On a crisp autumn day in northern Minnesota, what began as a recreational hunting trip ended in tragedy for Paul Scholl. The 50-year-old male from Bemidji was in the woods of Mahnomen County on November 8, 2014, when he sustained a fatal injury. Initially, the circumstances surrounding his death were investigated by local law enforcement to understand the sequence of events that led to the unfortunate outcome.
The Mahnomen County Sheriff's Office, in conjunction with the Minnesota Bureau
of Criminal Apprehension, conducted a thorough investigation into Scholl's death. For more than a year, authorities meticulously examined evidence from the scene, including physical and forensic evidence, and took statements to piece together the events of that day. The investigation aimed to determine whether any foul play was involved in the incident that cost the husband and father his life.
In the spring of 2016, the official investigation concluded. After reviewing all the collected evidence, the Mahnomen County Sheriff's Office and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension publicly announced their findings. They determined that Paul Scholl's death was the result of an accidental shooting that occurred while he was hunting. With this conclusion, the authorities ruled out any criminal intent or foul play, and the case was officially closed. No arrests were made, and no suspects were ever named as the investigation found the death to be a tragic accident.