Lois Riess, 57, was sentenced on Tuesday after pleading guilty to first-degree murder in the 2018 death of Pamela Hutchinson, a complete stranger she bumped into by sheer coincidence  

During a pre-trial meeting Tuesday, the gambling-addicted grandmother recanted her denials and pled guilty to first-degree murder with a firearm, grand theft of a motor vehicle, grand theft and criminal use of identification

Lois Riess killed the 59-year-old Hutchinson at a Fort Myers beach condo in April last year in a bid to steal her identity 

She was on the run at the time after allegedly shooting dead her 54-year-old husband David Riess in their Minnesota home a month earlier 

After killing Hutchinson Riess became known as ‘Losing Streak Lois’ because of her gambling habit, then stole victim’s cash, credit cards,  IDs and fled in the victim’s car

After leaving Florida, Riess sparked a cross-country manhunt as she  drove 1,300 miles to Louisiana, then moved on to Texas where she was captured in April 2018

According to her plea, Riess also agreed to go back to Minnesota to face first-degree murder charges in her husband’s death 

Killer grandma pays for murder spree: Lois Riess, 57, was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday in Florida after pleading guilty to first-degree murder in the death of Pamela Hutchinson

A Minnesota grandmother has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering a lookalike stranger she met on a Florida beach so she could steal her identity while on the run for allegedly killing her husband. 

Lois Riess, 57, was sentenced on Tuesday after pleading guilty to first-degree murder in the 2018 death of Pamela Hutchinson.
Riess, who became known as ‘Losing Streak Lois’ because of her gambling habit, killed the 59-year-old at a Fort Myers beach condo in April last year in a bid to steal her victim’s identity and property.
She was a fugitive at the time, on the run after allegedly shooting dead her 54-year-old husband,  David Riess, in their Minnesota home, a month earlier.

Lois Riess [left], is convicted for killing lookalike Pamela Hutchinson [right], in Fort Meyers Beach, Fla in April 2018

At the time Lois Riess killed Pamela Hutchinson in Florida, she was on the run at allegedly shooting dead her 54-year-old husband David Riess [photo], in their Minnesota home a month earlier

Riess was in court for pre-trial hearing on Tuesday when her attorneys told the judge she was withdrawing her not guilty plea in the Hutchinson murder case. 

She instead pled guilty to all four charges, including first-degree murder with a firearm, grand theft of a motor vehicle, grand theft and criminal use of identification.
Riess also agreed to go back to Minnesota to face first-degree murder charges in her husband’s death.
Following her plea, prosecutors withdrew their request to seek the death penalty.
Authorities said Riess’ months-long crime spree started when she shot dead her husband in their home on March 23, 2018.
She is accused of forging checks to steal $11,000 from her husband’s account before fleeing to Fort Myers where she met Hutchinson.
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