Axtell was judged to be incompetent to stand trial at this time

Levi Axtell’s criminal case was temporarily suspended, and he won’t be brought to trial until he is “returned to competency,” a judge ruled in a review hearing held through Zoom on Monday, July 10, in Cook County District Court without an appearance by Levy, who has been committed to the Minnesota Department of Human Services.

Neither Cook County Attorney Molly Hicken nor Levi’s attorney Christa Groshek objected to the judge’s ruling, and over the following months, Levi’s mental health will be re-evaluated.

According to Levi, he suspected the 77-year-old Scully, a convicted pedophile, of stalking his young daughter. On March 8, an intoxicated, Axtel drove to Scully’s house, grabbing a shovel from the porch before entering. He said he beat Mr. Scully 15-20 times with the shovel before finishing him off with a moose antler in the home.

Immediately following the killing, Levi drove to the Cook County Law Enforcement, where according to the affidavit, Axtell, wearing a bloodied shirt, fell to his knees and put his hands on his head while stating he had murdered Scully with a shovel.

Levi was arrested and later charged with Second Degree Murder (intentional) charges for killing Lawrence (Larry) Scully, and his bail was set at one million dollars.

The medical report cited the cause of death caused by “blunt force head injuries,” with wounds on Scully’s arms consistent with defensive wounds.

Axtell told authorities he believed Scully was stalking his young daughter at a daycare near Scully’s residence.

In 2018 Levi filed an order of protection against Scully, alleging Scully of stalking his then two-year-old daughter at a nearby daycare that was granted but dropped several weeks later. No reason was given for removing the restraining order.

On May 25, 2023, the court ruled that Levi be committed as “mentally ill and dangerous,” and his case was left open.

In 1979 Larry Scully was convicted of molesting a 6-year-old girl in Kanabec County, and he spent several years in prison before moving to live with his late mother in Grand Marais in 1982.

It didn’t take locals long to learn about Larry’s criminal record, and parents warned their kids to stay away from him.

When Cook County Sheriff Pat Eliasen was asked how many calls were received regarding Larry Scully, he stated, “Our records for Larry go back to 1999, And there are a total of 154 calls for service with his name attached. Not all of those calls are criminal; they include civil calls, matters of record, and miscellaneous calls.”

Levi told authorities that he had seen Scully park his car near the locations where children were playing, and he believed Scully would re-offend.

Through the years, Larry Scully would come to the News-Herald and ask for stories to be written about people who were filing restraining orders against him. He said these individuals were ruining his life. The restraining orders, he said, were filed by his younger brothers who lived in town John and Pat, two solid citizens who were trying to protect their families from their brother. No stories were written, and both brothers publicly stated they hoped the best for Levi as his trial slowly moves on.