New Charges Reveal Bloody Scene & Relationship Between Victim and Suspect in Minnesota Murder Case That Was Launched by Crash
Minneapolis, MN (KROC-AM News)- The Iowa woman, who was found with a body at a crash scene in Olmsted County, is now facing murder charges.
Read More: Sheriff Gives Update on Body Discovered in Crashed Car Near Eyota
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office filed the charges against 32-year-old Margot Lewis on Wednesday, one day after she was arraigned on a charge of interfering with a dead body in Olmsted County Court.
Lewis was identified as the driver of a car that crashed into the median at the Hwy. 42/I-90 interchange south of Eyota around 7:00 on the morning of June 22.
An Olmsted County Sheriff’s Deputy, who responded to the crash, found the body of 35-year-old Liaria Tsai in the back of the vehicle. The charges against Lewis indicate Tsai had died as a result of multiple sharp-force injuries before the crash.
Authorities executed a search warrant at Tsai’s Minneapolis apartment around 8:00 Saturday evening and found evidence that a violent incident had taken place at the residence.
The murder charges filed in Hennepin County Court described a bloody scene that law enforcement discovered at Tsai’s apartment.
Murder Charges Described Bloody Scene at Slain Woman's Minneapolis Apartment
The Minneapolis woman’s bed and bedding was “saturated with blood.” Authorities also located a bloodied plastic and metal object in the bed and noticed a steak knife was missing from a knife set in the residence, the complaint says.
Security camera footage shows Tsai’s vehicle, which was the car that crashed near Eyota, leaving the Minneapolis apartment complex around 4:30 Saturday morning, the charges say.
The driver’s outfit matched the clothing Lewis was seen wearing at the crash scene, according to the complaint. The responding deputy found Tsai’s body wrapped up in the back of the vehicle.
Charges: Minnesota Murder Victim and Suspect Had Prior Romantic Relationship
Investigators learned that Lewis and Tsai were previously in a romantic relationship. A former spouse of Tsai described the relationship to investigators as vile and said they knew Lewis was flying to Minneapolis to visit Tsai on June 21, the complaint says.
Lewis has not yet given a verbal statement to investigators, the charges say.
After being medically cleared following the crash, deputies brought Lewis to the Olmsted County Law Enforcement Center where she indicated she had taken a vow of silence and preferred communicating through sign language, according to the complaint.
The complaint says Lewis became combative when investigators told her they were taking a sample of her finger nails.
Murder Victim's Dog Found at Scene of High-Speed Minnesota Crash That Led to Body Discovery
State Patrol Public Information Office Sgt. Troy Christianson says the crash that led to the body discovery is still under investigation, however the murder charges indicate Lewis was driving Tsai’s vehicle at an estimated speed of 105 mph before it collided with the guardrail in front of the pillar supporting the Hwy. 42 overpass of the median on I-90.
Lewis was also traveling with Tsai’s dog at the time of the crash, the Hennepin County court document says.
Law enforcement has not yet located the missing knife. The complaint does list a reason why Lewis was traveling with Tsai's body in Southeast Minnesota.
Lewis is charged with two counts of second-degree murder. Her first appearance in Hennepin County Court has not yet been scheduled.
An Olmsted County Judge set Lewis’s bail at $1 million without conditions following her first court appearance on the dead body interference charge on Tuesday. Lewis’s next appearance in the Rochester-area case is set for July 5.
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