'Rejection killing': Man guilty of murder for fatal shooting in Richfield
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A man found guilty of murdering a woman who denied his romantic advances will spend the rest of his life in prison.
READ MORE: Romantic relationship denial leads to fatal shooting in Richfield: Charges
Romantic relationship denial before murder
Hennepin County Court update:
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said Jose Luis Lopez Xique, 27, was found guilty of the June 2025 murder of Kayli Arseth, who was found dead inside her Richfield apartment.
Xique was convicted of first-degree premeditated murder, which "triggers a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole," the attorney's office said.
What's next:
Formal sentencing is set to happen at 11 a.m. on Oct. 15.
Police investigation
The backstory:
On June 17, 2025, Richfield police conducted a welfare check on Arseth after she reportedly failed to show up to work. No one had heard from her since the evening before, according to the criminal complaint.
When police arrived, they found her dead inside an apartment unit on the 7700 block of Penn Avenue South.
A Hennepin Medical Examiner's report says she died from a gunshot wound to the head, and her death was ruled a homicide.
According to charges filed in Hennepin County, messages between the two leading up to her shooting showed Lopez Xique had pursued a romantic relationship, but was denied when Arseth said she was only interested in a friendship.
In a search warrant obtained by FOX 9, police reported finding the apartment locked, and the windows were all secured, with no signs of forced entry.
The search warrant states there were bloodstains in the apartment and officers observed what appeared to be a blood smear on the exterior side of the apartment door.
Prosecution statement
What they're saying:
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty shared the following statement after the conviction:
"My thoughts are with Kayli’s loved ones today and I am so sorry for their loss. This was a horrifying instance of a ‘rejection killing’ where Mr. Lopez Xique refused to accept that Kayli did not want a relationship. I’m grateful to our trial team and our victim services staff, and the members of the jury for their service.
"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 Source: This story uses information shared by the Hennepin County Attorney's Office and previous FOX 9 reporting.