[radio operator speaking]
[woman speaking]
[police siren wails]
Very rarely do we see
homicides like this.
When I heard that my niece
had been k*lled,
I cried, I screamed,
because she meant
so much to me.
[David] My suspect's
on the run.
He's k*lled two already.
Is she gonna k*ll again?
Do we have a serial k*ller?
I'm in Fort Myers
for a few days. Yeah...
[narrator] 59-year-old
Pamela Hutchinson
is staying at
the Marina Village resort
to support
a grieving friend.
My friend's husband
passed away last week.
[narrator] Pam has plans
to attend the memorial
ceremony.
I said I'd come
down here
and help her scatter
the ashes. Yeah...
[Mona] Pam is a close friend
to anyone.
She was that kind
of person.
She was a beautiful lady
with a big heart.
She was giving, she was kind,
she was very independent.
[narrator] Recently divorced
after 20 years of marriage,
Pam is starting a new life
in Southwest Florida
But I'm getting the keys
to my new condo
when I'm done here.
Pamela was looking
for a beautiful place
on the beach.
That's what she liked.
She liked fishin',
so she searched high and low
for a beautiful condo
and she finally found it
at that particular area.
You should come down
and see it.
[Mona] She had called me,
and invited me and my sister
to go to her new condo when
she moved in, in two weeks.
We were very, very close.
I couldn't wait
to get there.
You'll love it
down here.
[Mona] She was so excited
and so happy.
We talked an hour and a half.
It was wonderful.
[seagulls squawking]
[phone ringing]
[radio operator speaking]
[woman speaking]
[Carmine]
The county sheriff's office
receives that call.
This is an area where people
just go to the beach,
enjoy life, and we don't
get calls like this.
[siren wailing]
Immediately our investigators
and deputies respond
because we only get
one chance,
and we have to do it right
from the very beginning.
[David] When I arrived
on scene, I made
contact with the manager
who made the initial discovery
of the victim.
The manager confirmed
for me
that the victim
did check in alone.
She had only made
a reservation for one.
[narrator] Detective Foraker
learns the condo
is registered
to Pamela Hutchinson.
[David] I went up
to the fourth floor
to room 404,
our victim's room.
I remember walking down
and making entry,
and just getting a feel
for the crime scene.
The key pieces of evidence
that were apparent to me
from the beginning
were the towel
at the base of the door
once you actually made entry
into the bathroom.
I found the body
on the floor.
I noticed that a towel
appeared to have been draped
over the victim.
Why was it put there?
Who put it there?
[narrator] The medical
examiner arrives.
Good morning.
[narrator] The victim,
confirmed to be
Pamela Hutchinson,
has been dead
for more than 24 hours.
[David] We were able
to roll the body over
and we were able
to see that there was
a g*nsh*t defect
to the back side
of our victim.
She was sh*t from behind.
What is that?
We were actually able
to recover a projectile
that lodged through
the front shoulder area
into the victim's
bra strap.
[Carmine] We have a victim,
apparent g*nsh*t wound.
We have towels
by the doorway
so that, that would prevent
the odor of the deceased
coming out.
The scene itself
looks completely staged.
[narrator] There was
no sign of a struggle
or evidence
of a forced entry.
[David] This had to have
been someone that
was friendly enough with her
to get inside the room.
There were two bedrooms
and two bathrooms
in this condominium,
and it looked as if
someone had actually slept
in the spare bedroom.
We were looking
for personal information,
personal identifiers,
and we noticed
going through her purse
that a bunch of those cards
and drivers' licenses
identification had actually
been removed.
No cards? No IDs?
So we're thinking
whoever was in here
had taken it with them.
Inside the purse...
Look at this.
...was a receipt from
the Smokin Oyster Brewery,
which is a restaurant
just down the street
from the condo,
and it appeared as if she had
just eaten there recently.
Go ahead down there.
See what you can find.
[police radio chatter]
[narrator]
Detective Foraker notifies
Pamela Hutchinson's
family.
[phone ringing]
[Mona] I was at home...
Hello.
...and he began to tell me
what happened.
I couldn't believe it.
I was distraught.
I couldn't imagine who would
have done something like that.
[sobbing]
It was an awful shock.
