HENNEPIN COUNTY, Minn. (TCN) — A 47-year-old man accused of impaling a grocery clerk with a broken golf club has been found not guilty by reason of mental illness.
On Dec. 8, 2023, officers with the Minneapolis Police Department responded to reports of a stabbing at a grocery store. When they arrived, they found longtime employee and retired ballet dancer 66-year-old Robert Skafte impaled through the torso with a broken golf club. He was transported to the hospital but died from his injuries.
Police tracked down the suspect, Taylor Schulz, at an apartment near the scene. He had barricaded himself inside and the SWAT team, a bomb squad, negotiators, and a drone unit responded. After a six-hour standoff, Schulz was arrested.
According to KARE, surveillance footage showed Schulz allegedly choking Skafte, beating him with the golf club, and then impaling him with it when the handle of the golf club fell off. A criminal complaint obtained by KARE alleges that when a search warrant was executed at Schulz’s apartment, authorities found clothing that matched what was seen on the surveillance footage.
In January 2024, Schulz was deemed incompetent to stand trial. According to court records, “due to mental illness or cognitive impairment, [Schulz] lacks the ability to rationally consult with counsel; or lacks the ability to understand the proceedings or participate in the defense.”
MPR News reports a grand jury indicted Schulz on one count of first-degree premeditated murder in connection with Skafte’s death. On Sept. 10, Judge Michael Burns found him not guilty by reason of mental illness. Criminal proceedings had been paused while Schulz received treatment for bipolar type schizoaffective disorder and alcohol use disorder. In April, a forensic psychologist determined he had improved and was able to understand the court proceedings and participate in his defense.
MPR News reports that while prosecutors proved that Schulz killed Skafte, Burns found him not guilty because he “was laboring under such a defect of reason as not to know the nature of the act constituting the offense with which he is charged or that it was wrong.” He based that decision on three psychological evaluations of Schulz.
According to Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, MPR News reports “Mr. Schulz is not being returned to the community. He has been civilly committed indefinitely to a secure facility.”
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