Court to determine if Grand Marais resident Levi Axtell is competent to stand trial

Over two years after Grand Marais resident Levi William Axtell murdered 77-year-old Lawrence Scully, the court is still determining if Axtell is competent to stand trial.

Earlier this week, on April 8 and 9, a two-day competency hearing was held in the Cook County Courthouse.

During the hearing, four medical providers who had either previously treated Axtell or evaluated him after his arrest testified on his medical history and current mental state.

Axtell, 29, participated in the competency hearing remotely from the Forensic Mental Health Program in St. Peter, Minn., after declining to appear in person. The program is a residential facility for adults with mental illnesses.

Axtell told his defense attorneys, Christa Groshek and Tyson Smith that he felt it was unsafe for him to attend the hearing in person for fear of being shot and that upon hearing testimony and details describing the events of the March 2023 killing, he would “pop off” and be unable to manage his behavior.

Testimony from the four medical providers shed light on Axtell’s decade-long medical history, dating back to 2012 records with visits to psychologists and physicians. Throughout the hearing, testimony from the providers detailed a history of substance abuse, mental illness, and a consuming obsession with sex offenders.

Psychologist Kimberly Turner said during the hearing that Axtell repeatedly told her that “He has to get rid of them to make the world a better place.”

Turner, who evaluated Axtell and wrote a Rule 20.01 evaluation report in February 2024, over a year after the homicide, said she believes Axtell takes his beliefs to the extreme and “continues to ruminate on it.”

Axtell’s fixation with sex offenders has continued throughout his time spent at the St. Peters facility and resulted in an assault of a peer upon discovering he was a sex offender.

Taking into account his history with mental illness, substance abuse, and the recent altercation at St. Peter, Turner diagnosed Axtell with delusional disorder and stated in her report that Axtell is incompetent to stand trial. Defense attorney Groshek asked Turner if she still stood by her evaluation and diagnosis as of April 2025. Turner said yes.

Psychologist Mischelle Vietanen testified during the two-day hearing, detailing the findings of her evaluation reports from May 2023, June 2023, and July 2024.

Vietanen was appointed by the court to review and evaluate Axtell’s mental health immediately following his sentencing in March 2023.

During her testimony, Vietanen disagreed with Turner’s diagnosis and stated Axtell “does not primarily have a delusional disorder.”

Vietanen agreed that an individual could have “symptom overlap,” creating challenges when determining a diagnosis. However, she told the defense attorneys she diagnosed Axtell with schizotypal affective disorder, a personality disorder.

In her testimony and reports, she consistently stated that Axtell views himself as a “hero” for killing Scully.

After extensive questioning from the defense about the differences and complexities of mental illness and the diagnosis, Vietanen said she stood by the findings of her evaluation and believes Axtell is competent to stand trial.

Former Sawtooth Mountain Clinic physician Dr. Kurt Farchmin testified on his treatment of Axtell dating from 2017 to 2021. At that time, Dr. Farchmin said he was aware Axtell had a history of multi-substance abuse and was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. However, during his testimony, he said, “Borderline personality disorder didn’t really fit the whole picture” at that time.

North Shore Health Chief of Medical Staff Dr. Michael Sampson also testified during the hearing about Axtell’s medical history and treatment of care at the hospital.

Defense attorneys Groshek and Smith argue Axtell remains legally incompetent to stand trial, while prosecutors argue he is fit to stand trial and the case should proceed.

Judge Steve Hanke did not immediately rule on the case. He directed both sides to submit written arguments by April 21, after which Judge Hanke will issue a ruling on Axtell’s competency.

Kalli Hawkins April 12, 2025