Life in prison for Andover man convicted of burning roommate to death

The Andover, Minnesota, man found guilty of setting his roommate on fire last year will never see the outside of a prison again.

Adam John Lilienthal was sentenced to life in prison on Friday, after having been convicted on four counts of first-degree murder in the death of the man who was renting a room from him, KARE 11 reports.

The station says that sentence comes without the possibility of parole.

It apparently started with a personal conflict between Lilienthal and the 55-year-old man who was renting the room.

According to a press release issued by the Anoka County Sheriff's Office after the June 2014 incident, deputies had responded to a dispute at the home Lilienthal shared with the victim just hours before the burning.

The conflict seemed to have been settled amicably, with both men agreeing to "separate for the evening."

But later that night, deputies returned on a report of a possible house fire and found the man badly burned. He was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center, where he later died.

Lilienthal fled the scene and was subsequently arrested in a cabin in Orr, Minnesota, WCCO reports.

The station says an investigation found Lilienthal poured gasoline over the victim while he was on his bed and then ignited the deadly blaze.

According to KSTP, Anoka County Attorney Tony Palumbo described the crime as an “extremely cruel act.”