An Iowa woman has been convicted of murder for killing her ex-partner in Minneapolis last year.

A jury found Margot Lewis, 33, guilty of two counts of second-degree murder on Monday, according to court records. 

The victim, 35-year-old Liara Tsai, was found dead in the backseat of Lewis' car after a crash on Interstate 90, just southeast of Rochester, Minnesota, on June 22, 2024. A criminal complaint said Tsai was "wrapped in bedding, a mattress, and covered with a tarp."

Tsai's dog was also found at the scene, and the animal's microchip led authorities to her Minneapolis residence. Police "encountered a bloody scene" there, according to the complaint.

The medical examiner's office later determined Tsai's cause of death was from a "gaping puncture wound" to her neck, and not from the crash.  

Tsai's friends told WCCO she had just moved to Minneapolis from Iowa.  

"She was so connected with her humanity, and her divinity, and her love," said friend Levi Lake. "I really grieve that she won't be here to experience that."  

Lewis is also charged in Olmsted County with interference with a dead body or scene of death. She is scheduled to be sentenced on the murder convictions on Nov. 28.

Domestic Violence Resources: For anonymous, confidential help, people can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224.