Grandma Realizes She's Been Caught After Killing Spree
In today's true crime documentary, we're covering the case of Lois Riess.
[Video] [Imagery] supplied by Getty Images.
We're a news agency committed to delivering factual information about police procedures and local news events. This video aims to educate the public without bias. Our goal is to empower viewers with a clear understanding of what's happening in their communities.
In today's true crime documentary, we're covering the case of Lois Riess.
[Video] [Imagery] supplied by Getty Images.
We're a news agency committed to delivering factual information about police procedures and local news events. This video aims to educate the public without bias. Our goal is to empower viewers with a clear understanding of what's happening in their communities.
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FunTranscript
00:00In 2018, two women meet for drinks at a bar in Fort Myers, Florida.
00:04One invites the other to her hotel room,
00:07completely unaware that she's in the presence of a killer.
00:21This encounter sets off a chilling chain of events,
00:25linking their meeting to a gruesome crime a thousand miles away.
00:28Now, investigators across state lines must work together in a race against time
00:32to put an end to the ruthless crime spree before the killer strikes again.
00:37You're gonna find a body there. Somebody better look.
00:40The following report is based on police records,
00:43and most of the footage has never been seen before until now.
00:47On April 9th, 2018, dispatchers in Lee County, Florida,
00:51receive a call from a motel manager with reports of a chilling discovery.
00:55The manager explained that several units were experiencing a plumbing issue,
01:12and every other unit had been checked, except for room 404.
01:16When I walked in there, I said, you know, front desk, front desk,
01:20and no one answered, and the master bedroom was closed,
01:22and all the stuff was there, so I didn't want to interrupt thinking there was nothing there.
01:26But my boss said, no, go in and make sure, because it could be in that particular bedroom.
01:29So I went back up, and I opened up the master bedroom,
01:32and the door to the bathroom was closed with towels on the outside of it.
01:37So when I went to open up the door, something was blocking it, and I got scared.
01:41Too afraid to investigate alone, the manager asked residents in the neighboring rooms to peek inside.
01:48Brave volunteers came forward to help, unaware of the nightmare waiting for them on the other side of the door.
01:54There was a towel against the door. The door was partially open.
01:58We tried to push on it, and we were hitting something.
02:01So I looked around the door, and she's laying on the floor with towels over her,
02:07and she was bleeding. You could see blood under her towel.
02:11The towel would look to be under her head. That's all I could see.
02:15Officers quickly arrived to find a woman lying on the bathroom floor
02:19with what appeared to be two gunshot wounds.
02:22A towel had been draped over her body,
02:24and the air conditioning was lowered to a frigid temperature of 61 degrees.
02:29The guest bedroom showed signs of use,
02:31and multiple wine bottles along with dishes piled in the sink
02:34indicated another guest may have been staying there.
02:37Whoever it may have been was nowhere to be found.
02:41Police discovered that room 404 was rented by 59-year-old Pamela Hutchinson,
02:46who was captured on surveillance checking into the Marina Village condominium
02:50six days ago on April 3rd.
02:52They already made it by the bell.
02:56Pamela Hutchinson.
02:57How are you today? Good, isn't it?
02:59Good.
02:59You're right. The traffic was...
03:02Did your driver's bike?
03:05I'm a credit card.
03:05Pamela reaches into a small silver purse,
03:09which was later discovered in her motel room.
03:11However, her credit cards and identification were missing.
03:15More importantly, she checks into the motel alone,
03:18raising questions about who was in the room with her.
03:21Searching for answers, investigators continue reviewing the tapes,
03:25unaware of the unnerving mystery that's about to unfold.
03:28At 3.44pm, Pamela pulls into the parking lot of Marina Village in a white Acura with Florida license plates.
03:37Shortly after checking in, Pamela exits the elevator and heads to room 404 by herself.
03:42However, the following day, she's no longer alone.
03:46As she approaches the elevator at 8.13pm on April 4th,
03:50she's now accompanied by another woman who bears a striking resemblance to Pamela.
03:55They appear about the same age, height, and build.
03:58They're seen again the following day at 12.45am on April 5th,
04:12entering the elevator and once again heading toward the room.
04:15So, um, she had made it very easier to do.
04:19No, I like that.
04:20Yes, and we got two TVs and very funny.
04:23I don't know if it's one to do great.
04:24Or when you're traveling up to the airport, we saw it.
04:27No, I'll be warning you.
04:31The back of my shoes.
04:34Can my feet or something make my shoes?
04:36No.
04:38Further investigation revealed that Pamela was traveling
04:41to Fort Myers Beach for a funeral to be with her friend,
04:45who was scattering the ashes of her late husband.
04:48The friend last saw Pamela at lunch on Wednesday, April 4th,
04:51and later received a text saying she'd extended her stay to April 5th.
