Landlord allegedly set roommate on fire, charged with murder

ANOKA, Minn. - A Minnesota landlord is charged with murder for allegedly setting his roommate on fire.

Twenty-nine-year-old Adam John Lilienthal was charged Thursday with three counts of second-degree murder after the 55-year-old victim died earlier in the day.

Authorities say Lilienthal fled the scene after Scott Yorek was burned Tuesday night at the house they shared in Andover, about 20 miles northwest of Minneapolis. Yorek suffered burns over 80 percent of his body.

Lilienthal was arrested hours later near Orr in northern Minnesota.

Authorities describe the conflict as a dispute between a landlord and a tenant. The Anoka County sheriff's office says deputies had gone to the men's home earlier Tuesday concerning a dispute between them but left once the parties agreed "to separate for the evening."

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports Lilienthal makes his first court appearance Friday.