I cried, I screamed.
Pam was very important to me,
and I loved her so much.
She was a sweet girl.
She was a marvelous girl.
She had lots of love,
and she gave lots of love.
[David] We had
a k*ller on the loose.
A k*ller that may still be
in the area,
that may do this again.
We knew it was
very urgent
to locate the suspect
and bring him to justice.
[police radio chatter]
[narrator] Investigators
canvass the area
and look for surveillance
cameras.
[David] Going through
the purse,
we found the receipt
for Smokin Oyster Brewery,
so, I figured that was
a great place to start.
Hey, I'm Detective Rotan.
I noticed your CC TV footage.
I was wondering
if I could please see that.
[narrator] Detective Rotan
focuses on April 5th,
the last time Pamela
bought dinner.
[David] The video shows
that my victim was there.
She had a pink baseball
cap on, white t-shirt.
[Narrator] Pamela can be seen
in the bottom left of frame.
State law requires her
image to be blurred.
[David] She's there
by herself.
She was having conversations
with several different people.
Wow, wow, wow.
Pause it right there.
Zoom in.
[David] There was
a male with a green shirt
that she was
communicating with.
Keep playing.
Zoom in.
[David] Around 5:15 p.m.,
we see a woman
with blond hair,
a blue top, with sunglasses
on her head
walking down
towards the victim.
They all seem to be
conversing together,
having a good time.
This woman sits down
next to her,
and they start
communicating.
Body language shows that
there was no alarm.
There wasn't anything that
threw up a red flag
to my victim.
They were high-fiving
each other,
and just enjoying
themselves.
Fast forward.
We'll what happens.
[David] The video
showed later on that
the male actually left,
leaving just the two
females together.
They continue
in their conversation.
They continue having
dinner.
I am growing very suspicious
of who is this woman.
I see my victim there.
She's down here
by herself,
and then this woman comes
and befriends her.
They become fast friends,
and things kinda move quickly.
I needed to find out who
this person was
and speak with her.
Okay, keep playin' it.
[David] Around 7:42 p.m.,
they seem to be done
with their food.
They're done
with their drinks.
They're saying goodbye
to the fellow people
that they have met,
and we see them
both leave together.
Thank you very much.
When we first watched
the video
of this unknown female
accompanying our victim,
I knew right away
this person is gonna be key
to this investigation
and we have to know
exactly who she is.
[David] Over the course
of the investigation,
I spoke several times
with the manager
at Marina Village.
Do you have
her check-in details?
She provided information
of when she checked in,
what type of vehicle was she
driving, a white Acura.
There are several surveillance
cameras in the whole complex.
There was a camera
at every level
of the condominium.
Once I saw those
video cameras,
I knew that
that's gold right there.
That tells me exactly
what I want to see,
and it does
the timeline for me.
Let's see when she
first arrived.
The victim checked in
on April 3rd, 2018.
Can we see her room?
[David] From the camera angle
on the fourth floor
we were able to see people
going onto that floor.
[detective] Is that her?
Okay, can you move back
the frame a couple?
[David] At 3:49 p.m.,
we can see our victim
walk into her room
with her luggage.
Everything
seemed normal.
There wasn't anything
out of place
or anything
that caught my eye.
[narrator] Detective Rotan
joins Detective Foraker
to help analyze
the footage.
[David] Let's look
at the next day.
[narrator] They check
the surveillance
from April 5th,
after Pamela left the bar
with the unknown female.
[man] That looks like
the same woman
as at the bar.
Are you sure?
Can you play that again?
Positive.
[David] The hair, the height,
the weight, the clothing,
I'm saying to myself,
it's gotta be
the same woman.
We were able to link up
the dates and times,
and see that the lady
at the Smokin Oyster Brewery
was also the lady that we see
on video footage
at Marina Village
with our victim.
[narrator] They leave the bar
at 7:43 p.m.,
and arrive at Pam's condo
three minutes later.
Keep it playing.
Woah, play that again.
[David] Fast forward
to 8:43 p.m. on April 5th,
I see this unknown female
in the landing area,
but she doesn't leave
and go down the elevator.
She kinda stays
and stands around.
What is she doing?
