A Minnesota jury has found 27-year-old Jose Luis Lopez Xique guilty in the fatal shooting of 22-year-old Kayli Arseth, whose life ended shortly after she told him she was not ready to pursue a romantic relationship.
The Hennepin County jury convicted Lopez Xique of first-degree premeditated murder, second-degree intentional murder and harassment with a dangerous weapon. The first-degree murder conviction carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 15.
The case began with a friendship that developed after Lopez Xique met Arseth online. Investigators said he eventually wanted their relationship to become romantic, while Arseth made clear that she viewed him as a friend.
Messages exchanged between the two shortly before Arseth’s death showed that she was dealing with several personal pressures and did not feel prepared for a relationship. She told Lopez Xique that she was overwhelmed and needed to focus on herself and her family.
She also made it clear that she was not romantically attracted to him.
Lopez Xique initially responded that he was confused and questioned whether she might simply be looking for something different. He later told her he could step back and that they could continue talking as friends.
But prosecutors said the situation took a deadly turn the following day.
Phone Data Placed Him at Arseth’s Apartment
According to investigators, Lopez Xique’s cellphone placed him at Arseth’s apartment building beginning around 3:38 p.m. on June 16, 2025.
Authorities were eventually contacted after Arseth could not be reached. Officers obtained a key from apartment management and entered her home.
They found Arseth lying face down on the living-room floor with a fatal gunshot wound to her head.
Investigators determined that she had been shot in the right eye at close range.
A neighbor also reported hearing an argument inside the apartment. The neighbor recalled hearing a man shouting, “How could you do this to me?” before the argument ended and the man left.
Investigators said cellphone records placed Lopez Xique at the apartment during the relevant period and showed that he later traveled to a hardware store.
A Friendship That Became Increasingly Complicated
The two had developed a close online connection, including a Snapchat friendship and a streak that had recently ended.
According to the investigation, Lopez Xique had also purchased items for Arseth during shopping trips and had become increasingly interested in pursuing a romantic relationship.
Arseth, however, continued to describe the relationship as a friendship.
In her final messages about the subject, she explained that she did not have the emotional capacity for a relationship and was already dealing with stress involving her personal life and family.
For prosecutors, those messages became an important part of the case because they showed that Arseth had directly communicated her boundaries before the shooting.
Arseth Remembered for Her Work and Passions
Beyond the circumstances of her death, Arseth was remembered by people close to her as someone who cared deeply about others.
She was described as bright, funny, caring and energetic. She enjoyed music and art, loved spending time with family and friends, and was working as a behavioral technician with children who had special needs.
She was also restoring her motorcycle, reflecting an interest that had become part of her everyday life.
Her death has since been described by prosecutors as an example of a killing that followed a refusal to accept the end of a potential romantic relationship.
The conviction brings a major legal conclusion to the case, but sentencing remains ahead.
Lopez Xique is expected back in court on October 15, when a judge will formally impose the sentence connected to his first-degree murder conviction.
