MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota woman who is wanted in connection with her husband's death is now a suspect in the killing of a Florida woman, authorities said Friday.
Lois Riess of Blooming Prairie, Minnesota, has been charged in the shooting death of Pamela Hutchinson of Bradenton, Florida. Authorities aren't aware of any connection between the two women, but they believe Riess killed Hutchinson earlier this week to assume her identity.
Riess is believed to be driving Hutchinson's car, a white Acura TL with Florida license plate Y37TAA. The car has been seen in Louisiana and Corpus Christi, Texas, since Hutchinson died.
Riess' 2005 white Cadillac Escalade was found in a Florida park earlier this week.
Riess is also wanted in the March death of her husband, David Riess. Prosecutors are preparing second-degree murder charges in that case. Minnesota's Dodge County Sheriff Scott Rose released a statement Friday saying that authorities believe the same gun was used in both killings.
Riess is considered armed and dangerous. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is urged to call the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Riess has been on the run since late March, after David Riess's business partner called Dodge County authorities on March 23 to ask them to check on him. The partner said no one at work had seen David Riess in over two weeks.
Authorities found David Riess's body inside his home with multiple gunshots. They couldn't determine how long he had been dead, and investigators could not find his wife.
During the investigation, authorities learned that Lois Riess may be at Diamond Joe's Casino in Iowa. Authorities from Dodge County, the BCA and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation went to the casino, but Riess had already left.