Naman Shrestha
In HBO’s ‘I Am Not a Monster: The Lois Riess Murders,’ a true crime documentary film helmed by Erin Lee Carr, the focus is on the intricate details of the 2018 murder of David Riess, committed by his wife, Lois Riess. Upon the discovery of his decayed body several days after the killing, the entire community was left shell-shocked while the investigators began searching for the perpetrator, who was on the run. The documentary also covers the details about her victims with the help of exclusive interviews with their families, journalists, and specialists involved in the investigation.
Lois Riess Was Involved in Two Cold-Blooded Murders in 2018
On March 23, 2018, 54-year-old David Riess was discovered dead in his Blooming Prairie, Minnesota residence that he shared with his wife, Lois Riess. All the evidence at the crime scene pointed toward Lois being the culprit who shot her husband multiple times. However, a manhunt for the suspect was launched by the authorities when they learned that she had withdrawn $11,000 from David’s account right after his demise. After fleeing away to Fort Myers Beach in Florida, Lois reportedly befriended a 59-year-old woman named Pamela Hutchinson, who was her lookalike.
On April 9, 2018, Lois reportedly shot Pamela to death in a Fort Myers Beach timeshare before stealing her identity, her car, and $6,000 from her bank account and going on the run yet again. A few days before that, Lois was spotted walking around the timeshare where Pamela had been staying at the time. As per police reports, the former used a pillow to muffle the sound of the gunshots during the shooting death of her husband and her new friend. After killing Pamela, the fugitive drove all the way to Texas but made a stop at a Louisiana casino, where she won the jackpot.
Lois Was Captured in Texas Before She Could Take Any More Victims
Upon reaching Texas, Lois allegedly targeted another woman named Bernadette Mathis, but before she could go ahead with her sinister plans, she was apprehended by the US Marshals at the South Padre Island beach resort after almost a month-long nationwide manhunt on April 19. Soon after her arrest, she was extradited to Florida. According to Lois Riess, her husband had inflicted lots of verbal and physical abuse over the years of their marriage, making her feel intimidated by him. She alleged that all these experiences led her to develop a gambling addiction and even attempt suicide.
So, as per Lois’ claims, on March 11, 2018, when she and David got into a heated argument, the latter gave her a loaded gun and told her to take her life. Instead, she shot him in the chest and killed him. Lois claimed that she had no memories of killing Pamela and could not recollect her motive behind committing the deed. In the show, she displayed a feeling of regret about the incident. She said, “…I had never anticipated hurting that woman. She reached out to me, to be my friend. I just wish I could have been in a better state of mind. I could have been her friend.” Soon after her arrest, she was indicted for Pamela’s murder, theft of her car, and stealing more than $6,000 from her bank account.
Lois Riess is Incarcerated at a Minnesota Prison Facility Today
Having planned to go to trial at first, on December 17, 2019, Lois Riess pleaded guilty to killing Pamela Hutchinson and avoided the death penalty. After being extradited to Minnesota to face the murder charges of David Riess, she also pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder charges she faced for killing her husband during a pre-trial hearing. For both the murders committed by Lois, she received two life imprisonment sentences without the possibility of parole, both of which she was ordered to serve in Minnesota.
Breanna Riess, David and Lois’ daughter, gave out a statement to Fox 9, saying, “March 11th, 2018 was the last time I hugged my dad and told him I loved him. I miss my dad more than words can describe.” On the other hand, their son, Billy Riess, spoke directly to her convicted mother, “You just left. We had nobody. It will take a lot for me to talk and see you ever again. There’s no excuse for it.” As of today, she is reportedly serving her sentence at the Minnesota Correctional Facility (MCF) in Shakopee.
Read More: David Riess’ Murder: How Did He Die? Who Killed Him?
