Docs: Man accused of killing housemate before setting fire to home had history of domestic violence with the victim
Feb 26, 2026, 6:31 AM
A photo of the Des Moines home that was set on fire after a roommate was stabbed to death. (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
A man accused of stabbing his roommate to death before allegedly setting their Des Moines home on fire to hide the crime has been charged.
On Feb. 1, South King Fire crews responded to a fire at a Des Moines home on S. 216th Street.
While searching the home, firefighters found a man dead inside the garage.
A medical examiner determined that the victim, a 45-year-old man, was slashed deeply in the chest and stabbed in the neck, and either one of those cuts could have been the cut that killed him. The medical examiner said that the victim was killed before the fire started, so his death was being investigated as a homicide.
An investigation determined that the fire at the home was intentionally set. It appears several fires were set, according to court documents.
Police arrested a suspect, 32-year-old Anthony Michael Srey, on Feb. 12 in connection with the arson and homicide.
According to court documents, Srey and the victim were housemates who had been living together for seven years.
It appears the pair had a history of domestic violence incidents, recorded in September 2023, December 2024, and a misdemeanor assault was filed in October 2025. The 45-year-old victim was also the victim in the October assault case, according to court documents.
Srey was on electronic home monitoring for unlawful possession of a firearm and attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle, according to court records.
Police confirmed the other six people who lived in the home were not there at the time of the fire.
His ankle monitor, GPS, and phone records placed him at the home at the time of the fire, and no one else came in or left, court docs said.
Ring surveillance video also showed him walking away from the home as flames could be seen and a fire alarm could be heard, court documents detailed.
“Anthony was an angry person who often harassed [the victim],” court docs allege. Family members said his demeanor on the Ring footage was focused, which was not normal for him.
Family also named Srey when asked who would want to hurt the victim, court documents said.
Srey has been charged with second-degree murder with a deadly weapon and first-degree arson. He pleaded not guilty to the charges on Wednesday.
Bail was set at $5,020,000.
His next court appearance is scheduled for March 16.
