Ely teen who tried to kill younger brother found not guilty, mentally ill

DULUTH — An Ely, Minn. teen who stabbed his younger brother more than a dozen times, then left him to bleed out in a gully was found not guilty by reason of mental illness by a judge in St. Louis County District Court.

Michael William Haapala, 19, was charged with second-degree attempted murder after stabbing his then-13-year-old brother around Oct. 8, 2020. The boy was cold to the touch when he was found near the 800 block of Miners Drive in Ely, according to court documents. He was transported to a local hospital, then airlifted to Essentia Health in Duluth.

Though he was unable to talk at the time, the boy indicated that he had been stabbed by his brother, Michael.

Haapala will remain in St. Louis County Jail until he can be transferred to a state hospital. Civil commitment proceedings are pending, according to an order written by Judge Robert C. Friday earlier this week. The court found that Haapala did not know his actions were morally wrong.

According to court documents, Haapala has a history of mental illness and was subjected to significant trauma, abuse and neglect as a child. He was hospitalized with a major depressive disorder a year before the attempt on his brother's life.

Haapala, who was originally charged as a juvenile, was found guilty of second-degree attempted murder earlier this year. His defense was cognitive impairment, leading to another trial to determine his mental health at the time of the attack.