A St. Paul man has admitted he set a northeast Minneapolis duplex on fire last September, a blaze that killed his childhood friend and rattled the neighborhood. Andrew Nietz pleaded guilty this week to second‑degree murder in the case, entering the plea just days before his trial was set to start.
According to WCCO, court documents show Nietz pleaded guilty to one count of second‑degree murder and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 11, 2026. Prosecutors say the fire was set late on Sept. 24, 2025, on 22nd Avenue Northeast near Northeast Jackson Street, and that firefighters arrived to find heavy flames already tearing through the building.
The Fire and the Victim
The man found inside the unit was identified by family as 39‑year‑old Housten Housley, who lived in one side of the duplex. Relatives described him as generous and well-liked. Three other residents escaped the blaze, and the property owner said she had previously let Nietz stay in the building before evicting him, as reported by the Star Tribune.
What Investigators Allege
Investigators say neighbors saw Nietz at Housley’s residence shortly before the fire was reported and that he had earlier threatened to burn the house. Police later found Nietz driving Housley’s car, and court records show location data placed his device at the residence from about 8:06 p.m. until the time of the fire. Officers also reported observing scratches on his arms and face during an interview, according to KSTP.
A History of Arson
Court documents note that Nietz has at least two prior arson convictions, a 2012 first‑degree arson conviction tied to a fire at the Mall of America and a fifth‑degree arson conviction from March 20, 2023, for a trash‑can fire at Minneapolis‑Saint Paul International Airport. Those earlier cases are cited in the charging history prosecutors relied on as they pursued the current murder and arson counts, according to the Star Tribune.
Family's Account
Housley’s mother, Pamela Lazor, told reporters her son and Nietz had been on‑and‑off friends for years and that she once rented a room to Nietz before evicting him over drug use. Lazor said the two sometimes fought when drinking, a history she says helps explain the animus between them, as noted by WCCO.
Legal Consequences
Because Nietz pleaded guilty to second‑degree murder, he faces statutory exposure that can include decades behind bars. Minnesota’s murder‑in‑the‑second‑degree statute allows imprisonment for not more than 40 years, according to the Revisor of Statutes. Sentencing on May 11 will give prosecutors and the defense a chance to lay out the aggravating and mitigating facts for the judge to weigh.