[David] It appears as if she's
talking to herself.
She kinda looks distraught,
crying even.
She is leaning
over the railing,
kinda looking out
over the parking lot.
This woman that just left
my victim's room
appears distraught.
Something doesn't seem
right to me.
What do you think
is wrong?
[David] That's the last time
that I see her or anyone else
coming or going
from the room that night.
[David] This unknown female
that we're watching
through all this
surveillance footage,
once we find her,
we're gonna
find out who our k*ller is.
[police radio chatter]
[man] Let's take a look
at the next day.
Is that her?
[David] On the morning
of April 6th, around 6:09 a.m.
I see the unknown female
emerge from the room again.
She's got an orange top
on this time.
She's also carrying some
luggage with her.
Keep it playing.
[David] At 8:32 a.m.,
we then see her come back
from the room again,
but this time
she's in a blue top.
She's also carrying
what appears
to be a large bag.
It's full.
It kinda looks like clothing,
but I can't be sure.
Between the hours of 9:20
and about 1:30,
we see lots of video footage
of that unknown woman
coming and going
from the victim's room.
What is she doing?
[David] At approximately
12:41 p.m.,
she's kinda changed up
her style and her look again.
This time, she's wearing
a white-brimmed hat,
which I thought
was peculiar as well.
To me, it just screams
of she's trying to hide
her identity.
She's trying to assume
some other identity.
[narrator] While reviewing
the footage,
Pamela Hutchinson
is nowhere to be seen.
Investigators realize
this can only mean one thing.
Go back to 8:30
on the 5th.
[David] Her body language
on the video
appeared to me as if something
bad just happened.
This is my suspect.
This is when
the homicide occurred.
This is who I need
to go after.
[David] This woman
on video
quickly became
my prime suspect,
but our k*ller's
still on the loose.
I have no idea where
our suspect is.
Are they still in the area?
[narrator] Detectives turn
to the parking lot
surveillance
to see where the suspect
goes next.
Several of the cameras
show the parking lot.
[narrator] The unknown woman
is seen walking
towards a vehicle
at the rear of the lot.
[David] 12:42 p.m., we see
through the stairwell footage
that vehicle is
a white Cadillac Escalade.
Do you have any records
for that car?
[David]
The white Cadillac Escalade
drives out of the parking lot.
Okay, speed it up.
We never see
that vehicle again,
and so we're saying
to ourselves,
where did she put it?
Where did she go?
[narrator] Detectives
keep watching the footage.
[detective] Who's that?
Right there.
[David] And later on,
we see our unknown female
return on foot.
1:51 p.m., we see her
leave the room,
back down to the parking lot
to a white Acura.
[detective] Pause it there.
[narrator] The white Acura
belongs to the victim,
Pamela Hutchinson.
Our suspect goes on her way.
Gets in our victim's car,
like it's just another
beautiful day
in Southwest Florida,
as if nothing happened.
[David Foraker] By viewing
the video surveillance footage
I recalled an incident that
happened a day or two prior
A canine officer
was working at the time
on Fort Myers Beach.
They received
a be on the look out,
or what's known
as a BOLO,
for the white
Cadillac Escalade.
He came across this
vehicle on Fort Myers Beach.
[narrator] The officer
impounds the Escalade
and runs the tag.
[Foraker] The vehicle
is actually owned
by a husband and wife.
David Reiss and Lois Reiss.
She and the vehicle
were involved
in some sort of incident
up in Dodge County,
Minnesota.
And authorities up there
had alerted us,
letting us know that
she might be in the area.
[narrator] The car is the same
make and model
that the suspect was seen
driving at Marina Village.
[Foraker] I actually contacted
the authorities up there
and soon found out
that Lois Reiss
was a person of interest
in a homicide investigation.
[narrator] The homicide
victim was the owner
of the Escalade,
Lois' husband,
54-year-old, David Reiss.
Law enforcement first
became aware
of this case, uh,
through a 911 call.
An associate of Dave Reiss
hadn't seen him
in a number of days
and was concerned
and essentially called
in a welfare check.
Deputies showed up
at the house.
Walked around the perimeter
of the house.
Came to a bathroom window
and the window was open
and they thought
that was unusual
so they peered inside.
