Minnesota man sentenced to 19 years in prison for killing brother with landscaping block

By Hannah Shirley

June 19, 2020 at 3:03 PM

CROOKSTON, Minn. -- A Fergus Falls man was sentenced to 19 years in prison for second-degree murder of his brother last June.

Nicholas Hauge, 29, has reported to the Minnesota Department of Corrections in St. Cloud for his sentence. He also was ordered to pay $7,831 in restitution, as well as other court fees.

Hauge was arrested last year after his brother, 19-year-old Timothy Hauge, was found dead in a Fosston, Minn., lawn with blunt force trauma to his head. One 911 caller said she had witnessed someone, later identified as Hauge, throwing objects at a man who appeared to be passed out on the lawn.

According to court documents, Hauge was found standing in the road with blood on his arms and clothing. A landscaping brick with blood on the corner was found nearby, according to documents.

Prosecutors in the case noted that Timothy Hauge appeared to have been treated with "particular cruelty."

Hauge initially was charged with two counts of second-degree murder and faced a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison for both counts. One of the counts was dismissed when he pleaded guilty in March.

By Hannah Shirley

Hannah Shirley is the managing editor for the Grand Forks Herald. Shirley previously covered cops and courts for the Herald. They are a 2018 graduate of the University of Idaho, and prior to working for the Herald worked as a reporter for the Berkshire Record in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Shirley can be reached at hshirley@gfherald.com.