Man pleads guilty to murder for intentionally starting deadly Minneapolis duplex fire

A man accused of purposefully starting a fire at a northeast Minneapolis duplex that killed his childhood friend entered a guilty plea days before his trial was set to start.

Court documents show Andrew Nietz pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder on Friday.

A sentencing is scheduled for Nietz on May 11.

The deadly fire happened late at night on Sept 24, 2025, on 22nd Avenue Northeast near Northeast Jackson Street. Firefighters arrived to find heavy fire coming from the first and second floors of the residence. Inside, firefighters found a deceased man, later identified as 39-year-old son Housten Housley.

Investigators responded to the scene and learned from other residents that they had seen Nietz at Housley's residence shortly before the fire. Charges say Nietz had previously made threats against Housley, including threats to set the house on fire.

Housley's mother, Pamela Lazor, told WCCO her son went to school with Nietz and had been on-and-off friends for years. Charges say Lazor told police she used to rent a room to the suspect but had to evict him due to his drug use, according to court documents. She added that Housley and Nietz previously had physical fights.

Hours later, police found Nietz driving Housley's car. Charges say when officers asked Nietz how he got the vehicle, he told them that Housley had sent him to the liquor store just before 10 p.m. He claimed he couldn't get inside Housley's residence when he got back and tried to call him several times, so he drove around south Minneapolis.

However, charges allege a review of Nietz's phone did not show any evidence that he had tried to call Housley. Additionally, location data revealed the device had been at Housley's residence from 8:06 p.m. until the time of the fire.

Officers reported that they observed scratches on Nietz's arm and face during his interview.

Nietz has two prior convictions for arson, including a conviction in the fifth degree from March 20, 2023. In that case, he started a trash can on fire at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. He was also convicted of first-degree arson in 2012 for starting a fire at the Mall of America.

The video above originally aired on Oct. 7, 2025.