Minnesota woman found guilty of murdering transgender ex-girlfriend, driving with body inside car

A Minnesota jury on Monday convicted Margot G. Lewis, 33, of second-degree murder in the June 2024 stabbing death of Liara Tsai, a 35-year-old transgender activist and DJ, in Minneapolis. Lewis, who traveled from Iowa to stay with Tsai for eight days, remains jailed ahead of sentencing, with aggravating factors identified by the jury that could extend the penalty.

Tsai's ex-spouse told investigators that Lewis flew in from Boston on June 21, 2024, to spend time with Tsai, describing their relationship as "sordid and emotionally challenging" in testimony cited by local outlets. The motive for the killing remains unclear, but prosecutors said Lewis killed Tsai and then wrapped the body in blankets, a sheet, a futon-style mattress, and a tarp before placing the luggage and the dog into Tsai's car and driving away. Surveillance footage from Tsai's apartment showed Lewis leaving the residence around 4:35 a.m. on June 22 with the dog in the passenger seat.

Investigators say the car traveled south along Interstate 90 before the crash that brought police to the scene. When authorities arrived, they found Lewis seated in a folding chair that a bystander had provided; she opened the rear passenger-side door to reveal Tsai's body, which had been concealed beneath a folded-down seat, with the dog nearby. State Patrol investigators noted that the vehicle had been maneuvering in the median for a prolonged period and appeared not to attempt any evasive actions during the crash.

Officers also found significant blood evidence at Tsai's apartment and a bloodied metal and plastic object on the victim's bed. A knife was missing from a butcher block in the residence, which prosecutors described as part of the evidentiary trail. Lewis was hospitalized around 7 a.m. after the crash but spoke to no medical staff or police before being taken into custody.

The jury also found aggravating factors related to the manner and circumstances of Tsai's death, factors that could lead to a longer sentence upon sentencing. Lewis faces sentencing on November 18 and remains charged with concealing a dead body in Olmstead County in addition to the murder conviction.

Tsai was an active figure in the local arts and LGBTQ communities, and her death prompted memorial gatherings and tributes in the weeks following the incident, according to MPR News. The verdict closes a high-profile case in Minnesota and reinforces the state's ongoing legal process for cases involving violence against LGBTQ individuals and the complexities surrounding intimate-partner violence.