On Monday, a Hennepin County jury found 33-year-old Margot Lewis guilty of murdering Liara Tsai, her former girlfriend, in a brutal attack that came to a bizarre end on Interstate 90 near Highway 42 in Eyota, Minnesota.
The Killer Sat in a Lawn Chair Waiting to be Discovered
Prosecutors say that Lewis fatally stabbed Tsai in her studio apartment on June 22, 2024. After the attack, Lewis wrapped Tsai’s body in bedding, a mattress pad, and a tarp before placing her in the backseat of Tsai’s car. What happened next is both surreal and horrifying. Driving at high speed along I-90 near Eyota, Lewis crashed the vehicle. Witnesses later told police that Lewis then pulled out a lawn chair, sat down in the grassy median, and waited. When two bystanders stopped to help, they found Tsai’s body in the backseat. Only her head was visible above the bloodied bedding. Police later confirmed that it was immediately clear her injuries had not come from the crash.
Police Found A Brutal Crime Scene
Investigators searched Tsai’s home and found blood on the bed, a missing kitchen knife, antifreeze, a small shovel, and other objects that suggested planning or concealment. The medical examiner determined Tsai was stabbed in the neck and left to bleed to death in her apartment before Lewis attempted to move her body. The most bizarre part of this story – the highway crash – shows the dissonance between Lewis’s seemingly calm posture in the median and the violence that preceded her final moments of freedom. Court documents describe her behavior as “unpredictable,” requiring high levels of observation while in custody.
Tsai’s Death is a Loss to the Community
For Tsai’s friends, the trial has been a painful reminder of what they lost. Steven Seuling, who often hired Tsai to DJ events, said she was more than just a performer—she was an advocate and a connector. “She was a community and trans activist,” Seuling told the Star Tribune. “She was very, very much more than just a DJ.” Tsai had told Seuling shortly before her death that a friend was moving from Iowa to stay with her. That friend, it turned out, was Lewis.
There Are More Charges To Come
The jury’s conviction of Lewis on second-degree murder charges includes aggravating factors which allow for a harsher sentence. Lewis also faces additional charges in Olmsted County for concealing Tsai’s body. Sentencing is set for November 18.
