Man Accused in Mankato Kwik Trip Killing Ruled Mentally Unfit
Mankato, MN (KROC-AM News) - A court ruling handed down today has halted the prosecution of a man accused of murdering an employee at a Kwik Trip store in Mankato.
According to court records, 28-year-old Michael Lee Miller was arrested in March after police in Mankato were called to investigate a disturbance at a Kwik Trip. The caller stated that a person inside the business was “breaking stuff” just before the 911 call was disconnected and the witness fled from the store.
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When officers arrived at the scene, the criminal complaint against Miller says they found 34-year-old Dennis Vosika on the floor behind the counter, surrounded by a large pool of blood. The charges indicated that he had suffered what proved to be fatal knife wounds to his head, back, and leg.
The court document says a preliminary autopsy found that Vosika had suffered 43 sharp-force injuries.
The criminal complaint says investigators reviewed video from surveillance cameras in the store, which showed Miller entering the business with a large knife before going to the refrigerator section and eating some meat. After he was asked to pay for the items, the video shows Miller walking behind the counter and attacking the victim, who was thrown to the ground and stabbed multiple times.
Following his arrest, the court document says Miller told Mankato police that he was hearing voices and that he “needs to destroy and burn everything down.”
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A psychological evaluation was ordered for Miller shortly after his arrest. During a court hearing today, the evaluation report was reviewed, and the Blue Earth County judge handling the caseruled that he is incompetent to face prosecution due to mental illness.
The order indicates that the second-degree murder charges filed against Miller will be suspended while he undergoes treatment at a state facility. The prosecution of the case could resume if he is later deemed competent to participate in his defense.
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