In a harrowing incident in Minnesota that highlights the devastating impact of long-standing family disputes, a 31-year-old man, identified as K. Hazlett III, has been accused of killing his 62-year-old father, identified as K Hazlett II, in a remote hunting cabin.
Authorities described the episode as a cold and calculated act that shook the community and irreversibly fractured a family.
On the evening of October 13, 2023, sheriff’s deputies responded to a 911 call reporting a critical shooting at a cabin. The distressed caller reported that two men had approached his home, claiming that Hazlett III had shot his father, Hazlett II, in the head.
When law enforcement arrived, they followed a 1.5-mile dirt track to the cabin, where they found the elder Hazlett dead, lying face down near a couch with nine gunshot wounds to his torso and head. The gruesome nature of the crime scene provided a vivid picture of the violence that had taken place.
According to witness accounts provided to deputies, the tragedy occurred quickly after a motion-activated camera alerted one of the surviving victims, the deceased’s brother, to movement at the property’s gate.
The alarm prompted him to grab his handgun, but before he could arm himself, Hazlett III forcibly entered the cabin.
The intruder, the victim’s son who did not get along with his father, opened fire multiple times upon entering. He then ordered the two witnesses, one of whom was his uncle, to remain seated on the couch under threat.
According to police reports, one of the surviving victims told responding officers that the elder Hazlett was still alive and “breathing a little bit,” when the son approached him and delivered a final blow to his head to “make sure” he was dead.
After the shooting, Hazlett III fled, leaving a scene of terror and disbelief. He let the surviving witnesses leave unharmed, but took their phones to prevent them from making immediate contact with authorities. The suspect was eventually apprehended at his home, where deputies identified his vehicle as the one used to get to the cabin.
The background to this brutal act includes a previous disturbance at the same cabin involving both the suspect and the victim, which resulted in the son being trespassed from the property after a disagreement erupted during a night of drinking.
Hazlett III is currently being held in the county jail, with bail set at $3 million. He faces serious charges, including second-degree murder, burglary, and kidnapping, which reflect the gravity of his actions and the tragic end to a troubled father-son relationship.
The local community and family members are left to deal with the aftermath of this tragedy. The descriptions of the suspect’s calculated demeanor during the crime have exacerbated the distress by emphasizing the murder’s premeditation.
Family disputes, which are frequently simmering beneath the surface, erupted in the most tragic way possible in this case, prompting reflection on the need for interventions in similar familial situations.
The community is keeping a close eye on the case as it moves forward in court, hoping for justice for the elder Hazlett and a resolution that will bring some comfort to those affected by this horrific crime.