04:56However, when she sent a text to Pamela at 10pm on Thursday,
04:59she received no response.
05:02Surveillance footage shows the unknown woman meeting with Pamela
05:05at a restaurant on April 5th at 5.14pm.
05:08They share a high five, engage in lively conversation,
05:11and have a few drinks at the bar.
05:14Over two hours later, Pamela pays for her meal with a credit card,
05:17while the other woman pays in cash.
05:20They leave the restaurant at 7.43pm and are seen exiting the elevator
05:24and heading toward Pamela's room together.
05:27Pamela would never be seen alive again.
05:30The answers to what happened to Pamela are with the other woman,
05:33but she is now missing.
05:35As investigators review more footage,
05:38they note that on April 5th at 8.30pm,
05:41just 45 minutes after leaving the restaurant together,
05:44the unknown woman emerges from the room alone.
05:47Officers note that she appears distraught,
05:49upset, and possibly crying.
05:51As they continue observing the footage,
05:53the woman's next actions leave investigators deeply suspicious of her involvement.
05:58On the morning of April 6th at 6am,
06:01the suspect heads to the elevator,
06:03carrying the same purple luggage bag that Pamela had been seen with earlier.
06:07Two hours later, at 8.30am,
06:09a woman claiming to be Pamela extends her stay for three additional days.
06:14She provides a credit card over the phone,
06:16but oddly, the card doesn't match the one used for the reservation.
06:20Minutes later, the suspect begins making several trips to and from the parking lot.
06:24Pamela's car is seen backing into a space in front of a white Cadillac Escalade.
06:30The suspect then begins to transfer items from the Escalade to the Acura.
06:35The Escalade leaves the parking lot at 12.42pm,
06:38but the suspect returns on foot nearly an hour later at 1.32pm,
06:43where she stays for several hours.
06:45Finally, on April 6th at 1.51pm,
06:48she heads for the parking lot
06:49and is seen driving away in Pamela's white Acura,
06:53leaving her body to be discovered three days later.
06:56The suspect has vanished without a trace,
06:59and as there's no record of her staying at the motel,
07:01her identity remains a mystery.
07:04Investigators are left with many haunting questions.
07:07Who is this woman,
07:09and what role could she have played in Pamela's death?
07:11The answers may lie over 1,000 miles away,
07:15where an unfolding investigation reveals shocking connections between the cases,
07:20far more twisted than anyone could have imagined.
07:23Two weeks earlier, on March 23rd, 2018,
07:27a call is placed to the Dodge County Sheriff's Office in Blooming Prairie, Minnesota,
07:31where uneasy concerns soon lead to an alarming discovery.
07:34Could I speak with a detective, possibly?
07:38My name's Greg Oswald.
07:39We have, right up to the point, a missing person here.
07:44My business partner.
07:45And there seems to be something seriously wrong.
07:50Okay, how so?
07:52Well, I haven't been able to talk to him for 16 days,
07:54and neither of any of the employees.
07:56He's never done this.
07:58Dave's never done this.
07:59In the 20 years I know him,
08:01he's very involved in our business, hands-on.
08:05Okay, and what is his name?
08:07David Maurice.
08:09Greg further explains that the Prairie Waxworms Farm
08:12is just 100 feet away from David's home,
08:14where he and his wife Lois reside.
08:17Thomas, the farm's manager,
08:19explained their concerns began 10 days prior on March 12th.
08:22Lois come down to the shed and told me that David was sick,
08:26and he would not be down today,
08:28and she also wanted me to take care of the payroll,
08:31because we get paid every bi-weekly.
08:33David having some health issues in the past.
08:35I just, I did not think anything of that.
08:38Soon, David's co-workers became suspicious
08:40after unsettling differences emerged in their usual communication.
08:45The texts we were getting from his phone were not his texts.
08:49They just, it just wasn't Dave's style.
08:52Dave didn't abbreviate, didn't punctuate, didn't, just didn't.
08:56You could tell it wasn't him.
08:57Thomas, Greg, and other employees claimed David's text messages
09:01seemed to change around the same day Lois began telling others he was sick.
09:05He does talk text.
09:08It's what he's always done, you know?
09:09And the ones I was getting was like all explanation marks and commas and dot, dot, dots,
09:15and thanks abbreviated with an X instead of spelling it out and stuff, you know?
09:20Okay.
09:21And he doesn't normally do that?
09:22No, he just talk, text, and it spells out the full words.
09:25Despite their concerns, on Monday, March 19th,
09:29eight days after he was first reported to be sick,
09:32Lois assured Thomas that David still had plans to attend a fishing tournament
09:36set to take place the following Friday.
09:39March 23rd, I watched the live weigh-in of the Cabela's Masters walleye circuit
09:45that David was supposed to be at, according to Lois.
