Woman crashes car in Minnesota; authorities find body wrapped in mattress in back seat

ROCHESTER, Minnesota — An Iowa woman is being held in jail on a $1 million bond after authorities say the body of a Minneapolis woman was found in the back seat of the suspect's vehicle.

The Olmsted County Sheriff's Office says the body of Liara Tsai, 35, was discovered after the suspect, Margot Lewis, 32, of North Liberty, Iowa, was involved in a single-vehicle crash at about 7 a.m. Saturday on Interstate 90.

The sheriff's office says in a news release the condition of Tsai's body made it "immediately apparent" that her death was not a result of the crash. NBC News reports court documents show the back seats of the vehicle, which reportedly belonged to Tsai, were folded down and the body was wrapped in a bed sheet, blanket, a futon-style mattress and a tarp. The sheet reportedly was stained with dried blood.

The Southern Minnesota Medical Examiner's Office says Tsai died of "multiple sharp force injuries," KAAL Channel 6 reports .

Lewis currently is charged with one count of interfering with a dead body or death scene, MPR News reports . Lewis did not speak during her court appearance Tuesday, communicating with her lawyer by writing or using sign language, KAAL reports. Lewis' lawyers say she has taken a spiritual vow of silence.

Details on a possible motive for Tsai's death have not been released.

"Our sister's death was senseless and unfathomable," Tsai's family tells KAAL in a statement. "Her life, like every human life, matters. She was a beautiful soul who wanted nothing more than to show kindness through her life and music. We loved her immensely and our family has no words for the pain this has caused for us and the vast community of friends who had the honor of knowing her."