OLMSTEAD COUNTY, MN (trfnews.i234.me) – We have an update regarding a bizarre story out of Olmsted County, Minnesota. The suspect and victim have now been identified in a strange incident southeast of Rochester on Interstate 90. Officers discovered a deceased person in the car of 32-year-old Margot Lewis from North Liberty, Iowa. Lewis has been charged with felony interference with a dead body.
The deceased has been identified as 35-year-old Liara Tsai of Minneapolis. Here are the details from the criminal complaint:
On Saturday, June 22nd, law enforcement was dispatched to the intersection of Interstate 90 and Highway 42 for a single-vehicle crash. A deputy arrived to find a gray Chevy Sonic in the median. A bystander pointed out an adult female, identified as the driver, sitting on a folding chair provided by another bystander. The deputy observed tire tracks indicating the vehicle had been traveling eastbound before hitting the median and guard rail.
Bystanders informed the deputy that there might be an injured or deceased person in the car. Upon opening the passenger side door, the deputy found a body wrapped in a bed sheet, blanket, futon mattress, and tarp. The body, positioned with its head toward the passenger side rear door, was cold to the touch and had no detectable pulse. Dried blood was visible on the bed sheet, suggesting the death occurred before the crash.
Investigators from the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office, BCA, and medical examiner’s office arrived on the scene. The body was identified as Liara Tsai. A large wound was found on the right side of her neck, near the carotid artery. Lewis was taken to Mayo Clinic Hospital, medically cleared, and then transported to the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center. She did not respond to detention staff or investigators.
An autopsy revealed that Tsai’s fatal injuries were not caused by the crash. The investigation continues as Lewis faces charges for interference with a dead body.
I’m Alex Stone reporting for trfnews.i234.me