A Minnesota grandmother suspected in two killings in a multistate crime spree has reportedly been arrested in Texas.
Fugitive Lois Riess, suspected in the deaths of her husband in Minnesota and the Florida woman whose identity authorities say she assumed, was taken into custody on South Padre Island, according to Minneapolis TV station KMSP.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Marshal Service confirmed the arrest, Fox-9 reported.
According to authorities, Ms. Riess shot her husband to death last month and took $11,000 from his bank account. After driving south from their Minnesota home, she abandoned her car, a Cadillac Escalade, in Fort Myers Beach, Florida.
Video footage taken April 5 at the Smokin’ Oyster Brewery in Fort Myers Beach shows Ms. Riess befriending Pamela Hutchinson.
The 59-year-old Ms. Hutchinson was shot to death and found in her condominium on April 9.
The two women look alike, and authorities say Ms. Riess took her ID, credit cards and white Acura TL. Before leaving Fort Myers Beach, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Ms. Riess made a cash withdrawal of $5,000 posing as Ms. Hutchinson.
Ms. Riess was known to have a gambling problem and was reportedly more than $100,000 in debt when her husband was killed.
• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.