4 years later, arrest made and charges filed in death of Minneapolis man set ablaze in basement

More than four years after a man was found dead inside a Minneapolis commercial and residential building, murder and arson charges have been filed against another man who sublet a room there.

Richard Handsome Carter Jr., 42, of St. Paul was due in Hennepin County District Court on Tuesday after being charged with second-degree murder and first-degree arson in connection with the small fire on Feb. 28, 2020, that killed Wayne Jacob Arvidson, 52, of Minneapolis.

Arvidson’s body was found as crews were putting out a small fire in a building in the 1800 block of NE. Central Avenue around 2:35 a.m.

Charges were filed June 5 but kept under a court-order seal until he was booked midday Monday into the Hennepin County jail. Messages were left with his attorney seeking a response to the allegations.

The Chisago County Sheriff’s Office, alerted that a warrant was out for Carter’s arrest, apprehended him Friday shortly after 7 a.m. at a home about 8 miles northeast of Cambridge in Fish Lake Township, the Sheriff’s Office said.

“Mr. Carter was known to law enforcement in our agency from prior contacts with him at the aforementioned address,” said Sheriff’s Capt. Andrew Mahowald. “Law enforcement made contact with Mr. Carter via PA, and he came out and was arrested without incident.”

Court records reveal that Carter has a long and at times violent criminal history in Minnesota. He has been convicted six times for various degrees of assault, and once each for terroristic threats, disorderly conduct, trespassing, illegal drug possession and drunken driving.

According to the criminal complaint:

Firefighters arrived at the scene about 2:20 a.m. and saw that a small fire was burning in the basement. As they went down the stairs, they saw blood spatter on the walls before seeing Arvidson face down, covered by burning plywood and engulfed in flames.

The medical examiner’s autopsy found that Arvidson had injuries to his head and neck that investigators suspect were inflicted with a 5-gallon paint bucket that was next to the body. The investigators believe he was killed before being set on fire.

The building’s landlord disclosed to police that Arvidson was behind on his rent and about to be evicted from his apartment, where Carter sublet a room as a recording studio.

Carter told investigators he had never been in the basement, which included the room he sublet. He said Arvidson cheated him out of $2,800 of rent money that was not turned over to the landlord as required.

Carter denied killing Arvidson and said he was at the home of a girlfriend at the time.

Law enforcement collected DNA from Carter and compared it to samples collected from items at the fire scene, including a grill lighter found near Arvidson’s body. Analysis pointed to Carter as having handled the lighter.