Elk River man accused of fatally beating roommate, putting body under pile of laundry

Prosecutors say a Sherburne County man beat his roommate to death and put him under a pile of laundry, according to charges.

Brandon Donald Rose, 49, of Elk River, was charged on Jan. 6 with two counts of second-degree murder in connection with the death two days earlier of 70-year-old William Joseph Canty Jr. at the home in the 17900 block of Fillmore Street NW.

Rose was arrested soon after Canty’s death and remains jailed in lieu of $3 million bail. He’s due in court on Jan. 14. Court records do not list an attorney for him.

An autopsy found that Canty suffered numerous broken ribs, a broken collarbone and neck fractures from likely “blunt force trauma and/or asphyxiation,” the charges noted.

Court records show that Rose’s criminal history in Minnesota includes seven convictions for assault, one each for domestic abuse and violating a court order for protection.

According to the criminal complaint:

Rose’s girlfriend called police and said he had killed his roommate and was going to kill himself.

Once inside, officers found Canty on the floor with injuries to his head and neck. They immediately determined that he was dead.

The officers found Rose in a basement bedroom. He was unresponsive and had a needle stuck in one arm. A syringe nearby contained a blue substance, later determined to be a medication to treat a blood disease. The officers used naloxone to revive him.

Rose said while being treated by medical personnel that he rebuffed Canty’s sexual overture.