Christian Dahm: Minnesota man pleads guilty to manslaughter in mother's death following arson

WHITE BEAR LAKE, MINNESOTA: A 45-year-old man admitted to causing the death of his 79-year-old mother by starting a fire at their White Bear Lake townhome in May 2023. 

He had previously been sent to prison for five years because he broke the rules of his probation from a 2022 conviction for having ammunition as someone who wasn't supposed to. 

In court on Friday, the accused Christian Thomas Dahm agreed to plead guilty to second-degree manslaughter. 

This happened at Ramsey County District Court. His lawyer will ask for a punishment that's not as harsh as what the state recommends. Dahm could be in prison for 7½ to 11 years. The judge will decide Dahm’s sentence on May 16th.

What happened at White Bear Lake townhome?

According to Twincities, the fire ignited on May 14, 2023, at Christian Dahm's parents' residence in the 2600 block of Aspen Court, near Glen Oaks Avenue and County Road D. 

Firefighters found Dahm’s mother, Patricia Dahm, inside her townhome unit in critical condition.

According to the criminal complaint, when responders arrived around 11:30 p.m., the Dahms’ townhome unit was completely engulfed in flames, and the fire was spreading to neighboring units. 

Christian’s father pointed towards him, who was on the back patio, and said, “He started the fire.”

Firefighters discovered Patricia Dahm inside her townhome unit. Although she had a pulse, she was struggling to breathe and had minor burns. Unfortunately, she passed away four days later in the burn unit at Regions Hospital.

Christian Dahm mentioned using oil pan before the fire erupted

During the investigation, Christian Dahm informed the police that he was in the garage working on his fishing pole on top of the car hood just before the fire broke out. 

According to the complaint, he mentioned using an oil pan and lighting a cigarette with a torch, and then suddenly, a fire erupted. 

Meanwhile, Dahm’s father stated that he and his wife decided to check on their son before going to bed because they suspected he was under the influence of methamphetamine and were worried. 

He described that when he opened the service door to the garage, it seemed like “everything exploded,” and he witnessed his son fleeing from the garage. 

According to the complaint, when firefighters rescued Patricia Dahm from the fire, smoke was emanating from her mouth. An autopsy revealed that she died due to complications from multiple burns and smoke inhalation.