Medical Examiner: Minneapolis man's death from alleged summer arson a homicide

A 53-year-old Minneapolis man has died of thermal and inhalation injuries suffered in an alleged arson in June, authorities say.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's office on Friday ruled the manner of death a homicide.

The man, Darrin Lamont Solomon, was one of two male victims that Minneapolis firefighters discovered in early June, while responding to a house fire on the 3300 block of Emerson Ave. North.

Both victims were transported to Hennepin Health, and Solomon was put into a medically-induced coma, police said. Solomon died three months later on Sept. 2, according to the medical examiner's office.

Prosecutors charged David Francis Chamberlain, 37, in Hennepin County District Court with second-degree unintentional murder while committing a felony and first-degree arson in a dwelling. He is being held at the county jail in lieu of $500,000 bail.

According to the charges, one of the residents said that on the day of the fire, Chamberlain visited the home in search of another resident, Solomon's brother, identified only by his initials in the complaint. Solomon's brother was not home at the time and was at a corner store. While on the way to the store, he said he saw Chamberlain walking toward the house.

By the time he returned, two chairs were on fire on the back porch. His roommate attempted to remove the chairs from the porch, but the fire was spreading. He went upstairs to get his brother, Darrin Solomon.

Following the fire, Solomon had burns on over 70% of his body. His brother, who retrieved him, had second degree burns on multiple parts of his body.

It is unclear whether Solomon was also a resident of the home.

Witnesses reported that in the days leading up to the fire, Chamberlain had been showing up to the house unannounced and uninvited, breaking in, causing problems with the residents and behaving erratically. Witnesses said he threatened to burn the house down.

Chamberlain is scheduled to make a court appearance on Dec. 7.

Christina Saint Louis • 612-673-4668