Becky Kasper ID'd as ASU Student Allegedly Killed by Boyfriend With a Dumbbell | Valley Fever | Phoenix | Phoenix New Times | The Leading Independent News Source in Phoenix, Arizona
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Becky Kasper ID'd as ASU Student Allegedly Killed by Boyfriend With a Dumbbell

The Arizona State University student found dead in a Tempe apartment is identified in court paperwork as 19-year-old Rebecca "Becky" Kasper.Court documents describe a written note left near Kasper's body that police believe was written by Kasper's boyfriend, 22-year-old Luis Soltero, admitting to killing her. That note wasn't found far...
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The Arizona State University student found dead in a Tempe apartment is identified in court paperwork as 19-year-old Rebecca "Becky" Kasper.

Court documents describe a written note left near Kasper's body that police believe was written by Kasper's boyfriend, 22-year-old Luis Soltero, admitting to killing her. That note wasn't found far from the apparent murder weapon -- a dumbbell.

See also:
-ASU Student, 19, Killed by Boyfriend Luis Soltero in Tempe, Police Say

According to the court documents, Soltero showed up to a Tempe PD substation Tuesday morning and eventually got a police officer to come out to talk to him.

Soltero handed the officer his Arizona ID card, as well as Kasper's Minnesota driver's license, and said, "My girlfriend is there and she is dead, and I am not going to tell you anything more without an attorney," according to the documents.

Soltero said he felt dizzy because, he claimed, he had spent the past 12 hours in his car with the engine running in a storage space. He was hospitalized, and police went to his apartment at 919 East Lemon Street after Soltero indicated Kasper was dead.

Police forced open the door to Soltero's apartment and found Kasper's body in a bathtub.

According to court documents, her body was covered with blankets and a yoga mat, with coffee grounds sprinkled on top. Her head was covered with a plastic bag and other plastic wrapping. Her wrists were handcuffed and blood spatter was in the bathtub, around the bathtub, on the walls, and on the floor.

Kasper was described as "unrecognizable" due to blunt-force trauma to her face and head, and her body was in a state of decomposition. A bloody dumbbell, believed to be the murder weapon, was found on the bathroom floor.

Police found the unsigned note wedged into the bathroom door, with statements such as, "I did not treat her right. She deserved better but never accepted it. So I had to make the choice for her," and "She died on 420 not because of drugs, but because a sociopath talked and treated her nice," as well as, "I don't know where to go from here. Do I kill again, end it with myself or become invisible."

Police say the handwriting "appears to be consistent" with Soltero's handwriting, according to the documents.

Police discovered that Kasper helped Soltero lease the apartment, which Soltero applied for on January 1.

Neighbors told police that Soltero and Kasper were "consistently engaging in verbal altercations." Kasper's employer said Kasper often went to work with bruises on her arms, as if she'd been grabbed, although police were never involved.

Additionally, police learned that Soltero and Kasper had recently broken up but were still spending time together. Police also found a note in the apartment written by Kasper that included a "pros and cons" list of "breaking up with Becky."

By Tuesday afternoon, an officer went to the hospital to transport Soltero from the hospital to the Tempe Police Department, and Soltero asked the officer an "unsolicited question."

"Do they still have final meals on death row?" Soltero asked, according to court documents. "I was wondering if I can order something from Texas."

Soltero's bond has been set at $1 million.

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Follow Matthew Hendley on Twitter at @MatthewHendley.


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