09:51When they announced David's name, I did not see him, and I became very concerned.
09:55He then called Greg, David's business partner,
09:58who contacted local police to perform a welfare check on David.
10:02Deputy Hoffman from Dodge County Sheriff's Office arrived at the house on March 23rd at 6.49 PM,
10:08but no one answered the door.
10:11Through the window, he noticed the television and gas fireplace were on.
10:15With nothing seeming out of the ordinary, the deputy left,
10:18unaware of the horrifying secret hidden inside the house.
10:21We were so frustrated sitting there talking to these people,
10:26going, mental health people are going to go out and check,
10:29and the guy says, you're going to find a body there.
10:32Somebody better look.
10:33Determined, Greg once again calls Bloomington Prairie police.
10:37This time, officers Peterson and Peach returned to the house.
10:41One officer boosted the other,
10:43lifting him just high enough to peek through the bathroom window.
10:45Lying on the bathroom floor was the body of 54-year-old David Reese.
10:51Though investigators in Minnesota would have no way of knowing it,
10:55the chilling discovery of David's body would soon reveal haunting parallels to Pamela's death in Florida.
11:01David was discovered in an advanced state of decomposition,
11:04with a green-colored blanket laying over his body,
11:07in a similar manner to the towels draped over Pamela.
11:10He had multiple gunshot wounds to his torso.
11:14The window was left open,
11:15bringing the temperature in the room to a chilling low of around 30 degrees.
11:20The eerie similarities raise harrowing questions.
11:23Is this simply a coincidence,
11:25or the beginning of a brutal killing spree?
11:28With many questions for David's wife, Lois,
11:31Minnesota investigators begin looking for her,
11:34but she's nowhere to be found.
11:36In an effort to trace her movements,
11:38they review local business surveillance,
11:40starting from the last time the couple was seen together.
11:44On March 11th, David and Lois both enter their local general store.
11:48David walks out at 9.01 a.m.
11:51and would never be seen on surveillance footage again.
11:54The following day, Lois explains to Thomas that David has fallen ill
11:57and would begin using David's phone to text his co-workers.
12:01However, as Thomas explains,
12:03it was more than the unusual text messages
12:05that left him concerned that something was terribly wrong.
12:09We have a money bag in that.
12:11That's where my drive slips go and all our checks from our customers.
12:15Okay.
12:15I did my route on Friday, yesterday,
12:19and I noticed everything was missing out of there.
12:22All the checks out of the money bag.
12:26On Monday, March 12th,
12:27Lois enters Citizen State Bank,
12:29approaching the counter with a check from David's account,
12:32written to her in the amount of $1,000.
12:34The teller fails to notice that David's signature
12:37doesn't match the previous ones on record.
12:40Over the next several days,
12:42Lois would use David's credit card at several establishments,
12:45including a liquor store,
12:47Vandals Family Market,
12:48and multiple times at the Woodfire Grill,
12:51a restaurant inside Diamond Joe's Casino in Northwood, Iowa,
12:55just across the Minnesota border.
12:58Meanwhile, Greg confronts Lois
12:59about the missing checks from Prairie Wax Worms.
13:02I sent her a text that I'd been informed
13:06there was checks missing out of the office,
13:08so I had to call the county sheriff,
13:10report stolen checks.
13:13And if you know anything, let me know.
13:15So she called me back in a couple hours and said,
13:18well, I got the checks.
13:19Dave sent me down to get them.
13:21I got them.
13:22At that point, I said,
13:22Lois, I need to talk to Dave.
13:25There was nothing.
13:26And I said, Lois, put Dave on the phone.
13:29And the last thing, she says,
13:30Dave, don't roll over.
13:31Don't roll over.
13:32And then hung up.
13:32On March 16th,
13:34Lois would return to the Citizen State Bank
13:36with another check from David's account,
13:38written to herself for $2,500.
13:41The teller once again fails to notice the signature
13:44and gives her the funds and cash.
13:46As her shopping spree continued,
13:48Lois walked into a Fantastic Sam's Hair Salon
13:51in Austin, Minnesota on March 17th.
13:54Yeah, she came in and she was going to be going out
13:57for St. Patrick's Day.
13:59She said that she was going to be going to Diamond Joe Casino.
14:02So she wanted her hair to look like Peggy Bundy
14:05and have it nice and big.
14:07Three days later, on March 20th,
14:09Lois is once again spotted on camera at the General Store,
14:12this time wearing the same hoodie that David was wearing
14:15on the last day he was seen alive.
14:17At this point, David hasn't been seen in nine days.
14:22Over the next two days,
14:23Lois returns to the bank,
14:25depositing over $8,000 into David's account
14:28at the drive-thru,
14:29before transferring the money back into her account.
