Ramsey judge tosses 2021 St. Paul arson case
Ramsey County District Judge Leonardo Castro dismissed the first-degree arson case against Matthew Ryan Gieske on Tuesday, citing insufficient evidence after prosecutors said their key eyewitness who could identify the arsonist left Minnesota and could not be located. The case stemmed from a Sept. 7, 2021 fire that severely damaged a North End apartment building on the 1600 block of Marion St.; the judge excluded body-cam clothing IDs as hearsay and found no remaining evidence tying Gieske to starting the blaze.
đ Key Facts
- Judge Leonardo Castro dismissed the case as a jury trial was set to begin, finding the state lacked identity evidence.
- Prosecutors said a key witness left Minnesota and could not be found; no reason was given for not calling the witness.
- The 2021 fire caused severe damage at a North End apartment; a partially melted gas can was recovered and no injuries were reported.
- Gieske, 42, had previously been found incompetent (Aug. 2023) and civilly committed, then deemed competent in July 2025.