Loved ones remembered a transgender woman found murdered in the backseat of a crashed car as a rising musician and club DJ who was "loved very deeply."
Authorities allege Liara Kaylee Tsai, 35, was stabbed to death at her Minneapolis apartment by her former partner, Margot Lewis, 32, before her body was stuffed into the backseat of her vehicle.
Deputies responding to a single-vehicle crash on I-90 Saturday located Tsai's body and noted it was immediately apparent her death was not a result of the collision.
Lewis was treated at a hospital then taken into custody.
Longtime friends mourning the death of Tsai said the budding producer moved from Iowa City to Minneapolis a month ago to pursue a music career and live within a larger trans community. Lewis, the victim's ex, was visiting from Iowa when Tsai was allegedly killed.
"We had a beautiful relationship, and she's someone I loved very deeply," said Mega Solga, according to KARE-TV.
"She was the most fearless person I've ever met. She was the truest person I ever met. She knew exactly who she was, especially as a trans woman. She had no fear showing the world who she was," Solga said.
Lewis has been charged with second-degree murder and felony interference with a dead body, according to the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, KTTC-TV reported. Detectives said she and the victim had a "sordid and emotionally challenging relationship."
Lewis is being held on $1 million bail.