And saw Dave Reiss's body
on the floor of the bathroom.
[radio bleeping]
Dave's body was mostly
into the closet,
his feet were laying out
the door
and into the bathroom area
and he was covered
with towels.
Dave had suffered from
two g*nsh*t wounds
from a small caliber
handgun.
They weren't able
to locate the firearm used.
They assumed
it was a homicide
and not a su1c1de.
It didn't appear that
there had been any struggle.
There hadn't been any
forced entry into the home.
[narrator] Dave's wife
of 26 years, Lois,
had told colleagues that
Dave was away at
a fishing tournament.
[Brian Smith] Lois was
also missing,
they didn't know
where she was at.
But associates of Dave
had seen her driving away
in Dave's Cadillac Escalade
and that he was
supposed to be driving.
[narrator]
After Dave's m*rder
investigators look closely
at the couple's relationship
and life in Blooming Prairie.
The community went
into shock
when they found out about
Dave being m*rder*d.
I met Lois and Dave
when they first came
to town in 2004.
-Hey.
-Thanks.
[Tess Koster]
Very sweet, friendly couple.
My husband and I would
sit with them,
have a drink or a beer.
Lois always liked
to talk about
her grandkids and her kids.
Dave was a jolly,
happy person.
Loved to fish.
[Smith] Everything
seemed normal.
But Lois did have
a gambling addiction
and she had lost, uh, hundreds
of thousands of dollars
in the casinos.
And it created a lot
of problems
between her and Dave.
To the point that Dave
had essentially cut her off
from all finances.
[Koster] Rumors around town
were that they were starting
to fight and argue
about Lois'
gambling problems.
I thought that Lois had
something to do with
it right away.
[narrator] Analysis
of bank records
reveals the week Dave d*ed
Lois withdrew $11,000
from his account.
[Smith] Through the course
of the investigation
it kind of became apparent
that the primary suspect
was, uh, was gonna be Lois,
in this case.
[narrator] In Florida,
Detective Foraker
now has a possible name
for his suspect.
Lois Reiss.
[Foraker] Once I had
that name
and I started getting
photographs of her
and comparing it with
what I saw on video
I believed I finally
figured out
who my suspect was.
Who this unknown
female was.
I was astounded when
I heard the similarities
between the case
in Minnesota
and the case down
in Florida.
It was just shocking to me.
[narrator] The position
of the victims.
The small caliber handgun.
And the use of towels
all match.
[Carmine Marceno]
Lois Reiss likely k*lled
in Minnesota
and I start to think
as sheriff,
what exactly do we have here?
Is this an isolated incident?
Is there a k*ller on the run?
Is she gonna k*ll again?
Do we have a serial k*ller?
[narrator] In the days
leading up to
Pamela Hutchinson's death
investigators in Minnesota
had been seeking Lois Reiss
in connection with
the m*rder of her husband.
[investigator] Okay, I'll see
if I can track her.
[narrator] Investigators
discover that Lois
frequents a local casino.
Okay, I'll reach out
to agencies in the area.
[narrator] And officers
were dispatched
to try and locate her.
[Smith] Law enforcement
started canvassing the area
and one of the locations
they canvassed was a, uh,
a Kum & Go convenience store.
near the casino.
Investigators reviewed
the video footage
at the convenience store
They see a woman
with gray hair
wearing a striped cardigan
going in to
the convenience store
They identify Lois
as the individual
having a conversation with
the gas station attendant.
[cashier speaking]
Lois had asked the attendant,
"how do I get south?"
And that's kind of, like,
where law enforcement
lost her trail, was there.
She'd gone south
and we didn't know where.
Our biggest question
was, well,
who does she know
that's south?
She's gotta know somebody
and we need to figure out
who that individual is.
[Koster] I was
planning on cleaning
the garage that day
and so I put
on my work clothes
and went down and started
cleaning out the garage.
About 1:30 in the afternoon
a white Cadillac Escalade
pulled up in my driveway
and someone got out.
And she looks up
and our eyes met
and it was Lois.
Well, by then we're
hearing that for sure,
Lois had something to do
with Dave's m*rder.
And I'm thinking,
there's a m*rder*r
in my driveway.
