A 27-year-old Minnesota man, Jose Luis Lopez Xique, has been charged with murder after allegedly killing 22-year-old Kayli Arseth for romantically rejecting him.
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According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Law & Crime, the incident occurred on June 17. Ritchfield police officers responded to a Penn Avenue South address in Hennepin County, Minnesota, following a welfare check request. Arseth had missed work and was not answering her loved ones’ messages and calls.
Upon arrival, police gained entry to her apartment and encountered a gruesome scene. Arseth was lying down in a pool of blood, having suffered a gunshot wound to the head. The bullet had entered through her right eye en exited through the back of her skull. It appeared that the shot had been made at close range.
By interviewing Arseth’s neighbor, investigators found out that there was someone with her at the time of her passing on June 16. The neighbor reportedly heard the victim say, “How could you do this to me?” while yelling. Minutes after the buzz, the neighbor heard someone leave the apartment.
A Snapchat Friendship
Investigators discovered that Arseth had met a man, Xique, online, and the pair had a Snapchat streak that stopped on June 17. The man had stopped sending messages to Arseth from that date onward.
As per the affidavit, the messages shared between them showed that Xique wanted to be romantically involved with Arseth. However, the woman told the suspect that she was only interested in a friendship with him and that she “did not feel a romantic attraction” to him.
At 2:55 on June 16, Arseth told Xique she enjoyed hanging out with him. However, she didn’t have “enough mental capacity for any type of relationship right now.”
Xique, as per the documents, responded that he was confused, saying, “I just want to be there for you. And you say you don’t want any other relationship, but I feel like you’re just looking for something different.”
While Arseth insisted she wasn’t ready for a relationship, Xique allegedly asked Arseth to discuss the topic later. He then added that he had bought her a gift and that they would “have fun.” Arseth said that she would try.
Evidence Found
According to the affidavit, Xique’s phone location placed him at Arseth’s apartment building from 3:38 p.m. to 4:49 p.m. A pinged location in West Bloomington led officers to discover discarded rounds of 9mm ammunition, gloves, shoes, sunglasses, and other items. Stuffed in trash bins, police found other items such as masking tape, rubber gloves, and wipes.
After securing a search warrant, police arrived at Xique’s home. Xique allegedly drove away from his residence until he was detained by police officers. As he was taken into custody, the document alleges that Xique “did not inquire about why he was arrested, told officers to hurry it up, and seemed unsurprised.”
Inside his home, investigators found a Glock 9mm firearm and a red dot sight adapter plate. They also found a “Tactical Media Acquisition Kit,” filled with camera accessories, flash drives, and hard drives.
While talking to investigators, Xique said that he wouldn’t answer any questions. However, he allegedly told police that they could keep the conversation going and “maybe something will slip.” Then, he requested an attorney, with police noting he had scratches on his chest and puncture wounds on his forearm.
Jose Luis Lopez Xique was charged with second-degree murder.
In her obituary, Kayli Arseth is described as a “vibrant spirit, with a very bright, sassy, funny, and caring personality.”
“She was always smiling and had a contagious laugh that could brighten anyone’s day,” the obituary added.