Kirk Edward Hezlett III has been accused of killing his father execution-style.
November 20, 2024, published at 8:00 PM ET
A Minnesota man has been accused of brutally killing his father “execution style” in front of two men at a remote hunting cabin.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the shocked witnesses who claimed Kirk Hazlett III burst into their cabin while they were having dinner and fatally shot his father, Kirk Edward Hazlett II, in the head at close range.
A long-standing family dispute was believed to be the reason Hazlett III, 31, shot his 62-year-old father.
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The two surviving victims told police that Hazlett III entered their cabin as they finished eating.
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On Friday, November 15, around 8:45 p.m., the Pine County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call reporting a shooting at a hunting cabin in the sleepy town of Hinckley, about 80 miles north of Minneapolis.
According to the dispatcher, the 911 caller said two men rushed to the cabin and said Hazlett III had just shot his father in the head in the cabin next door.
After traveling 1.5 miles on an access road, officers reached the cabin, where they found the elder Hazlett face down on the ground next to a bench.
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An affidavit of probable cause said Hazlett II suffered nine gunshot wounds to his head and torso. Law & Crime.
One of the surviving victims, who was reportedly Hazlett II’s brother, told officers the incident occurred while the trio was eating dinner.
He remembered receiving a notification on his phone from a motion-activated trail camera.
While watching the live stream from the camera, chaos ensued.
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Hazlett II was discovered face down in the cabin with nine gunshot wounds to his torso and head.
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Hazlett II’s brother reportedly said, “Holy s—, someone just walked through our gate with a gun in his hand.”
The affidavit stated that the victim’s brother rushed to get his handgun from his bedroom, but before he could reach it, the suspect entered the cabin through a side door.
He then heard three gunshots.
When he returned to the living room, he discovered his brother lying on the floor and his cousin standing with a gun.
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The 31-year-old suspect then ordered the remaining two men to sit on the couch as they begged him not to shoot them.
One of the surviving victims said the elder Hazlett was still alive and “breathing a little” during this time.
Hazlett III then walked up to his father and shot him in the head to “make sure” he was dead, police said.
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Hazlett III is being held on a $3 million bond and faces charges of murder, kidnapping and burglary.
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After taking the surviving victim’s phones, Hazlett III allowed them to leave.
One of the men told officers that the suspect shot his father “execution style.”
He was quoted in the affidavit as saying, “He came in on a mission…he came in to kill him.”
Family members later told police that the father and son “weren’t getting along, and haven’t been for a long time.”
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Although the affidavit did not provide details about the alleged family dispute, witnesses claimed Hazlett III was “very coherent” at the time of the shooting.
Officers tracked down the suspect to his Cambridge home, where they also found a 2014 Black Ford Fusion, which officers said he drove to the cabin. He was arrested and taken to the Pine County Jail.
He is charged with murder, kidnapping and burglary. His bail was set at $3 million.
The tragic incident was not the first time police were called to the cabin.
About a month before Hazlett II’s murder, police responded to a disturbance between the father and son after a night of drinking.
Police said during Hazlett II’s previous call, his son entered the property.
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