FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. (AP) – Newly released surveillance video shows a woman in a Florida bar smiling and talking with a fellow patron whom police say she later killed so she could steal her identity. (story continues after video)
The video released by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office shows 56-year-old Lois Riess of Bloomberg Prairie, Minnesota, talking to 59-year-old Pamela Hutchinson April 5 at the Smokin’ Oyster Brewery in Fort Myers Beach.
Police say Riess is also wanted for the March slaying of husband David Riess in Minnesota. Authorities say she may have targeted Hutchinson because the two women looked alike. Riess is still at large. Authorities say she stole Hutchinson’s car, which has been seen in Louisiana and Texas.
Riess is believed to be driving Hutchinson’s car, a white Acura TL with Florida license plate Y37TAA.
Lee County Undersheriff says while Riess "may look like anyone’s mother or grandmother, she’s an absolute cold-blooded murderer."
"Riess’s mode of operation is to befriend women who resemble her and steal their identity," Undersheriff Carmine Marceno said. "U.S. Marshals are actively involved in a national search for this dangerous fugitive. Riess is considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached if located."
