Andover Man Convicted Of Murder In Burning Death Of Roommate
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 30-year-old Andover man was convicted of four counts of first-degree murder Thursday in the June 2014 burning death of his 55-year-old roommate at their Anoka County residence.
A jury spent about two hours deliberating Thursday before Adam John Lilienthal was found guilty in the death of Scott David Yorek.
According to court documents, Yorek had been renting a room from Lilienthal, but there had been tension between the two men and Lilienthal became angry at him.
Officers were called to the 1300 block of 137th Lane NW in Anoka County at about 9:40 p.m. back in June on a possible house fire. When authorities arrived, they found Yorek, who had been severely burned inside the home.
An investigation showed Lilienthal got gasoline from his garage, poured it over Yorek while he was laying on his bed and set him on fire. Lilienthal fled the residence before authorities arrived.
Officers found him near a cabin he owned in Orr, Minn. Several hours later, Yorek died from his injuries. Earlier in the night, officers were at the residence for a dispute between the two, but no crime had been committed and the two agreed to separate for the night.
Lilienthal also suffered minor burns to his face in the incident. The Anoka County Sheriff's Office led the investigation with assistance from the Anoka County Fire Investigative Team.
He will be sentenced in the case Friday morning.