14:32I'm just in awe that they would take a prairie,
14:35a check from one company to prairie waxworms
14:39and let her cash them.
14:41But it looks like about 12 grand minimum, 14,000.
14:45Okay, so they were actually the company checks?
14:47Yep, well, not prairie waxworms.
14:51It was our customers' checks who had paid us,
14:54paid, made payable to prairie waxworms.
14:57Lois would hit the Diamond Joe Casino again on March 22nd,
15:00where her unusual behavior caught the attention
15:03of a casino regular.
15:05Just kept acting like she was real suspicious
15:09on who people were and what was going on, you know?
15:13Like she wasn't quite sure of her surroundings,
15:16who she could trust and who she couldn't.
15:19Okay, so paranoid, basically?
15:21Yeah, kinda.
15:22Finally, on March 23rd,
15:24when David fails to appear
15:26on the fishing tournament's livestream,
15:28Lois steps into the Citizen State Bank
15:30for a final time.
15:31She presents a $7,500 check from David's account,
15:36writing Spring Trip in the memo.
15:38After the teller delivers the cash,
15:41Lois takes David's white Cadillac Escalade
15:43and vanishes.
15:45It would later be discovered abandoned
15:46on Fort Myers Beach in Florida.
15:48As a detective, you got any inkling
15:52if she's in an area?
15:53Do you think she's just,
15:55goddammit, I don't know how you'd get away.
15:58Nope, nothing so far.
16:00I just don't know.
16:02Detectives in Minnesota and Florida
16:03have yet to realize the shocking connections
16:06between the murders of Pamela Hutchinson
16:08and David Reese.
16:09But a lucky break will soon drive
16:11the two separate investigations
16:12toward a fateful collision.
16:14Three days before Pamela's murder,
16:16Lee County Sheriff's Office in Florida
16:18had received a concerning 911 call.
16:21Hi, there's an ATV out for a Lois Reese
16:25from Blooming Prairie, Minnesota
16:27in Seale County.
16:29She just got out of her car
16:31at my Florida house.
16:33I also live in Blooming Prairie,
16:35so I know about the whole thing.
16:37She's in a white 05 Escalade.
16:39Okay, and you do some research,
16:41it's Seale County, Minnesota
16:43that's trying to find her.
16:44Okay, so she has a warrant,
16:47is that what you're saying?
16:48Yes, for the possible murder of her husband
16:51and for sure for embezzling charges.
16:53Earlier the same day,
16:54the 911 caller, Tess's daughter,
16:57in Blooming Prairie,
16:58received a call from a woman named Stormy Liberty,
17:01who claimed to be Tess's friend
17:02and asked for her address.
17:04Stormy Liberty was later identified
17:06as an alias that Lois used
17:08when opening a cell phone account.
17:10She was gone by the time police arrived,
17:12and just three days later,
17:14Pamela's life came to a tragic end.
17:17Now, after Pamela's death,
17:19as one deputy reviews the security footage
17:21from the Marina Village Motel,
17:23he recognizes the woman with Pamela
17:25as Lois Reese,
17:27based on Tess's 911 call
17:28from three days ago.
17:30I do rentals.
17:31So she had a little notepad
17:32like she was going to rent,
17:33but that's what I thought.
17:34And then she got out,
17:36and she saw me.
17:37I said, can I help you?
17:38And she looked at me,
17:39and she said, I'm in the wrong place.
17:40And she got in her Escalade.
17:42She said it was a 2005 white Escalade.
17:46Yep, pearl-colored Escalade.
17:48After being recognized
17:49in the surveillance footage,
17:50Lois is officially named
17:52a person of interest
17:53in Pamela Hutchinson's murder.
17:55On April 10th,
17:56investigators in Florida
17:57contacted Minnesota law enforcement,
17:59requesting a photo
18:00to confirm their suspect.
18:02And finally,
18:03information between
18:04the two investigations was shared.
18:06With evidence connecting Lois
18:08to more than one murder,
18:10investigators are left
18:11with the chilling question.
18:13Is she finished?
18:14Or is she planning to strike again?
18:16While following her trail,
18:18those who knew her
18:18begin to share a troubling history
18:20with investigators,
18:22one that hints at a possible motive
18:24for her ruthless actions.
18:26My grandpa passed away
18:27and she got her inheritance
18:28and she was so unbelievably bored
18:33out there at that house.
18:35And the only time she was happy
18:36is when she'd have
18:37the grandkids out there
18:38and she had them a lot.
18:40My kids and my brother's kids
18:42were there a lot.
18:43If she wasn't at,
18:45you know, with us,
18:46like her kids or her grandkids,
18:48she was probably at the casino
18:49when I had told my dad
18:50and I told her like
18:51that I was getting concerned
18:53with how much she was going there.
18:55and she's like,
18:56I just,
18:56Priya, it's just something
18:57for me to do.
