A shocking incident unfolded in a remote hunting cabin in Hinckley, Minnesota, where Kirk Hazlett III allegedly killed his father, Kirk Hazlett II, in a brutal “execution style” murder. The horrific event took place on November 15, 2024, when two witnesses reported to the Pine County Sheriff’s Office that Hazlett III had shot his father in the head at close range.
According to the witnesses, the 31-year-old suspect burst into the cabin while they were finishing dinner and proceeded to fatally shoot his 62-year-old father. The motive behind the heinous crime was believed to stem from a longstanding family dispute between the father and son.
When deputies arrived at the scene, they found Hazlett II lying face down on the floor with nine gunshot wounds to his head and torso. The surviving victims recounted the harrowing moments leading up to the tragic incident, with one witness describing how Hazlett III entered the cabin with a pistol in hand and proceeded to shoot his father multiple times.
Despite pleas from the remaining two men to spare their lives, Hazlett III allegedly ordered them to sit on the couch while he ensured his father was dead by shooting him in the head once more. The witnesses described the suspect as being “very coherent” during the ordeal, indicating a premeditated intent behind the crime.
Following the murder, Hazlett III confiscated the survivors’ phones before allowing them to leave the cabin. He was later apprehended at his residence in Cambridge and taken into custody at Pine County Jail. The suspect faces charges of second-degree murder, kidnapping, and burglary, with bail set at $3 million.
Authorities revealed that this tragic incident was not the first time they had been called to the cabin. A month prior to the murder, police had responded to a disturbance between Hazlett II and his son after a night of drinking, during which the father had trespassed his son from the property.
As the investigation into this senseless act of violence continues, the community remains shocked and saddened by the loss of Kirk Hazlett II. The details of the alleged family dispute and the events leading up to the murder shed light on the complexities of familial relationships and the devastating consequences that can arise from unresolved conflicts.
