SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, TEXAS – A Southern Minnesota woman accused of two murders has been caught in Texas, and made her way through North Iowa as she attempted to stay out of the grasp of authorities.
The sheriff in Dodge county, Minnesota, says 56-year-old Lois Riess has been caught. Reportedly, she was in South Padre Island, Texas when she was nabbed by police with the U.S. Marshalls. Riess is believed to have murdered Pamela Hutchinson, 59, in a Fort Myers Beach condo on or about April 5. She bears a striking resemblance to the deceased, a police report says, and had stolen the victim’s driver license, credit cards and 2005 white Acura TL. A murder warrant for her arrest was issued by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. Reiss is also a person-of-interest in the murder of her husband in Dodge County, Minnesota, in March. Dodge County authorities also have charged her with grand theft.
Dubbed by local authorities as “Losing Streak Lois,” she is known to have a gambling addiction and often frequents casinos. The fugitive investigation conducted by the U.S. Marshals has Riess’ last known whereabouts in the Corpus Christi, Texas, area in the white Acura TL.
She was considered armed and dangerous.
Prior to her arrest, the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday released surveillance video of Lois Riess obtained by investigators from the KUM and GO gas station next to Diamond Jo Casino in Northwood, Iowa. The video shows Lois Riess approach the cashier, purchase a sandwich, and ask for directions south of the state. This video was from March 23, 2018 at approximately 6:30 PM. Investigators believe that on March 23 Riess drove to a bank in Glenville, Minnesota, and cashed over $10,000 in stolen and forged checks from her husband and his business. She later spent most of the day gambling at Diamond Jo Casino in Northwood, Iowa, before stopping at the gas station for a sandwich and directions south out of the state.
The Dodge County Sheriff's Office confirms Lois Riess is in police custody. We will have more details for the public and media tomorrow.
— Sheriff Scott Rose (@DCSOSheriff) April 20, 2018
