Instagram/Olmsted County Sheriff's Office
A woman has now been charged with murder, after her ex -- with whom she reportedly had a "sordid and emotionally challenging relationship" -- was found dead, wrapped in bloody bedding, in her backseat following a single-car accident.
An Iowa woman has now been charged with the murder of her ex, 35-year-old Minnesota DJ and activist, Liara Tsai (above left).
On Wednesday, Margot Lewis (above right) was hit with two charges of second-degree murder -- with and without intent -- after previously being arrested for interference with a dead body or scene of death earlier this week.
The charges come after deputies from the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene of a single-vehicle car accident last Saturday. When they arrived, they found Lewis being tended to by a Good Samaritan, before making a horrific discovery inside the vehicle.
According to a new criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County on Wednesday, obtained by TooFab, deputies observed "a human body wrapped in bedding, a mattress, and covered with a tarp with the head of the individual visible." They added, "The body was cold to the touch and without a pulse. There was dried blood soaked on the bedding wrapped around the body."
It became apparent the victim, Tsai, didn't die as a result of the crash, with the medical examiner discovering a "gaping puncture wound" to the her neck. Her death was ruled a homicide, with evidence of "multiple sharp force injuries" to her neck and hands.
As the investigation continued, deputies learned Tsai was a "former romantic partner" of Lewis -- and that the vehicle at the scene was Tsai's, according to the complaint. Medical documents in the car and a microchip on Tsai's dog -- which was also at the scene of the crash -- then revealed her Minneapolis address, for which investigators then obtained a search warrant. Inside the apartment, they said they found a "bloody scene," noting that Tsai's bed was "saturated with blood."
"A bloody plastic and metal object was also located in the bed," read the complain, which also pointed out that a single steak knife was missing from a butcher block in the kitchen. The knife wasn't found in the apartment.
The victim's former spouse, meanwhile, allegedly told investigators Lewis was supposed to visit Tsai from June 21 to June 29, with a flight tag in the crashed vehicle matching up with Lewis' trip. Surveillance footage also allegedly shows Tsai's vehicle at the airport in Minneapolis, picking up the suspect. The docs claim Tsai's former spouse said the suspect and victim had a "sordid and emotionally challenging" relationship.
Additional surveillance footage showed Tsai's vehicle leaving her garage around 4:37am on Saturday -- with the driver wearing clothes similar to what Lewis was wearing when arrested. Tsais' dog was also spotted on the front seat in the video.
After being treated at the hospital, Lewis was brought to the sheriff's office -- but hasn't been cooperative, according to authorities.
"Investigators subsequently learned that she has taken a vow of silence and would prefer to communicate with sign language. Once at the sheriff's office, Defendant sat down on the floor, pulled her knees into her chest, lowered her head, and began to cry," read the complaint.
Deputies also said Lewis was "uncooperative" with collection of evidence from her body.
"When officers explained that they were going to collect evidence from her person, Defendant stood up, shut her eyes, and began feeling the floor, walls, and furniture in the room with her eyes closed," they wrote. "As officers tried to guide her to a chair in the room, she became combative, pushing and kicking at officers."
The complaint notes she also allegedly "balled up her hands in an attempt to prevent access to her nails" when trying to obtain fingernail clippings.
As of Wednesday, Lewis was still in custody in Olmsted County, where her bail has been set at $1.5 million.
