Minnesota Grandma On The Run After She Killed Husband and Traveled To Florida To Kill 59-Year-Old Look-A-Like To Steal Her Identity

A Minnesota woman is on the run after officials say she killed her husband and then traveled to Florida to allegedly kill her look-a-like so she could steal the woman’s identify.

According to The Washington Post, Lois Riess has led officials on a nationwide manhunt after her husband, David, was found shot to death on March 23.

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The two lived in a small town in Minnesota, where they were well known and regulars at a local lunch spot. However, when David had not been seen for more than a week, residents of Blooming Prairie grew concerned, and reported his disappearance to the police. That is when officials located the body of David Reiss at his worm farm, Prairie Wax Worms.

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Although it was unclear how long David had been dead, officials quickly linked his death to the disappearance of his wife and the subsequent transfer of $10,000 into her account.

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After the shooting, officials believe Riess stopped in Iowa to hit a casino to address her gambling problem before heading to Lee County, Florida, where she reportedly met her next victim, 59-year-old Pamela Hutchinson.

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On April 5th, the two women were caught on surveillance footage in a Fort Myers Brewery. Riess was also spotted on another camera at Hutchinson’s condo in the same city. But, just four days later, officials found Hutchinson shot to death in her own home with her credit cards and car keys missing.

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“Ms. Hutchinson was targeted by the suspect due to the similarities in their appearance,” Carmine Marceno said in a press conference. “Ms. Hutchinson’s purse was found in disarray and all cash, credit cards and identification appeared to have been removed. Riess’ mode of operation is to befriend women who resemble her and steal their identity.”

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One week after the murder, the 56-year-old grandmother from Blooming Prairie, Minnesota was seen in Texas, heading south on Highway 77. However, the incident has now expanded to a multistate and federal case.

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“This is the first time in my career I’ve seen someone steal someone’s identity and target them for the way they look in order to murder them, “ Marceno sheriff told NBC. “I suspect Riess at some point in time will have no resources and she will become desperate and may kill again.”