A North Liberty woman is facing second-degree murder charges after authorities discovered her ex-partner’s body in a car crash in Olmsted County, Minnesota, over the weekend. Margot Lewis, 32, was taken into custody by the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office following a single-vehicle accident near the intersection of Interstate 90 and Highway 42 in Eyota, located east of Rochester.
Upon arriving at the scene, witnesses informed deputies that there was a body in the back seat of the gray Chevrolet Sonic that Lewis had been driving. The vehicle had crashed into the center median barrier of I-90 while traveling at approximately 105 mph, as per a criminal complaint.
Authorities inspected the vehicle and discovered the deceased individual, identified as Liara Tsai, 35, wrapped in bedding and a mattress, with a stab wound to her neck. It was evident that Tsai did not perish in the crash, indicating foul play. Tsai and Lewis were reported to be former romantic partners, according to the complaint.
Further investigation revealed that Tsai was the registered owner of the car Lewis was operating, and a dog found at the crash site belonged to Tsai as confirmed by its microchip. Law enforcement subsequently sought assistance from the Minneapolis Police Department to search Tsai’s studio apartment in Minneapolis. Inside the apartment, police found traces of blood on the bed, bedding, and in the bathroom, along with missing items from the car’s trunk and a knife absent from the kitchen.
Witnesses described the relationship between Lewis and Tsai as tumultuous, with Tsai anticipating Lewis’s visit between specific dates in late June. Evidence from an airline flight tag discovered in the crashed car and airport security footage revealed that Lewis had traveled from Boston to Minneapolis on the day of the incident, despite her listed address being in North Liberty.
Surveillance footage from outside Tsai’s apartment captured her vehicle leaving early Saturday morning, hours before the crash. The driver of the car in the footage matched Lewis’s description, with Tsai’s dog also visible inside the vehicle. Lewis, who remained silent and uncooperative with investigators, was initially charged with interference with a dead body before facing second-degree murder charges in Hennepin County.
Currently held at the Olmsted County Jail on a $1 million bail, Lewis awaits further legal proceedings in connection with the tragic incident.