A woman convicted of murdering a pregnant victim and stealing her newborn child made a chilling remark before her execution by lethal injection. Lisa Montgomery, aged 36 at the time of the crime, had traveled to meet Bobbie Jo Stinnett, a 23-year-old woman she had connected with online through their mutual interest in dogs. Stinnett, a dog breeder who was eight months pregnant, was tragically strangled to death by Montgomery in Skidmore, Missouri, before Montgomery removed the unborn child from the victim’s womb in an attempt to pass the infant off as her own.
Following the murder on December 17, 2004, Montgomery was apprehended, and the kidnapped baby was safely returned to her family. Montgomery was later convicted of murder and kidnapping, leading to her placement on death row. In 2021, at the age of 52, Montgomery was executed via lethal injection in Terre Haute, Indiana. When asked for any final words, she simply replied with a single “no.”
Montgomery’s case garnered attention due to the revelation of her traumatic past. She endured sexual abuse from a young age, with her stepfather being described as an abusive individual who subjected her to severe physical and emotional torment. Reports indicate that Montgomery was isolated in a room built by her stepfather in the Oklahoma woods, where she suffered ongoing abuse and violence from various individuals.
Despite her troubled background, Montgomery’s execution in 2021 sparked debate and controversy. Mental health professionals highlighted the impact of her traumatic experiences on her mental state, emphasizing the need to understand the complexities of severe childhood trauma and its effects on individuals like Montgomery. The execution of Montgomery, the first of a woman by the US government in seven decades, raised questions about the justice system’s approach to individuals with histories of extreme abuse and trauma.
The circumstances surrounding Montgomery’s upbringing and the atrocities she endured shed light on the complexities of her case. The lack of legal accountability for her abusers remains a point of contention in ongoing discussions about the criminal justice system and the treatment of individuals who have experienced profound trauma and abuse.