Levi Axtell to undergo mental health evaluation following March 8 killing of Grand Marais man

Levi Axtell, the Cook County resident who is charged with murdering a Grand Marais man earlier this month, is set to undergo a mental health evaluation.

It was Axtell’s attorney, Christa Groshek, who made the request March 22 of Judge Michael Cuzzo. A hearing on the request took place March 28.

On March 10, Axtell was charged with second-degree murder following the death of Lawrence Scully. According to the criminal charges, Axtell murdered Scully using a shovel and a moose antler. The murder took place at Scully’s home in Grand Marais.

Axtell, 27, is currently being held by the Cook County Sheriff’s Department, though he is housed in the Lake County Jail in Two Harbors. The Cook County Jail is a holding facility that can only house inmates for up to 72 hours.

Axtell and Scully have a history of legal wrangling, including issues related to the safety of children, according to court documents reviewed March 29 by WTIP. Court filings show that Axtell sought a protective order against Scully on behalf of his then 22-month-old daughter in April 2018. However, Cuzzo denied the request for a harassment order in May 2018 after he found “no indication” of “repeated unwanted or intrusive acts” by Scully against Axtell or his daughter.

Scully ran for mayor in 2014, though during the campaign many called into question his past behavior as a convicted sexual predator. He was convicted in March 1979 for molesting a 6-year-old in Kanabec County, Minn.

Axtell was arraigned via Zoom on the day he was charged, and bail was set in the amount of $1 million. An omnibus hearing scheduled for April 10 was canceled in order to allow time for Axtell’s competency evaluation. In turn, Cuzzo scheduled the next hearing in the case for June 26 at which time the court will review the competency evaluation.

Joe Friedrichs March 29, 2023