A woman convicted of killing a pregnant victim and stealing her baby uttered a single word before her execution by lethal injection. Lisa Montgomery, 36, traveled to meet Bobbie Jo Stinnett, 23, whom she had befriended online due to their mutual interest in dogs. Bobbie, who was eight months pregnant, was strangled to death by Montgomery before the baby was cut out of her womb with a kitchen knife.
Montgomery’s arrest came a day after the murder when the victim’s body was discovered. The newborn was safely returned to the family and raised by her father. Montgomery was later found guilty of murder and kidnapping, leading to her placement on death row. In 2021, at the age of 52, she was executed in Indiana after declining to give any final words.
Her troubled past, including enduring severe abuse and trauma, shed light on the complexities of her mental health. Montgomery’s experiences of torture and sexual violence from a young age were revealed, depicting a tragic narrative of lifelong suffering. The execution, the first of a woman by the US government in seven decades, sparked discussions on the impact of severe trauma on individuals’ actions and mental well-being.
Montgomery’s legal team highlighted her history of mental illness and childhood trauma, emphasizing the need to understand the profound effects of such experiences on a person’s psyche. The case raised questions about accountability for her abusers, who were never legally prosecuted for the torment inflicted upon her.
