Shocking Roommate Dispute Turns Deadly: Man Hides Body After Fatal Attack Over Insult

In Minnesota, a man allegedly killed his 70-year-old roommate after the latter made derogatory remarks about his girlfriend, calling her a “fatso.” The accused, following the incident, reportedly attempted suicide by injecting himself with air and a chemical known as “methylene blue,” as stated by the police.

Brandon Rose, 49, from Elk River, sent a text to his girlfriend condemning anyone who ridicules another person as a “fatso,” labeling such individuals as inhuman. This message was sent just hours before he allegedly murdered his roommate, William Canty Jr. Details of this shocking event are outlined in a criminal complaint acquired by Law&Crime.

Facing charges of second-degree murder, Rose reportedly informed his girlfriend on January 4 about Canty’s demise and his own suicide attempt. During the call, he referred to himself as a “dead man walking,” as per the complaint.

Though Rose initially ended the call, he later reconnected with his girlfriend, attempting to convince her that Canty was still alive but maintained that he was still planning to end his own life, according to the complaint.

The woman, concerned for safety, contacted the authorities. Upon their arrival at the residence on Fillmore Street, police discovered Canty’s lifeless body concealed under a stack of clothes in the bathroom. Nearby, they found a bloody shower curtain and a bloodstained bathrobe belt hanging on a towel rack.

Rose was discovered unconscious in a bedroom with a needle embedded in his arm. The complaint notes that several small couches had been overturned, and a syringe containing a blue substance was found near Rose.

Cops administered Narcan to Rose and he regained consciousness. Medical personnel arrived on scene and began treating him, during which officers allegedly “overheard” Rose talking about Canty and how he had “sexually propositioned him” before the killing.

“I won’t do it,” Rose recounted telling Canty, according to the complaint. He had “blue dye” and blood on his hands and shorts, the document says. His right hand allegedly appeared swollen and bruised. The “blue dye” was also found on Canty’s body.

“In [Rose’s] bedroom officers located a bottle identified as containing methylene blue and the label had the same color of blue dye as observed on [Rose] and [Canty],” the complaint alleges.

Police spoke with Rose’s girlfriend and she said she spoke to him several times on Jan. 3 and during the early morning hours of Jan. 4. She said Rose was “rambling on the phone, stating that his roommate is dead and that [Rose] had injected himself with air three times,” according to cops.

The woman recalled staying the night with Rose at the home on Jan. 2 and said “everything seemed fine” between the roommates. She said Rose, however, had accused Canty of making sexual advances toward him.

“[Rose] told her that during the evening of Dec. 31, 2025, [Canty] had entered his room, intoxicated, and asked [Rose] if he had ever had sex with a male,” the complaint says. “[Rose] told the [girlfriend] that he planned on forgetting the incident and act as though it had never happened.”

The woman stated that Rose allegedly told her that Canty called her “fat” and other names, while saying he did “the worst thing possible” to him.

Rose admitted in police interviews that “there was a scuffle” between him and Canty, according to the complaint. “All I can say is that he came into my room,” Rose allegedly told investigators. “[Rose] later referenced [Canty] being in his room and touching him,” the complaint concludes.

An autopsy of Canty showed that he sustained “numerous fractures” to his front, back and side ribs, that his clavicle was broken, he had fractured interior bones of his neck, and also suffered from brain bleeding.

Rose was arrested and charged with murder on Tuesday in Sherburne County. He is being held without bond and awaiting his next court date.