18:58It's fun,
18:59but I don't have a problem.
19:01She blew through
19:02hundreds of thousands
19:03of dollars there.
19:04I had no idea
19:05it was that bad.
19:06With Pamela's credit cards missing,
19:09investigators begin to trace
19:10where they may have been used.
19:12On April 6th,
19:13the woman claiming
19:13to be Pamela Hutchinson
19:15entered a Wells Fargo
19:16and withdrew $5,000,
19:18as seen in still images
19:20provided by the bank.
19:21The distinctive white hat,
19:23sunglasses,
19:24and blue shirt
19:24are the same clothes
19:26she was wearing
19:26in the surveillance footage
19:28at Marina Village.
19:29So, does she have
19:30a gambling problem?
19:32Absolutely.
19:33$400,000 worth
19:35two years ago.
19:36How much?
19:37$400 stolen out of a trust
19:39that belonged to her dad
19:40and brothers and sisters
19:41that she was managing.
19:43Did you say $400,000?
19:44Yes, sir.
19:45As investigators continue
19:46to follow Lois' trail,
19:48receipts show
19:49that she withdrew $1,500
19:50from an ATM on April 7th,
19:53one day after leaving
19:54Marina Village
19:55and Pamela's stolen car.
19:57How did he make it
19:58so she couldn't have any money,
19:59do you know?
20:00Well, I think the last go-around,
20:02you gotta read
20:03between the lines with me.
20:05This is just conversation
20:06with Dave and I.
20:07I know all credit cards
20:08were taken away.
20:10I know she had no bank account.
20:13She wasn't a signature
20:14on any of his accounts.
20:16Investigators also discover
20:17that Lois had recently
20:18checked into the Hilton Hotel
20:20in Ocala, Florida
20:21for a day,
20:22using Pamela's credit cards
20:24and forging her signature
20:25on the room service receipts.
20:27When all the money stuff came up
20:29after he realized,
20:30you know,
20:31that she has a bad gambling problem
20:33and she went through
20:34all that money,
20:35like,
20:36she was put on, like, lockdown,
20:38you know,
20:38like, she couldn't
20:39have access to any money
20:41and, you know,
20:42I told her many times,
20:44like,
20:44I understand why my dad
20:45was doing that.
20:46I get that.
20:47But I just told her
20:48that she should just,
20:49you know,
20:50like,
20:50come live with me
20:51or my brother
20:51because it wasn't,
20:52like,
20:52a good situation
20:53to be in
20:54for either one of them.
20:56Brianna further explains
20:57that the financial issues
20:59Lois faced
20:59as a result
21:00of her gambling problem
21:01led to an attempt
21:02to take her own life
21:03two years prior.
21:04My dad found out
21:07about something,
21:08probably money-related,
21:09I'm guessing,
21:10and he was yelling at her
21:13and he,
21:14I don't know,
21:15he said a bunch of
21:15awful things to her
21:17and then he left
21:18to go to the bank
21:19and she said
21:19that she just felt like
21:20it would,
21:21she just didn't want
21:22to deal with it anymore.
21:24Sure.
21:25As Brianna continues
21:26to explain
21:27Lois' financial troubles,
21:29she recalls
21:30a recent situation
21:31involving her disabled
21:32sister, Kim,
21:33that landed her
21:33in legal trouble.
21:35My mom actually
21:36took care of my aunt
21:37for, like,
21:38two or three years
21:39she lived with her
21:40and was really,
21:43really, really awesome
21:44and, like,
21:44did everything
21:45by the book
21:45that she was supposed to
21:46and when she got
21:47into gambling,
21:48I think she took
21:49some money
21:50from my aunt Kim.
21:51Okay.
21:52They were going
21:52back and forth.
21:53My mom skipped
21:54the court thing.
21:55They were gonna,
21:56her lawyer was gonna
21:57settle for, like,
21:57$30,000
21:58but then my mom,
22:00like, her behavior,
22:02she just doesn't,
22:03address anything.
22:04She just pretends
22:05like it doesn't happen
22:06so she didn't go to court
22:07and because she didn't,
22:09they put, like,
22:09a full judgment
22:10so, like,
22:11$100,000
22:11is, like,
22:12things that they're
22:13trying to get from,
22:14yeah.
22:16Though Lois'
22:17alleged gambling history
22:18provides valuable insight
22:20for the detectives,
22:21they still have yet
22:22to establish
22:22her current whereabouts
22:24or the driving factor
22:25behind this horrific
22:26crime spree.
22:27With Lois' location
22:29and her motives
22:29still unclear,
22:30the fear
22:31that she may be
22:32armed, dangerous
22:33and hunting
22:34for a new victim
22:35fuels their efforts
22:36as they continue
22:37following her trail.