She looked me in the eye
and she realized
that I saw her
and shook her head
and said, "wrong house,
wrong house."
And got in her car
and quick drove away.
[narrator] Tess calls 911.
[phone ringing]
[911 operator speaking]
[Koster speaking]
[911 operator speaking]
[Koster speaking]
[911 operator speaking]
[Koster speaking]
[narrator] Deputies
attend the scene
but find no trace of Lois.
I was terrified.
Who knows what
could happen next.
Maybe she's trying
to find a place
to sleep for the night?
She could've watched us,
robbed us, m*rder*d us.
Would I have been
the next one in line?
[narrator] Three days
after this sighting
Pamela Hutchinson was
m*rder*d in her condo.
-Come on in, sit down.
-[Koster] Thank you.
[narrator] In Tess Koster,
detective Foraker now
has a key witness
who might be able to identify
his unknown suspect.
A couple of clips I'd
like you to look at.
[Koster] Sure, of course.
She had her same long,
platinum hair.
The same eyes and nose.
The same way
she swings her hair,
that one was a definite.
'Cause she always
did do that.
That's Lois, Lois Reiss.
I 100% identified Lois
in every one of them.
[Foraker] Tess Koster
confirmed for me
that the last person
that is seen
with my victim
is Lois Reiss.
[Smith] We're all kind
of amazed
at the way that the events
had kind of unfolded
that here you have
a grandma
with a gambling addiction
from Minnesota
traveling across the country
and committing then two
separate murders
That's when we
elevate this case
to a major case status.
It's not just Minnesota
looking for Lois anymore.
It's the entire nation.
[Foraker] I'm very
concerned at this point
knowing that she was
a couple of days ahead of us.
Just stay in touch.
[narrator] Detectives
work to track Lois
via Pamela Hutchinson's
missing bank cards and ID.
[Foraker]
Through the transactions
we can see that
the victim's information
was used to withdraw money
from a Wells Fargo
on Fort Meyers Beach.
[narrator] Investigators
grab still images
from the bank's
surveillance cameras
from the day Pamela's
card was used.
[Foraker] The video footage
showed our suspect
in some of the same attire
that we saw on
video surveillance
at Marina Village, especially
with the white brimmed hat.
Using the victim's identity
and making a withdrawal
of $5,000
to then take with her
before she leaves the area.
I'll get a hold
of the Marshal.
[narrator] Investigators
believe that Lois
could be fleeing the area
in Pamela Hutchinson's Acura
so they call Marshal Smith.
Yeah, I'll see if I can
trace the vehicle.
[Smith] One of the things
we take a real close
look at
is license plate readers.
Every now and then
we get a snapshot
of where this vehicle's been.
[Foraker] We see
her moving north
through license plate readers.
We also know
the credit card information
was used at a Hilton
in Ocala, Florida.
Detective Foraker.
Would I be able to see your
CCTV footage from the sixth?
All right, let's see
what you got.
We see a white female
wearing a blue shirt,
a white hat.
Walking in to the Hilton.
We had a good idea
that it might be Lois Reiss,
our suspect.
Is there any other angles?
Yeah, that's definitely her.
We can see a straight
on sh*t of Lois Reiss,
she's checking in using
the victim's information.
Did she park her vehicle here?
[Foraker] The camera footage
outside in the parking lot
also showed me
that she's still
actively using the victim's
vehicle as well.
[narrator] Lois orders
room service
with Pamela Hutchinson's
card and signs her name.
[Foraker] Not only
is she willing to k*ll
but then she's using
the victim's information
and her identity
to make her getaway.
[Smith] We knew
we were getting close
but it was frustrating 'cause
she was always
one or two steps ahead.
[narrator] Lois continues
north and west
before crossing
the state line.
She's left Florida.
The transaction history
showed us that
the victim's information
was used at a local store
along the highway
in Louisiana.
We see in the video footage
a woman with blond hair,
a blue top, she's wearing
the same hat.
So we were able to be
connecting all these dots,
seeing that it's Lois Reiss
and she's now using
our victim's money
and her identify,
her personal information,
over in Louisiana.
Video surveillance
showed Lois
attempting to use
the victim's information
and it was actually
declined at that point.
