TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — The body of an Arizona State University student was found handcuffed and beaten in the bathtub of her boyfriend’s Tempe apartment, and he’s accused of killing her, authorities said Wednesday.
Luis Soltero, 22, was being held on suspicion of first-degree premeditated murder, with bail set at $1 million, according to Tempe police.
Officers said Soltero walked into a Tempe police substation Tuesday morning, told officers his girlfriend was dead and gave them her Minnesota driver’s license.
Police went to the apartment near the ASU campus and reported finding the body of 19-year-old Rebecca Kasper in the bathtub. She was covered with blankets and a rubber yoga mat with a plastic bag over her head.
Court documents show the woman’s wrists were handcuffed and her ankles were bound with clear plastic tape.
The body already was in a state of decomposition and was sprinkled with coffee grounds and baking soda, according to documents released Wednesday.
Police said Kasper had blunt force trauma to her head and face, and a dumbbell covered in blood was found near the bathtub. Blood was splattered on the walls and floor.
Police said they learned that Soltero and Kasper had recently broken off a relationship but were still seeing each other. A handwritten note listing the “pros” and “cons” of “breaking up with Becky” was found in the apartment, they said.
Another note found wedged in the bathroom door reportedly stated that Kasper was killed “because I had to end her life” and that she died Saturday.
Neighbors in the apartment complex told police the couple frequently argued, and the leasing office said a front door had to be replaced after it was damaged during an argument, documents showed.
After telling police where they could find Kasper’s body, Soltero also told officers that he had been sitting in a car for 12 hours with the engine running.
He said he felt dizzy and was taken to the hospital for possible carbon monoxide poisoning. He was later released and booked into jail.
Soltero did not have an attorney as of Wednesday evening, and police said he was no longer talking to them about the homicide case.
ASU officials said Kasper was a junior majoring in marketing. Her hometown in Minnesota wasn’t immediately available.
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