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Jose Luis Lopez Xique was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the 2025 murder of Kayli Arseth in Richfield, Minnesota. Prosecutors described the crime as a 'rejection killing' after Arseth declined his romantic advances.
Jose Luis Lopez Xique, 27, was sentenced Thursday to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 2025 murder of Kayli Arseth in Richfield, according to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office. The sentence follows his conviction for first-degree premeditated murder, second-degree intentional murder, and harassment with a dangerous weapon.
Arseth, 22, was found dead in her Richfield apartment on June 17, 2025, following a welfare check conducted after she failed to show up for work and missed a meeting with a friend. Police determined she had died from a gunshot to the head.
Court records indicate that Arseth and Lopez Xique met online and had been spending time together platonically. Prosecutors stated that Lopez Xique had messaged Arseth asking for a romantic relationship, but Arseth told him she was only interested in friendship. On June 16, the day before her death, Arseth had asked Lopez Xique to help her with her motorcycle.
Phone data placed Lopez Xique at Arseth’s apartment building on June 16, where he texted her and remained for at least an hour before leaving for a hardware store. Later that evening, his phone pinged in West Bloomington, where police found two bags of discarded items. According to court records, these items included 16 rounds of 9mm ammunition, a blue utility shirt, sunglasses, an empty box of gauze, blue disposable gloves, a pair of shoes and a hat.
Lopez Xique was charged in July 2025. During his arrest, court documents state that he “did not inquire about why he was arrested, told officers to hurry it up and seemed unsurprised.”
A first-degree murder conviction in Minnesota carries a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty addressed the nature of the crime in a statement following the conviction.
“This was a horrifying instance of a ‘rejection killing’ where Mr. Lopez Xique refused to accept that Kayli did not want a relationship,” Moriarty said. “Kayli loved music, art, and her family and friends. She was restoring her motorcycle while working as a behavioral technician for children with special needs. She should still be with her family and her loved ones.”
The Hennepin County Attorney's Office described rejection killings as a form of femicide in which women are targeted for asserting autonomy over their bodies. The office noted that these crimes are distinct from domestic violence and intimate partner violence but are often counted alongside them, making it unclear how common they are.
Meggie Royer, Senior Communications Manager for Violence Free Minnesota, stated that rejection killings are not uncommon and are “really rooted in misogyny and gender based violence.” Royer added that there is “no national tracking system for these kinds of homicides, so no comprehensive data on it,” though informal efforts by women have attempted to track the information.
Heather Arseth, Kayli Arseth’s sister, expressed a desire for stiffer sentences for those who commit such crimes. “Let Kayli be a memory and an example, so that we can set new precedences, new laws and make changes, so that this type of crime does not happen again,” Heather Arseth said.
This case highlights the legal and social recognition of 'rejection killings' as a distinct category of gender-based violence. While Minnesota law mandates life without parole for first-degree murder, advocates like Royer point to the lack of national data tracking for these specific homicides. The case underscores the ongoing efforts by victim advocacy groups to address misogyny and improve legal precedents for crimes committed against women who reject romantic advances.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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