Prosecutors dismiss case against 43-year-old accused of killing man, setting his body on fire

Prosecutors have dismissed a case against a man accused of killing someone and setting their body on fire.

Richard Handsome Carter Jr. faced one count of second-degree murder and two counts of first-degree arson.

In the filing, prosecutors said the decision was made after learning new information.

As previously reported, Minneapolis firefighters were called to the 1800 block of Central Avenue Northeast in February 2020. They found the victim face down, and his body was on fire.

Court documents state that there were pieces of plywood and other materials on the victim’s body to fuel the fire.

An autopsy later determined that the victim had been killed by blunt force injuries to his head and neck before he was set on fire.

Investigators learned that the victim was a tenant of the building and had been subletting a room in the basement to Carter to use as a recording studio.

In an interview with police, Carter said that the victim had cheated him out of $2,800 of rent money that he had paid to the victim but that the victim had never given to the landlord, court documents state. He claimed to have never set foot in the studio.

Carter denied killing the victim.