In a harrowing incident in Minnesota, a domestic dispute took a tragic turn when a man, angered by his girlfriend being insulted, allegedly killed his elderly roommate. The accused, 49-year-old Brandon Rose from Elk River, reportedly attacked William Canty Jr., aged 70, after Canty referred to Rose’s girlfriend as a “fatso.” Following the alleged murder, Rose attempted to take his own life, injecting himself with air and “methylene blue,” as per police reports.

In a series of text messages sent shortly before the incident, Rose expressed his outrage over the insult. “Anyone who calls another [h]uman being a fatso and giggles….is not a human,” he wrote to his girlfriend, as cited in a criminal complaint obtained by Law&Crime.

On January 4, Rose allegedly informed his girlfriend of Canty’s death and his own failed suicide attempt during a phone call. According to the complaint, Rose referred to himself as a “dead man walking.” He initially hung up but later called back, bizarrely claiming Canty was alive yet indicating he still intended to end his own life.

Alarmed by the conversation, the girlfriend contacted the police. Officers responded to the residence on the 17900 block of Fillmore Street early Sunday morning, where they discovered Canty’s lifeless body concealed beneath a pile of laundry in the bathroom. Nearby, they found a blood-stained shower curtain in a laundry basket and a bloody bathrobe belt tie hanging on a towel rack, presenting a grim scene.

Brandon Rose now faces charges of second-degree murder, shedding light on a shocking act of violence spurred by a hurtful comment. The investigation continues as authorities piece together the events leading to this tragic outcome.

Rose was found unconscious in a bedroom “with a needle stuck in his arm,” according to the complaint. “Officers noticed that several small couches were overturned and that a syringe with a blue substance was near [Rose],” the complaint says.

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.