A Duluth man who admitted fatally stabbing his neighbor, then setting the body on fire in the victim’s apartment, has been ordered to serve 17 years in prison. The 204 month sentence was handed down Monday, June 15, 2026, in St. Louis County District Court. With credit for time already served, he is expected to spend slightly less than 11 years behind bars, with the rest on supervised release. The case has resurfaced in public conversation around Duluth because of the level of violence and the painstaking investigation that followed.
According to a news release from the St. Louis County Attorney's Office, Tyler Walter Edwards pleaded guilty on April 21, 2026, to second-degree unintentional murder in the July 25, 2024 death of Maxton Keith Gudowski and was remanded to custody while awaiting sentencing. The release notes that the plea was entered before Judge Jill A. Eichenwald and that Duluth Criminal Division head Nathaniel Stumme prosecuted the case.
What Investigators Say About The Scene
Investigators found Gudowski inside his Lakeside apartment with an electric blanket under his body and accelerant on and around him, according to the Star Tribune. An autopsy by the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office documented more than 30 stab wounds and determined that Gudowski was already dead before the fire started. After sentencing, St. Louis County Attorney Kim Maki said, “this case is about a life that was taken and the lasting impact on family, friends, and the community.”
How Investigators Pieced Together The Timeline
Prosecutors pointed to surveillance footage and a bank receipt showing Edwards and Gudowski together in the days leading up to the killing, then to video that captured Edwards buying 20 small bottles of 99 Fruit Punch that investigators say were later used as an accelerant. According to CBS Minnesota, additional footage allegedly shows Edwards entering a gas station, roaming near the Lakewalk and Canal Park, and wading into Lake Superior before officers eventually found him. When confronted, he initially gave a false name.
Sentence Details And Next Steps
Court records show that Edwards received a sentence of 204 months. With jail credit applied, he is expected to serve slightly less than 11 years in a Minnesota state prison, with the remaining time to be served on supervised release, according to reporting in the Star Tribune. In its statement, the St. Louis County Attorney’s Office credited the Duluth Police Department, the Duluth Fire Department, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for their work on the investigation.
Background And Courtroom Reaction
Court filings and earlier coverage show that Edwards was arrested in Superior and then transferred to Hennepin County on a warrant alleging he violated the terms of a prior sexual assault sentence, according to FOX 9. The courtroom was filled with family members and other victims at sentencing, where the killing was described as senseless. Maxton’s mother told the judge that no sentence could bring her son back, Northern News Now reported.
