2018, Axtell recounted an incident involving Lawrence V. Scully, where Scully had allegedly followed Axtell’s 22-month-old daughter while she was being escorted from her daycare center in Grand Marais. According to Axtell, Scully achieved this by strategically parking his van in proximity to the daycare facility, all the while closely observing his daughter.
In a formal appeal made by Axtell in 2018, he composed the following words:
“On numerous occasions, he has engaged in the unsettling practice of monitoring children from his van,” Axtell penned in a request for a court-issued protective order. “Given his history as a convicted pedophile, his actions of stalking and attempting to groom my daughter are entirely inappropriate and must cease.”
The court documents reveal that the request was provisionally granted and subsequently denied after several weeks had passed.
Axtell and his spouse Approximately two years later, Axtell shared an image on his Facebook profile depicting an individual aiming a firearm accompanied by the phrase “The sole solution for halting pedophiles: a bullet.” He continued, “People often question why I hold such strong disdain for pedophiles. They assume it stems from personal trauma. Yet, in truth, I believe that a vigilant and protective disposition is an inherent Axtell characteristic.”
Sheriff Pat Eliasen of Cook County remarked on Thursday that Scully had been found guilty of sexually assaulting a six-year-old girl in Kanabec County back in 1979. Records from the Department of Corrections indicate that Scully was released from prison in 1982. During the early 1980s, Scully relocated to the North Shore.
As documented in the official criminal complaint and an accompanying court dossier:
Shortly after 4:45 p.m., an individual contacted emergency services, reporting that they had witnessed someone disembark from a minivan and swiftly enter Scully’s residence on E. 5th Street. The caller immediately heard distressing cries and observed the van departing the scene.
moose antler.
A matter of minutes later, Axtell arrived at the Sheriff’s Office in the van, visibly intoxicated. Stained with blood, he entered the lobby, knelt down, and “placed his hands upon his head, admitting to the act of fatally assaulting [Scully] with a shovel,” as documented in the court records.
A deputy sheriff discovered Scully’s lifeless body within his domicile. The severe head injuries indicated his demise.
In his statement to the police, Axtell confessed to striking Scully approximately 15 to 20 times with the shovel, followed by delivering additional blows with a substantial moose antler, ultimately ending Scully’s life. Axtell asserted that he had known Scully for an extended period, citing instances of Scully parking his vehicle in areas frequented by children, fueling Axtell’s belief in the potential for further offenses.
The Consequences Levi W. Axtell faced second-degree intentional murder charges in Cook County District Court, tied to the demise of Lawrence V. Scully, which occurred on a Wednesday afternoon in Scully’s home just north of Hwy. 61 in Grand Marais, Minnesota.
Axtell’s Self-Surrender Appearing via video feed from the Cook County jail, Axtell’s legal representatives debated the appropriate amount of bail for his potential release while his legal proceedings unfolded.
County Attorney Molly Hicken remarked, “This was an unprovoked, brutal attack on an elderly individual,” as she implored Judge Michael Cuzzo to set bail at $1 million.
Dennis Shaw, the defense attorney, refrained from specifying a bail amount but affirmed that his client had no significant prior criminal record.
“Given the nature of the charges, the flight risk is undeniable,” Cuzzo concurred with the prosecution. Axtell remains in custody until his next scheduled court appearance on April 10th.
