Prosecutors seek death for fugitive grandma in slaying

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Florida prosecutors say they’re seeking the death penalty for a Minnesota woman who’s accused of killing her husband and a Florida woman before leading authorities on a cross-country manhunt.

The State Attorney’s Office in Lee County, Florida, filed a notice of intent Monday to seek the death penalty against 56-year-old Lois Riess. A grand jury indicted her last month on a first-degree murder charge. A conviction would mean life in prison or execution.

Court documents say David Riess was found dead at the couple’s Blooming Prairie, Minnesota, home in March. Authorities say Riess went to Fort Myers and met 59-year-old Pamela Hutchinson. Investigators believe Riess killed Hutchinson to assume her identity. Riess was captured in Texas, and returned to Florida to face charges.