22:39On April 8th,
22:40one day before
22:41Pamela's body
22:41was discovered,
22:43Lois attempted
22:43to use Pamela's
22:44credit card
22:45at an ATM
22:45in De Quincey,
22:46Louisiana
22:47but the transaction
22:48was declined.
22:50Investigators learned
22:51that Lois then
22:52traveled to another
22:52casino in Louisiana
22:53and won a $1,500
22:55jackpot.
22:57As the interviews
22:58continue,
22:59one investigator
22:59brings up a possible
23:00concern that may
23:01make finding Lois
23:03an even more
23:03challenging endeavor.
23:05I was just wondering
23:06if she was like,
23:07could make it to where
23:08she looked something
23:08different with makeup
23:09beyond the hair color
23:11that she had
23:12kind of a talent
23:13of,
23:14what do you call
23:14the people out?
23:15Oh, makeup artist?
23:17Makeup artist, yes.
23:18But I don't think that
23:20but I think that
23:21she was skilled enough
23:22with makeup
23:22that she could make
23:23herself look
23:24a little different
23:25but I would say
23:26with a gambling
23:28problem
23:28and now she's got
23:30time on her hands
23:31she'll be at a casino.
23:33However,
23:34Lois' son Billy
23:35has a far more
23:36grim expectation
23:37for how this
23:38fugitive search
23:39may end.
23:40Based off
23:41her past actions
23:42I'd say
23:44I don't know
23:44finding her alive
23:45probably isn't very good
23:46as sick as that sounds.
23:48Right.
23:48She's obviously
23:49tried to do it before
23:50I think this is a little
23:51bit more serious
23:52than that was
23:53spending money.
23:54Right.
23:55Right.
23:55You think she has
23:56any means of doing that
23:57or?
23:58Of hurting herself?
23:59Yeah, if she killed my dad.
24:01At 11.16pm
24:02on April 8th
24:03Pamela's stolen Acura
24:05is seen traveling
24:05westbound on
24:06Interstate 10
24:07in Lafayette, Louisiana
24:08and once more
24:10on a license plate
24:11reader in Texas
24:11before the trail
24:12goes cold.
24:14With Lois
24:14continuing to
24:15cross state lines
24:16a U.S. Marshal's
24:18task force
24:18takes over
24:19the investigation
24:19and issues
24:20a bolo
24:21for Lois Reese.
24:23She's now
24:23wanted for two murders
24:24grand theft auto
24:26financial theft
24:27and identity theft.
24:28As the case
24:29gains national attention
24:30through widespread
24:31media coverage
24:32she earns the nickname
24:34Killer Grandma.
24:35News outlets
24:36nationwide
24:37ask anyone
24:37who sees Lois
24:38or her vehicle
24:39to come forward.
24:41When a promising tip
24:42brings investigators
24:43one step closer
24:44to ending her reign
24:45of terror
24:45one question remains
24:47can they get to her
24:48before she disappears
24:50once again?
24:51At 6.58pm
24:53on April 19th
24:54over a week
24:55since she was
24:55last spotted
24:56on traffic cameras
24:57Lois enters
24:58Dirty Al's restaurant
24:59on South Padre Island
25:01in Texas
25:01just 30 miles
25:03from the Mexican border.
25:05She lingers
25:05upon entering
25:06taking a moment
25:07to look
25:08at the posted menu
25:08near the main
25:09cash register.
25:11It isn't long
25:11before an employee
25:12sees Lois
25:13and stands watch.
25:15As she suddenly
25:15makes for the exit
25:17the two male employees
25:18briefly converse
25:19before following her.
25:21The man takes
25:49down her license plate
25:50and local authorities
25:51are contacted.
25:53Police arrive
25:54at 7.50pm
25:55nearly an hour
25:56after she left
25:57the building.
25:58It seems as though
25:59she slipped away
26:00once more.
26:01It's a devastating blow
26:02to their search
26:03but in a shocking
26:04twist of events
26:05while officers wait
26:06for someone
26:06who can show them
26:07the surveillance footage
26:08they begin to search
26:09the conjoined parking lot
26:11and spot the stolen car
26:12at the restaurant
26:13next door.
26:14They enter the restaurant
26:15and find Lois
26:16sitting at the bar
26:17talking with an unknown male
26:18but wait for backup
26:20before moving in
26:21for the arrest.
26:22At 8.25pm
26:23on April 19th
26:24multiple officers
26:25move in
26:26and finally make an arrest
26:27unaware of just
26:29how close Lois
26:30may have come
26:30to claiming
26:31a third victim.
26:33With Lois
26:33now in custody
26:34one chilling question
26:36remains unanswered.
26:37What drove Lois
26:38to commit not one
26:40but two brutal
26:41acts of murder?
26:42Lois?
26:43What's your last name?
