A quiet North Shore town reeled in shock when a young father killed a sex offender he believed was stalking his daughter in March 2023. The brutal incident sparked conversations about vigilantism and raised questions about child protection and the criminal justice system in the tight-knit town of Grand Marais.
Levi W. Axtell, 27, was charged with second-degree intentional murder on March 10, 2023, following the violent death of Lawrence V. Scully, 77, in his Grand Marais home. The incident occurred on March 8, 2023, just north of Highway 61, where Axtell allegedly used a shovel and moose antler to fatally beat the elderly man.
A History of Suspicion and Concern
This case of a father killing a sex offender has deep roots. Tension simmered between Axtell and Scully long before the fatal encounter. Back in 2018, Axtell sought court protection after claiming that Scully stalked his 22-month-old daughter. “He has been there many times stalking children in his van,” Axtell wrote in his request for a protection order. “He is a convicted pedophile, and him stalking and attempting to groom my daughter is completely inappropriate and needs to stop.”
The court initially granted temporary protection but dismissed the order within weeks. This dismissal did little to ease Axtell’s concerns about Scully’s presence in the community. Courts convicted Scully in 1979 for sexually assaulting a 6-year-old girl in Kanabec County. He served time until 1982 and then relocated to the North Shore in the early 1980s, where he remained until his death.
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The Fatal Confrontation
A witness called emergency dispatch after seeing someone pull into Scully’s driveway in a minivan and run into the house. Screams erupted immediately, and the van sped away shortly after.
Moments later, Axtell arrived at the Sheriff’s Office covered in blood. He surrendered himself, falling to his knees, and “put his hands on his head and said that he had murdered [Scully] with a shovel,” according to court filings. After being taken into custody, he demanded to be handcuffed, saying he was going to hurt someone otherwise.
Deputies found Scully dead from severe head wounds when they arrived at his home. Levi W Axtell told law enforcement that he grabbed the shovel off the deck. Then hit Scully 15 to 20 times, and “finished him off” with several more blows with a large moose antler. Axtell explained his vigilante actions against the convicted sex offender, telling officials he had known Scully for a long time and was convinced the older man would re-offend. “[Axtell] said he had observed [Scully] parked in the vehicle at locations where children were present and believed he would reoffend,” the complaint reads.
Community Response and Legal Proceedings
The violent incident where a father killed a sex offender sent shockwaves through Grand Marais, a popular tourist destination on Lake Superior’s shore. Many residents knew both men, as commonly happens in small communities. During his initial court appearance via video from jail in March 2023, prosecutors argued for a $1 million bail. “This was a brutal attack without provocation on an elderly man,” stated County Attorney Molly Hicken. Defense attorney Dennis Shaw noted Axtell’s strong ties to the community and minimal criminal history.
Despite this, Judge Michael Cuzzo set bail at the requested amount. “Given the nature of the charge, that alone presents a flight risk.” Axtell was initially scheduled to return to court on April 10, 2023. Sheriff Pat Eliasen acknowledged that there had been allegations against Scully over the years, but “an investigation didn’t reveal anything. Most of the reports were regarding harassment” and trespassing at the Holiday gas station where Axtell worked.
Mental Health Developments and Current Status
The narrative of a father killing a sex offender took an unexpected turn as mental health issues came to light. In July 2023, Judge Michael Cuzzo ruled Axtell not competent to stand trial under Minnesota Rule 20, and criminal proceedings were suspended. This ruling came after Axtell’s attorney, Christa Groschek, requested a mental health and competency evaluation.
According to a February 2024 Findings of Fact document, court-appointed psychologist Dr. Mischelle Vietanen diagnosed Axtell with “schizoaffective disorder due to persisting auditory and visual hallucination, delusions, paranoia and severe fluctuations of mood which include major depressive episodes and hypomania.”
At a Review Hearing held on March 21, 2024, Judge Steven Hanke ordered an additional Rule 20 evaluation to be prepared by Dr. Vietanen. The psychologist maintains that Axtell remains not competent to stand trial, though she believes there is a “chance that he could attain competence to proceed” in the future. Neither the defense attorney nor prosecuting attorney objected to the court’s determination.
A review hearing for the additional evaluation is scheduled for August 26, 2024. As of March 2024, Axtell remains in custody while the criminal proceedings stay suspended pending his mental health treatment.
A Family Connection
Adding another layer to this tragic story is Axtell’s family connection to law enforcement. He is the nephew of Todd Axtell, who served as St. Paul’s police chief from 2016 until 2022.
“I love my nephew and my entire family, a family that has been deeply impacted by this heartbreaking incident,” Todd Axtell told the Star Tribune. “I’m also thinking about the amazing Grand Marais community during this difficult time. I have always believed in, and supported, the criminal justice system — a system that will now do what it’s designed to do.”
A Town’s Reckoning
That protective instinct led to devastating consequences: one man died, and another now faces serious legal and mental health challenges. This tragic case of a father killing a sex offender continues to resonate as the small North Shore community processes this violent confrontation from 2023 that shattered their typical tranquility and raised profound questions about justice, protection, mental health, and the limits of the law.
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