Duluth man sentenced to 17 years in prison for deadly stabbing, house fire

A 27-year-old northern Minnesota man has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for stabbing another man dozens of times before setting fire to his home.

Tyler Walter Edwards pleaded guilty in April to second-degree unintentional murder for the July 25, 2024, death of Maxton Keith Gudowski.

According to the criminal complaint, first responders were called to the burning residence on 47th Avenue East in Duluth, Minnesota, where they eventually found the remains of Gudowski.  

Charges say Edwards and Gudowski were seen together two days before the incident at a bank, where Gudowski attempted to cash a check from his grandmother. Employees told police Edwards seemed "agitated and impatient and at one point told the victim that it was taking too long and that they needed to get out of there."

Hours before the fire, surveillance video from a liquor store showed Edwards buying 20 50 ml liquor bottles. Footage from the bank and the liquor store showed Edwards wearing distinctive sunglasses with white frames, which were found under Gudowski's body, the complaint states.

About 20 minutes after crews arrived at the fire, surveillance footage from a nearby gas station showed Edwards inside with a "dark stain" on his shorts. He was then seen walking around the Lakewalk and Canal Park areas for hours, eventually walking fully clothed into Lake Superior and wading around for half an hour.

Later that afternoon, a police sergeant found Edwards in a public restroom near the Lakewalk. The complaint states Edwards falsely identified himself as "Quan" — a name later found written on a styrofoam plate in the room where Gudowski was found dead.

Investigators later found Edwards' DNA on and around the victim and the apartment.