Iowa woman gets 40-year sentence for ‘cruel’ murder of Minneapolis DJ Liara Tsai
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A 33-year-old woman from Iowa was sentenced to the maximum prison sentence of 40 years for the murder of Liara Tsai, a Minneapolis DJ.
Margot Lewis was convicted by a Hennepin County jury on two counts of second-degree murder in late September. One count was with intent to cause Tsai’s death and the other without intent, using a dangerous weapon.
Prosecutors say Lewis stabbed her former romantic partner, Tsai, to death in the bedroom of Tsai’s Minneapolis apartment on June 22, 2024, and attempted to conceal Tsai’s body by wrapping it in bedding and a mattress.
Lewis then moved her body into the backseat of a car and drove over an hour and 40 minutes to southern Minnesota before crashing the car, according to court documents. Police found Tsai’s body in the car, while Lewis was seated in a lawn chair in a highway median.
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Tsai was 35 at the time she was killed.
“What strikes the State most about this crime is the betrayal of trust and safety that underlies what happened,” Erin Lutz, a senior assistant Hennepin County attorney, said at the sentencing.
She said Lewis and Tsai had been together for several years and before Tsai’s death, Tsai reached out to Lewis for support when she was going through a hard time. Lewis then flew out to Minneapolis to see Tsai.
“It’s horrifying to think of the reality of the situation from both perspectives. Miss Tsai was writing beautiful poetry about and to the defendant, wishing her peace and happiness, while the defendant was journaling about her thoughts and desires to engage in horrific acts of violence against Miss Tsai,” said Lutz.
Two women who described themselves as Liara's sisters gave statements, one calling Lewis’ crime “heinous, brutal and cowardly.”
“I hope you can rest peacefully knowing that justice is served,” she said, speaking to Tsai.
The other sister described Tsai as a “radiant, courageous light” who was proud to be a transgender woman. Tsai was also a military veteran and a prominent DJ in Minneapolis’ underground electronic music scene.
She said Lewis took Tsai’s light away and her absence is felt in her family, especially with Tsai’s 36th birthday coming up next week.
Both said they forgave Lewis and hope her time in prison will make her reflect on her actions.
As Lewis heard both of the statements from the two sisters, she looked at them intently. The jury previously recommended an aggravated sentence based on the nature of Tsai’s murder. Both sisters also asked for the maximum sentence, while Lutz asked for a minimum of 35 years.
Judge Paul Scoggin gave Lewis an opportunity to speak before her sentencing. She walked up to the podium barefoot, wearing a white T-shirt and dark pants with her hair pulled back into a pony tail.
“I recognize the grief that you are experiencing at this loss,” said Lewis, addressing Tsai’s two sisters and community.
“I have cried every day this last year and a half about this,” Lewis continued. “I can’t stand here and tell you that I am guilty or responsible for this. But I hope you find what you’re looking for through this process.”
Lewis maintains her innocence and argues faulty evidence was used in her conviction.
During the sentencing, Scoggin told Lewis there was an overwhelming amount of evidence proving she was guilty of the crime.
He gave Lewis the maximum of 40 years and said the nature of her crime was “cruel” in multiple ways, including the dagger used to cut into Tsai’s neck, the murder happening in the privacy of Tsai’s home and the “disrespectful” handling of her body after.
“I shudder to think of the agony associated with the moments she bled out and documented by the massive amount of blood loss found in her bed,” he said.
Lewis interrupted Scoggin as he delivered his sentence, questioning evidence from the case, but he cut her off and told her she already used her time to speak.
Scoggin ordered Lewis to pay over $2,500 in restitution. Another request is pending to have Lewis cover the cost of Tsai’s headstone.
