Police: Former romantic partner charged with murder after Minneapolis woman found dead
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An Iowan was charged Wednesday on suspicion of murdering a former romantic partner and transporting her body in southern Minnesota, according to Hennepin County court documents.
On Saturday morning, police arrived at the scene of a single-vehicle car crash in Olmsted County. They found the driver of the vehicle, Margot Lewis, 32, seated on a lawn chair in the median of Interstate 90 by the exit to Highway 42 near Eyota, according to the charges.
Two people who stopped to offer help told police they saw a dead person in the back seat. The deputies determined the person was not killed in the car crash. She was wrapped in bedding, a mattress, and covered in a tarp, with a puncture wound on her neck and she was cold to the touch.
The victim — identified by Olmsted County officials as 35-year-old Liara Tsai — was the owner of the car.
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LGBTQ advocacy organization OutFront Minnesota shared a statement about Tsai, saying she was a DJ, producer, crisis counselor and a “beloved member of the trans community in Minnesota.”
“We mourn her loss and urge a full investigation of her death. We extend our deepest sympathies to those closest to her; and to all who found connection through her music. We hope that Liara will be remembered for the music she created and the joy she brought to community spaces,” the statement from OutFront said.
An autopsy found Tsai died from multiple sharp-force injuries.
Investigators went to Tsai’s apartment in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis, which is about 100 miles away from where her body was found.
“Upon execution of the warrant, investigators encountered a bloody scene noting that victim’s bed and bedding were saturated with blood. A bloody plastic and metal object was also located in the bed. Smaller amounts of blood were located in the apartment’s bathroom,” the statement of probable cause said.
Investigators also noted a missing knife from the kitchen, which was not found in their search of the apartment.
Lewis was visiting Tsai from Boston, according to investigators, who found an airline flight tag in the crashed vehicle and also confirmed through surveillance at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport that Tsai’s vehicle picked up Lewis from the airport at 11:08 p.m. on June 21.
It is not yet clear when Tsai died.
When asked whether the incident may have been motivated by anti-trans bias or a hate crime, Olmsted County Sheriff Kevin Torgerson said on Wednesday there is no indication it is, as both the suspect and the victim are transgender. Police have referred to Lewis with she/her pronouns, although her gender on court documents is listed as unknown.
Torgerson said it also appears the crash may have been intentional.
Lewis is in custody in Olmsted County, charged with a felony count of concealing a dead body. Officers obtained a search warrant for evidence from Lewis, who they said has not cooperated with the investigation.
“As officers tried to guide her to a chair in the room, she became combative, pushing and kicking at officers. When officers informed her that they were going to take fingernail clippings from her, (Lewis) balled up her hands in an attempt to prevent access to her nails,” the statement of probable cause said.
The charges state a warrant is requested to facilitate Lewis’ transfer from Olmsted County to Hennepin County.
If you or someone you know is in a dangerous situation with their partner, there is a 24-hour statewide domestic violence hotline. You can call Minnesota DayOne at (866) 223-1111 or text (612) 399-9995.