Kriti Mehrotra
It was 2008 when the entire world turned upside down for three families as it came to light that Lois Witte Riess had killed her husband, David Riess, before also killing Pamela “Pam” Hutchinson. The truth is, as explored in HBO’s ‘I Am Not a Monster: The Lois Riess Murders,’ things were never easy for the convict, but no one could have ever imagined she would eventually go to extremes. It was actually the hope that her life experiences would help her evolve into a kind, strong, independent family woman for good, yet it only pushed her over the edge when push came to shove.
Lois Riess Hails From a Household With a Deeply Troubled Background
Although born in Rochester, Minnesota, around 1962 as the fourth of Donna and William “Bill” Witte’s five children, Lois sadly never knew what it meant to have a cozy, comfortable, stable home. That’s because, per the aforementioned original, not only was her homemaker mother diagnosed with bipolar disorder as well as schizophrenia, but her IMB Engineer father was also rather careless and stingy. As if that’s not enough, she has since also claimed she doesn’t remember when her parents last shared a bed, showed them the meaning of love and innocent intimacy, or gave sound life advice.
Nevertheless, the siblings allegedly had managed to establish a tight-knit connection between them over the years, meaning they cared for and protected one another every step of the way. This actually continued even after Lois’ brother Robert “Bob” Witte became paralyzed at a relatively early age following an accident and her sister Cynthia “Cindee” Witte Grund developed mental health issues. Even their other sister Kimberly “Kim” Rae Witte Sanchez reportedly ended up being diagnosed with bipolar disorder as well as schizophrenia in her late 30s, and Lois ended up becoming her caretaker.
Former daycare center owner Lois initially did not mind being responsible for her siblings, yet everything gradually turned upside down owing to an alleged lack of appreciation and compensation. She did admittedly help herself to some of Kim’s money from time to time so as to fulfill her needs, but was later accused of embezzling when that slipped into her gifting cash to her kids or blowing it on gambling. There was a court case in 2017 that she lost, which also brought to light that the inheritance didn’t sit well with her either — she received 15% total, whereas three siblings got 25% plus other assets.
Lois Riess Has Lost a Majority of Her Family
It was on April 28, 1998, when Donna Woolley Witte sadly lost her life in her late 60s-early 70s, followed by her lifelong partner William “Bill” Howard Witte on April 19, 2014, at the age of 86. By this point, all 5 of their children had seemingly managed to build independent lives and families of their own, only for personal tragedies to continue striking them in the worst way imaginable. After all, it appears as if both Robert “Bob” Witte and Cynthia “Cindee” Witte Grund unfortunately passed away before Kimberly “Kim” Rae Witte Sanchez died at the age of 66 on March 16, 2023, too.
According to Kim’s obituary, she passed following an almost lifelong battle with some severe health issues, including kidney disease that resulted in her needing transplants not once but twice. Her father actually gave her one of his when she was just a young girl, and her sister Cindee turned out to be a willing match when she needed another in 2002, making it clear she always had support.
Therefore, from what we can tell, the only surviving member of Lois’ immediate family is her brother Butch Witte, who currently seems to be residing in Rochester, Minnesota, surrounded by loved ones. However, it’s unclear precisely what he has been up to these days, considering he has chosen to remain well away from the limelight following all the loss and scrutiny his family has endured. It also seems imperative to note that his name was not even mentioned in Kim’s obituary and that Lois hasn’t ever spoken much about him either.
Read More: Where Are Lois and David Riess’ Kids Now?
