A transgender woman in Minnesota was found dead, wrapped in a bloody blanket in the backseat of a car, police say.
Liara Tsai’s body was discovered after the car’s driver, Margot Lewis, got into a car accident following a long, high-speed drive that caused distinctive tire marks. When police discovered the accident, they noted Tsai’s body wrapped in a blanket and a mattress.
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“In checking to see if anyone else was in the vehicle, a deceased individual, a 35-year-old female, was located in the back seat. The condition of the deceased was suspicious, and it was immediately apparent that the death was not a result of the motor vehicle accident,” police said in a Facebook statement.
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“Ms. Lewis was transported by Mayo Clinic Ambulance Service (MCAS) to the hospital, where she was medically cleared,” police added. “Ms. Lewis was then transported to the Adult Detention Center (ADC) and placed under arrest for Interference with a Dead Body. Ms. Lewis is expected to make an appearance in court on this case on Tuesday.”
Lewis is reportedly representing herself in court currently.
Tsai reportedly didn’t die from injuries sustained in the crash, but rather from injuries that occurred before it. Medical examiners found a large wound on her neck.
“She said a friend was coming to stay with her,” said her friend Steven Seuling. “I checked in with her by text on Saturday, but she didn’t answer, which was very unusual for her.”
Seuling said that she moved from Iowa to Minnesota last winter.
When she didn’t show up, Seuling said “We were really freaking out. It was very unlike her not to be there.”
Tsai was a “community and trans activist. She was very, very much more than just a DJ,” Seuling added.