26:45We know
26:45according to the man
27:06she was with
27:07he and his friend
27:08met Lois
27:09at Padre Rita's grill.
27:10She told them
27:11she was staying
27:12next door
27:12at the Motel 6
27:13and was a widow
27:14searching for a place
27:15to live
27:16in South Padre.
27:17The jaw dropping
27:18evidence in her
27:19motel room
27:20will later be found
27:21in a search
27:21by investigators.
27:23For now
27:23the man explains
27:24that he and a friend
27:25went with Lois
27:26on April 17th
27:27for drinks
27:28before dropping
27:29her off
27:29at her motel.
27:30Both men
27:31found Lois
27:32to be completely
27:33normal
27:33never witnessing
27:34any emotional
27:35breakdowns
27:36or outbursts
27:37with one
27:37mentioning
27:38she was even
27:38flirting with them.
27:40Is your driver's
27:41license in here ma'am?
27:42Yes.
27:43It is.
27:43The way
27:46I can run
27:47her real quick.
27:48Could you get here?
27:50I can't hear
27:51in the right
27:52second.
27:54There's two
27:55times.
27:56Why did you
27:57drive here?
27:58Maybe she's
27:59in Minnesota.
27:59Okay.
28:00This one right here?
28:00Just an F-I-O.
28:01Okay.
28:02It's not really
28:03here, Cora.
28:03Okay.
28:04You want to run
28:05her real quick?
28:06It's out of
28:06Minnesota.
28:07It's in there.
28:08It's out of
28:08Minnesota?
28:08Yes, sir.
28:09Yeah.
28:09But the warrant
28:10I do believe
28:10might be out of
28:11Florida.
28:11I didn't get
28:13a chance to
28:13even look up
28:14our stuff
28:14because it was
28:15like...
28:16Yeah.
28:18I don't know
28:19how that is.
28:19Lisa, if you
28:20want to...
28:20I'll get my cuffs
28:24back when we'll get
28:24over there.
28:25Just go ahead and
28:29grab your unit and
28:29follow into the
28:30station.
28:32When news of her
28:33arrest broke, a
28:34woman came forward
28:35with a harrowing
28:36story.
28:37She told
28:38investigators that
28:39while eating alone
28:39at a restaurant on
28:40the island, she
28:41befriended a woman
28:42who identified
28:43herself as La
28:44Donna, who was
28:45recently widowed in
28:46spending time away
28:47from her family to
28:48grieve.
28:49They met again for
28:50drinks on April
28:5115th.
28:52The woman allowed
28:52La Donna to come
28:53home with her, letting
28:54her stay in her
28:55guest bedroom.
28:56They had plans to
28:57meet again on
28:58Friday, April 20th,
28:59just one day after
29:00her arrest, where
29:01she learned La
29:02Donna was Lois
29:03Reese.
29:04When investigators
29:05from Minnesota and
29:06Florida learn of
29:07her arrest, they fly
29:09to Texas to meet
29:10with Lois for an
29:10interrogation.
29:12However, Lois
29:13invokes Miranda
29:14rights and asks
29:15for a lawyer.
29:16Eventually, Lois
29:17will break her
29:18silence and recount
29:19the shocking details
29:20of her final moments
29:21with David and her
29:22motives for pulling
29:23the trigger.
29:25For now, Lois
29:26raises an unusual
29:27concern.
29:28The process for
29:29getting you out of
29:30here takes a little
29:31bit of time, and
29:32then you've got to
29:32get transported back
29:33to Florida, so I
29:35imagine in a couple
29:36weeks we'll see you
29:39back in the Lee
29:39County Jail, and
29:40then from there
29:41you'll be eventually
29:42going back to
29:43Minnesota to deal
29:45with the charges
29:46up there.
29:47Do you have any
29:47questions of us
29:48right now?
29:49Well, they put me
29:50in a room that has
29:51a bed.
29:51I'm sorry?
29:53Will they put me
29:53in a room that
29:54has a cot or
29:55something?
29:56When you come
29:57to Florida?
29:58For two weeks
29:59I'll sit in that
30:00bed.
30:00No, I believe
30:02you're going to
30:02be transferred to
30:03a sheriff's office
30:03in the area.
30:06Okay.
30:07You'll have to
30:08see a judge, I
30:09think, for
30:10extradition purposes
30:11in the morning,
30:11a magistrate, and
30:13then from there
30:14you'll be going
30:15to a sheriff's
30:16office where
30:16they'll house you
30:17until we come
30:18pick you up.
30:18And they'll
30:21be able to answer
30:21some of those
30:22questions that you
30:22have on the bed.
30:23We just don't,
30:24we're not, we don't
30:25have that in here.
30:26So, if you do
30:27have some of those
30:28concerns, when you
30:29go downstairs,
30:30I would say.
