Body found rolled in a mattress after southern MN crash: Charges

(FOX 9) - A dead body that was discovered inside a vehicle after a car crash in southern Minnesota was wrapped in a mattress and tarp, according to a criminal complaint.

Margot Lewis, 32, of Iowa, is facing charges of interfering with a body after the discovery Saturday morning in Eyota Township. However, Minneapolis police say they are also investigating the case and discovered an apparent crime scene in the city over the weekend.

Olmsted County deputies found the body inside Lewis' car after responding to a crash on I-90 near the Highway 42 exit. In the crash, deputies say Lewis' Chevy Sonic had gone off the road at a high rate of speed and hit a guard rail.

When deputies rolled up, Lewis was being helped by a bystander. In the backseat, deputies found a dead 35-year-old woman.

The charges detail: "Deputy Baron observed the head of a human body that was wrapped in a bed sheet, a blanket, a futon-style mattress, and a tarp. The body was in a position with its head toward the passenger-side rear door and its feet was toward the driver's side. The body was cold to the touch and Deputy Baron was unable to detect a pulse. There appeared to be dried blood soaked into the bed sheet. It was apparent to Deputy Baron that the death of the person found in the back seat was not a result of the traffic crash."

The deputy also spotted a wound on the right side of the victim's face around the carotid artery. An autopsy confirmed the victim died from injuries unrelated to the crash.

Lewis was treated at St. Mary's Hospital before being taken to Olmsted County Jail.

The investigation in Minneapolis is ongoing and she could face further charges in Hennepin County. Monday night, Minneapolis police said they found evidence of "violence" at the victim's apartment near Cedar Avenue and South 6th Street.