Charges: Man Fatally Beat, Strangled Girlfriend Near Lewiston

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 23-year-old man is accused of beating and strangling his girlfriend to death last Friday in southeastern Minnesota, according to charges filed Monday in Winona County Court.

Kyle Benjamin Allers was charged with second-degree murder in the death of Tasha Lynn Hanson near Lewiston.

According to the charges, the two were in a domestic relationship for several years and lived together at a residence in Lewiston. A sheriff's deputy had contact with Allers at about 1:20 a.m. Friday as he was driving a vehicle slowly away from another that was registered to Hanson. Allers turned onto another road just off a highway, turned onto another road and pulled into a driver before turning off his lights.

The officer went to Hanson's car, which was locked. The officer noticed a small amount of blood just under the trunk lid of the vehicle, according to the complaint.

The complaint states the officer made contact with Allers, who told the officer he was trying to locate his fiancé. He told the officer they had gotten into an argument a day earlier and he hadn't seen her since. Allers had a black eye and appeared agitated and nervous. Allers told the officer the blood on her vehicle came from a blister.

Later that day, one of Allers' family members contacted authorities and was concerned that he had killed Hanson. The family member told authorities Allers visited them the day before and talked about their fight. He accused Hanson of cheating on him, the complaint states.

The complaint states when the family member asked him if he had killed her, he said, "She's gone. She's gone forever."

According to the complaint, the family member went to Allers' residence the next day and asked him if he killed Hanson. He responding by nodding that he did.

Hanson's body was found in a wooded area about three-quarters of a mile off a road east of Lewiston. The complaint states Allers asked the family member to help him get rid of her body because he believed the family member, a hunter, knew places nobody would search for her.

The complaint states relatives of Hanson received a message that appeared to be from her stating she was okay. Allers told authorities he sent that message through her account. He said he did it because he wanted more time to be with his children before he killed himself.

The complaint states an autopsy of Hanson showed she died from blunt force head injuries and strangulation, and her manner of death is homicide.

If convicted, Allers faces up to 40 years in prison.