By Nina Moini, Minnesota Public Radio News

 

Dodge County authorities said a Blooming Prairie woman wanted for allegedly killing her husband will likely face charges in a Florida murder case first.

U.S. Marshals captured Lois Riess, 56, at a restaurant near the Mexican border in Texas on Thursday night. She is suspected of killing her husband in March, fleeing to Florida and allegedly killing a woman there so she could assume the woman’s identity.

Dodge County Sheriff Scott Rose said Friday morning that Riess will likely face charges in Texas and Florida, before heading back to Minnesota. Rose said he is OK with that possibility because his team is still building a murder case against her.

“There’s no hurry on our end for the charges,” Rose said. “Florida, of course, has second degree (murder) charges filed, which gives us extra time to build a strong case for her (in Minnesota).”

Riess was charged with felony theft in Dodge County while she was on the lam. Minnesota authorities expect to upgrade charges against her soon and they want to interview Riess to see if she will help them piece together what happened.

In Lee County, Florida, undersheriff Carmine Marceno said Friday that he wants Riess to appear in court there as soon as possible.

“Right now everything is fresh and new. Our detectives are on the ground right now working to see exactly where she will be,” Marceno said. “There is a legal process, so it will take a little bit of time, but we want her here in Fort Myers to face the charges.”

Riess was caught after a person reported seeing her at a restaurant in South Padre Island, Texas.

Authorities said Riess did not seem surprised she got caught following the extensive media coverage of her case over the past few weeks and she didn’t put up a fight.