30:30I just know it'd be
30:31better for my
30:31edema and my
30:33blood pressure,
30:34like they said.
30:35It'd probably be
30:35going to have you
30:36ate some food, too.
30:38Yeah, but it'd be
30:39worse if I had to go
30:40to the hospital and
30:40have an attack.
30:41It'd be worse.
30:42Oh, for sure.
30:43All right, that's why
30:44we're getting you
30:44crackers right now.
30:45One final question
30:47from Lois leads to
30:48a shocking revelation
30:49as she learns the
30:51truth of just how
30:52far her notoriety
30:53has spread.
30:54I guess one
30:55question I have is
30:56do my kids know
30:57I'm alive and
30:57they're here?
30:59Yes.
31:00From what you,
31:01from, I don't
31:02know if you know
31:02this or not, but
31:03your whole story
31:05has been national
31:06news, okay?
31:07It broke last
31:09night.
31:09It broke last
31:11night that you
31:12were arrested in
31:13South Padre Island,
31:14that you're alive and
31:15well, and that
31:16you were found by
31:18the U.S.
31:18Marshals and the
31:19local police
31:19department here.
31:20Okay, so they
31:21know?
31:22I don't personally
31:23know that they
31:24know, but I can
31:24tell you that every
31:25local news media
31:27outlet nationwide
31:28has picked up a
31:29story.
31:30Before searching
31:31Lois' motel room,
31:32investigators spoke
31:33with an employee
31:34of Motel 6.
31:35She says Lois
31:36claimed to be a
31:37victim of domestic
31:38violence, hiding
31:39from her husband,
31:40who was a cop.
31:41When she next saw
31:42her, she appeared
31:43to be completely
31:44different, even
31:45dressing more
31:45provocatively.
31:47During one
31:47conversation, she
31:48heard Lois say,
31:50I need a sugar
31:50daddy, before
31:51asking about another
31:52customer seen
31:53driving an expensive
31:54vehicle, raising
31:55unsettling questions
31:57about her future
31:58plans.
31:59A search of her
31:59motel room uncovered
32:01a mountain of
32:01evidence.
32:02Among the
32:03discoveries is a
32:04white towel wrapped
32:05around a pair of
32:05sunglasses, previously
32:07seen to be worn by
32:08Pamela.
32:09Lois' distinctive
32:10white hat, earlier
32:12seen to be worn as
32:13she withdrew $5,000
32:14using Pamela's
32:15identity, is located
32:17on a pile of
32:18clothing.
32:19They also locate
32:20credit cards and
32:21checkbooks belonging
32:22to both David and
32:23Pamela, along with
32:24Pamela's luggage.
32:26A road atlas is
32:27found, and tucked
32:28within its pages is a
32:29brochure for a casino
32:30in Eagle Pass, Texas.
32:32They also uncover
32:33Pamela's driver's
32:34license, and finally,
32:36two loaded firearms.
32:38With a mountain of
32:39evidence against her,
32:40Lois is extradited to
32:41Florida and held
32:42without bond to face
32:43charges for the murder
32:44of 59-year-old Pamela
32:46Hutchinson.
32:47To avoid the death
32:48penalty, Lois pleaded
32:49guilty on December 17,
32:512019, to one count of
32:52first-degree murder,
32:54grand theft of a
32:55motor vehicle, grand
32:56theft of property, and
32:57criminal identity theft.
32:59She later returned to
33:00Minnesota to face
33:01charges for the murder
33:02of 54-year-old David
33:04Reese.
33:05At a hearing on
33:06August 11, 2020, in the
33:08auditorium of a
33:09Minnesota high school,
33:10after delays due to
33:11coronavirus, she pleaded
33:13guilty to first-degree
33:14murder and shared with
33:16the judge her version of
33:17what happened on the
33:18fateful night of March
33:195, 2018.
33:21According to Lois, she
33:22and David had a heated
33:23argument following their
33:25grandson's basketball
33:26game.
33:27She claims David handed
33:28her a loaded firearm,
33:30encouraged her to turn it
33:31on herself and take her
33:32own life, saying,
33:34maybe you will get it
33:35right this time.
33:36In her own words, she
33:37explains, he was right
33:39in front of me, and I
33:40looked right at his
33:41heart and I pulled the
33:42trigger.
33:43However, this is based
33:44solely on Lois' account,
33:46and David will never have
33:47the opportunity to
33:48confirm or deny her
33:49claim.
33:50As for Pamela, Lois
33:52never provides a reason
33:53for taking her life.
33:55For both murders, Lois
33:57Reese was sentenced to
33:58life in prison without the
33:59possibility of parole.
34:01She's currently serving
34:02both life sentences
34:03concurrently at the
34:04Shakopee Correctional
34:05facility in Minnesota.