2 arrested in beating death of 90-year-old Carver County man

Carver County Sheriff Jim Olson announced Tuesday that two suspects have been arrested in connection with the death of Earl Olander (right), a 90-year-old man who was found bound and beaten to death in his farmhouse last month.

Olson says a tip from a citizen led investigators to property that had been stolen from Olander's home and eventually to the suspects.

The adult men are being held in the Carver County jail and are expected to be charged in court on Wednesday, Olson says.

Olander's obituary says he was born in San Francisco township, which is also where he was killed in the farmhouse where he lived alone. His death left neighbors shocked and shaken.

Investigators said Olander was tied up and the home had been ransacked, although there was no sign of forced entry. The sheriff's office determined quickly that more than one person was involved in the crime but initially had no suspects.

A reward offered by Crime Stoppers of Minnesota started at $1,000 but had increased to $7,500, the Associated Press says.

Carver County authorities plan to discuss the case publicly Wednesday afternoon, after charges are filed in Chaska.