Okay, what is her next step?
Where is she gonna go
and what is she gonna do
once she runs out of money?
[Smith] You can see
the pattern of travel
as she's traveling across
the southern United States
and we think she's heading
for the Mexico border.
We've got a problem.
And we learn our
suspect's in Texas.
And we say, "why?
Why is she in Texas?"
Is she running
to flee the country?
Well, you can run
but you can't hide.
This case became huge.
I got calls from everywhere.
People were in fear
that there was
a k*ller on the loose.
The media's putting pressure.
U.S. Marshals
are actively involved
in a national search
for this dangerous fugitive.
Reiss is considered
armed and dangerous
and should not be
approached if located.
[Smith] So on the evening
of April 20th...
[phone ringing]
...I get a phone call.
Hello.
It's a deputy in
the Brownsville office
with the Marshal Service
You found her?
And they had just received
a tip that Lois Reiss
was spotted at a restaurant
in the South Padre Island
and they were going out
to investigate.
[police sirens wailing]
[muffled police radio]
[Foraker]
Law enforcement responded
a few minutes after
the tip came in
and they arrived on scene.
[Smith] After I received
the phone call
it's just, you know...
...anxiously waiting.
[Foraker] They actually
located Lois at the bar
having drinks with a couple
of other men.
[Smith] They kind
of size up the situation.
And they go up to her.
She just, you know,
kind of stood up
and put her hands
behind her back
and didn't fight,
didn't say anything.
We got her.
The team down there
described it like, Lois just
had no emotion.
She kind of expected
it almost.
[narrator]
The following morning
Detective Foraker flies
to Texas to interview Lois.
[Foraker] I would
have loved to have sat down
and just let her,
you know,
say whatever she
wanted to me.
Unfortunately for us
she didn't talk.
There was nothing
behind the eyes.
It was very cold.
Evil almost.
[narrator] Investigators
obtain a search warrant
for Lois' hotel room.
[investigator speaking]
[Foraker] I remember
once we opened that door
there was just stuff
everywhere.
You would think that
maybe, like,
ten or 12 people
were living in there
based on the amount
of clothing, luggage.
We actually located
in the motel room
a nine millimeter
and a 22 caliber handgun.
We are confident that one
of those is the m*rder w*apon
based upon the caliber
that we know was used.
We were able to locate
the victim's clothing.
Her sunglasses.
Her personal information,
her driver's license.
The evidence that I found
in the motel room
just solidified everything
that I already knew.
I believe that Lois was
actively looking for
her next target.
[narrator] Investigators
develop a theory
on how Lois'
crime spree unfolded.
After fighting over
gambling debts
Lois ambushed and sh*t
husband Dave.
[g*nshots]
She took his car and money
and traveled to Florida.
Where she targeted
Pamela Hutchinson
knowing their similar looks
would make it easy
to steal her identity.
[Marceno] Lois Reiss
looks like anybody's
grandmother.
And I know she's a wolf
in sheep's clothing.
The video surveillance
in this case,
the surveillance
at the bar.
The surveillance of her
going in and out of the room.
The utilization
of the victim's credit card
and vehicle.
Everything comes together
to make that rock solid case.
[narrator] In December 2012
in Florida,
Lois Reiss is charged
with the first degree m*rder
of Pamela Hutchinson.
She pleads guilty
and is sentenced
to life without parole.
In Minnesota, in August 2020,
Lois receives an additional
life sentence
for the m*rder of her husband,
David Reiss.
Dave was such
a happy, fun loving guy
it was just so sad
to hear the loss
of such a nice person.
[Mona Sellers Sites]
It was a great feeling
to know that Pam's m*rder*r
had been caught and tried
and will be in prison
the rest of her life.
But that doesn't
bring back Pam.
I think she took
advantage of Pam
because Pam liked
to make people happy.
And she loved to share
with people.
Pam often said that
only a few people
will leave footprints
in your heart
and that's how I feel.
I feel I have a footprint
in my heart.
10x05 - Double Identity
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See no Evil is a ground breaking new series about how real crimes are solved with the help of surveillance cameras.
See no Evil is a ground breaking new series about how real crimes are solved with the help of surveillance cameras.