'Killer Grandma' Lois Riess Pleads Guilty To Murdering Florida Woman, Stealing Her Identity
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Minnesota woman who became known as "the killer grandma" met her fate in court Tuesday.
Lois Riess appeared in a Florida courtroom, pleading guilty for first degree murder, stealing a vehicle and identity theft.
Riess's cross-country crime spree started in her hometown of Blooming Prairie. In March 2018, investigators say Riess shot and killed her husband, David, with a .22-caliber handgun. She put a blanket over him and took $11,000 out of his business account.
READ MORE: Minnesota Woman Shares Run-In With Lois Riess Days Before 2nd Murder
Riess then drove her white Cadillac all the way to Florida, stopping in Fort Meyers Beach, where she would meet her next victim. Surveillance video shows she stopped at several casinos along the way.
In April of 2018, court documents say Reiss befriended a 59-year-old woman named Pamela Hutchinson. Surveillance video shows the last time Hutchinson was seen alive, talking with Riess at a restaurant. Later that night, Riess was seen walking outside Hutchinson's hotel room alone. She appeared to be crying.
READ MORE: Documents Show Lois Riess Stole Thousands From Disabled Sister In 2015
Riess was later captured on video using Hutchinson's information to withdraw $5,000 from her bank account. Riess was spotted at different hotels, driving Hutchinson's car.
She was eventually caught and arrested at a restaurant in South Padre, Texas.
Riess also waived extradition for murdering her husband in Minnesota. The Minnesota Attorney General's office told WCCO they will request that she be sent back here to face charges.