A judge, citing insufficient evidence for a trial to proceed, dismissed a case this week against a man who was accused of lighting a St. Paul apartment on fire three years ago.

Ramsey County District Judge Leonardo Castro threw out the case against Matthew Ryan Gieske on Tuesday as a jury trial was about to begin, later noting in his order that the prosecution said in court the witness who could identify Gieske as the man who started the fire would not be called to testify.

“The State did not provide a reason why it was not calling the witness,” the judge’s dismissal order read.

Dennis Gerhardstein, spokesman for the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office, said Thursday in a statement that a “key witness” had left Minnesota and could not be located for trial.

Gieske, 42, of St. Paul, had been

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