On June 5, 2026, just after 8:00 P.M. Emergency services were dispatched to a structure fire on 206th Ave NE in the City of East Bethel, Anoka County, Minnesota. Arriving fire departments were able to extinguish the active fire, but the attached garage was a complete loss and there was extensive damage to the residence. No occupants were home at the time of the fire. Law enforcement spoke with neighbors of the residence who reported seeing a suspicious person in the area prior to the fire. Witness 1 reported having seen an individual coming out of the wooded area of the property on foot and carrying a container of some sort.
The male was described as a white male, possibly in his thirties, with short dark hair and wearing a dark shirt, dark shorts with stripes and a drawstring backpack. Another neighboring resident, Witness 2, provided two surveillance videos depicting the same male, carrying a blue container and walking into the woods. Detectives located a blue laundry detergent jug in the woods which smelled strongly of gasoline. The jug was taken into evidence. The State Fire Marshall, along with the Anoka County Fire Investigation Team, responded to the scene.
The fire was deemed to have been caused by arson. The investigation is ongoing and formal reports are pending. Law enforcement learned that the resident of the burned home, Victim 1, had previously received threats from a male identified as the Defendant herein, RUSSELL CHASE UNDERDAHL [DOB REDACTED]. Detectives learned that the Defendant was a suspect in an unrelated arson in Isanti County from the previous month. The Defendant is presently residing in a sober home in the City of St. Paul and surveillance images of him leaving and returning to the residence on the day of the fire were provided to law enforcement.
In these images, the Defendant is wearing the same clothing and backpack as observed in the neighbor’s surveillance footage. Staff at the sober home shared that the Defendant had accumulated multiple laundry jugs which he kept at the back of the residence. A search warrant was executed at the sober home where the Defendant was residing on June 8, 2026. Detectives located clothing matching that worn on the day of the fire. A strong odor of gasoline was noted in the area of the clothing. A piece of notebook paper was also located which included the victims’ address and last name.
There was a second address with an arrow to the victims address that noted “Grace Counseling.” Also located was a page inside of a notebook paper with directions “from Grace” to the victim’s address. It was learned that the Defendant utilizes "medical taxis" for transportation, and it is believed that is how he arranged for transportation to the area on the day of the fire. The Defendant was taken into custody on unrelated warrants and is presently in the Chisago County Jail. The State is asking this matter issue as a body only warrant so appropriate conditions of release can be addressed.
