Minnesota Man, 31, Charged with Murdering Father in Front of Uncle at Hunting Cabin

A Minnesota man, 31-year-old Kirk Edward Hezlett III, has been charged with murdering his father in a shocking incident labeled as “execution style.” This harrowing event took place at a remote hunting cabin in Hinckley, where witnesses reported that Hezlett III entered the cabin while two men were having dinner and fatally shot his 62-year-old father, Kirk Edward Hezlett II, in the head from close range.

Witnesses believe a long-running family feud was the motive behind this brutal act. On November 15, around 8:45 PM, the Pine County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call about the shooting. According to the dispatcher, two men rushed to report that Hezlett III had just shot his father at the neighboring cabin. Deputies arrived and discovered the elder Hazlett lying face down on the floor, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his head and torso.

A probable cause affidavit revealed that Hezlett II suffered nine gunshot wounds. One witness, described as Hezlett II’s brother, recounted that the chaos began when he received a motion sensor alert from a trail camera installed nearby. As he checked the live footage, the situation escalated quickly. He reported seeing Hezlett III enter the cabin brandishing a pistol, instilling fear as he exclaimed he saw someone entering with a gun.

The brother attempted to retrieve his handgun from the bedroom, but before he could act, Hezlett III had already come through a side door and fired three shots. When the brother returned to the main area, he was faced with the horrifying sight of his brother on the floor and his nephew standing over him with a firearm.

In a chilling turn of events, Hezlett III ordered the surviving men to sit on the couch while they begged for their lives. It is reported that Hezlett II was still alive, taking shallow breaths during this ordeal. To ensure his father was deceased, Hezlett III walked over and shot him again in the head, according to police accounts.

Now facing serious charges including second-degree murder, kidnapping, and burglary, Hezlett III remains in custody with his bail set at $3 million. Family members disclosed to law enforcement that the father and son had a tumultuous relationship, filled with unresolved conflicts. The affidavit suggested that Hezlett III was “very coherent” throughout the incident.

This tragic event isn’t the first time law enforcement had been involved with this family at the cabin. Just a month prior, police were called to handle a disturbance between Hezlett II and his son after an evening of drinking, leading to Hezlett II banning his son from the property.

Investigators tracked down Hezlett III at his residence in Cambridge and located the vehicle he used to reach the cabin, a black 2014 Ford Fusion. The shocking details of this case have left the community in disbelief as the investigation unfolds.