For the last 68 years, Ethel Rosenberg & Bonnie Heady were executed by electric chair & by gas chamber - the last execution carried out by the U.S. Federal Government. 2 weeks ago, a 52-year-old woman from Melvern, Kansas met the same fate by lethal injection. Before her execution, what took her to commit such a heinous crime? What did the suspect do against the victim?
The Victim? Bobbie Jo Stinnett, 23 years old and 8 months pregnant at that time. She and her husband ran a dog-breeding business from their residence. Lisa Montgomery, 52 years old - the Perpetrator. Bobbie met Lisa at a dog show event in Abilene, Texas last 2004 as both women shared their love for dogs. They had corresponded for weeks at an online forum called "Ratter Chatter" and Lisa catfished Bobbie under a fake name. Aside from dogs, both of them shared their pregnancy stories.
What Happened?
Before the incident, Lisa bought supplies and searched for sources on how to perform a cesarean section. This took her to commit the crime. December 16, 2004. Lisa drove 175 miles from her home in Melven, Kansas to Skidmore, Missouri. The moment Lisa is now in the victim's home, she used a different name, Darlene Fischer. Bobbie answered the door, then Lisa strangles her with a rope, cut the baby out of her womb, and took her newborn baby.
Becky Harper (Bobbie's mother) discovers her daughter, lying in a pool of blood. She immediately called 911 and describes the situation. First responders rushed to the scene as they tried to revive her, and was declared dead on arrival at St. Francis Hospital, Maryville, Missouri.
The following day, investigators are on the clock hunting down Montgomery, tracing her activity through the internet with the help of the community where Lisa & Bobbie met. The last email Bobbie received and learned it came from Lisa's home. She was arrested at her farmhouse, while the baby was recovered and placed in the custody of the father. Sources tell that her motivation to commit the crime stemmed from a miscarriage she may have suffered, another possible reason was she had lied about being pregnant to get her children back.
Lisa was a victim of abuse. As she was raised with an abusive family, her father left his wife and Lisa's mother, Judy Shaughnessy who would sell her daughter to sex trafficking to pay their bills, being beaten, and raped repeatedly by her stepfather Jack Kleiner, and his friends. She even married her stepbrother but still experiences the same trauma as these savages.
The Aftermath?
Lisa was charged with kidnapping resulting in death, either she will be sentenced to life imprisonment or the death penalty. During the pre-trial hearings, Montgomery's family refused to cooperate. They should be also held liable for their actions and they should experience the same fate as every criminal. As lawyers were debating on Lisa's condition, from years of abusive experiences to a raft of psychological issues. Her legal team conducted a total of 450 interviews: family members, friends, caseworkers, doctors, and social workers, as they fit the puzzle piece by piece, it was a tapestry of family dysfunctions, abuse, neglect, professional negligence, substance abuse, and untreated mental illness.
However, Lisa was found guilty on October 22, 2007, as judges proceed with the death penalty by lethal injection. Lisa Montgomery was executed by lethal injection last January 13, 2021, in Terre Haute, Indiana at the United States Penitentiary.
The class of Nodaway-Holt High of 2000 dedicates her death to a yearly donation drive for Bobbie. She was remembered as a friendly woman who lifted people's spirits with her positive attitude. Her daughter is been taken care of by her grandparents, Becky, and her husband Zeb Stinnett, as they would do everything to raise their grandchild Victoria Jo to ensure a normal life as possible, and protect her privacy. The girl's birthday falls on the anniversary of her mother's death.
I can no longer express what I'm going to say before I end this, but every family must raise their children in their own way. I guess Judy & Jack experienced the same thing with their parents, and if things would turn a different way for Lisa, she should have been taken her medication through counseling, therapy, and face life in prison instead. As for her family, they should suffer the same fate as every convict.
Sources
Lead Image from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55587260
