What drives a woman to cut a baby from another's womb? Murder of Bobbie Jo Stinnett

Send us a text

Support the show

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Lisa Montgomery and Bobby Joe Stennett were two
women from two completelydifferent worlds until one day
their lives collided.
This collision would lead toone of the most graphic and
disturbing murder cases Missourihad ever seen.
Welcome to another episode ofHuman Wreckage.
If you like what I do, pleasehit the subscribe button.
In this episode we look atbetrayal and desperation.

(00:21):
Let's get into it.

(00:57):
Lisa Montgomery was a36-year-old woman from Melbourne
, kansas.
She often pretended that shewas pregnant to gain advantage
in her interpersonalrelationships.
In 2004, she told her friends,family and husband that she was
expecting a baby.
She even told her ex-husband,carl Bowman.
However, in 1990, lisa hadundergone a tubal ligation and

(01:19):
was unable to have any morechildren.
Due to her repeated lies anddeceptions, carl threatened to
expose her lies and gain custodyof their two more children.
Due to her repeated lies anddeceptions, carl threatened to
expose her lies and gain custodyof their two teenage children.
Nevertheless, lisa continued toclaim that she was pregnant.
The whole world would soon cometo discover why.
One afternoon, while browsingthe internet in late 2004, lisa

(01:39):
came across a website which wasrun by 23-year-old Bobby Joe
Stinnett, a dog breeder who solddogs from her home in Skidmore,
around 120 miles away fromMelbourne.
Bobby had been a high schoolcheerleader and an honor student
who was in the process ofbuilding a placid nuclear life
with her childhood sweetheart.
Bobby's website included aphotograph of her which clearly

(02:01):
showed that she was heavilypregnant.
Lisa contacted Bobby via a RatTerrier chat room.
She posted a message for Bobbywhich read Please get in touch
with me soon, as we areconsidering the purchase of one
of your puppies.
Bobby replied to Lisa and thetwo swapped email addresses.
Lisa informed Bobby that shetoo was expecting a baby, and

(02:22):
Bobby sent her directions to herhouse.
The email from Bobby read inpart Great chatting with you on
Messenger and I look forward tochatting with you tomorrow, em.
The two had arranged to meet atBobby's house, where Lisa said
that she would be purchasing oneof her dogs.
The following morning, on the16th of December 2004, lisa
showed up at Bobby's door,unbeknownst to Bobby.

(02:44):
Lisa wasn't there to purchase adog.
She had something much moresinister in mind.
When Lisa arrived at Bobby'shome, the expectant mother
opened the door with open arms.
Once inside, lisa turned onBobby.
She strangled her to death andsliced open her abdomen and
removed her eight-month-oldfetus, before fleeing the scene.
Bobby's mother, becky Harper,found her daughter's body at

(03:07):
around 3 pm.
Becky said the wounds inflictedon her daughter appeared as
though her stomach had exploded.
Attempts by paramedics on thescene to revive Bobby were
unsuccessful and she waspronounced dead at St Francis
Hospital.
Lisa was easily identified asthe main suspect in the grisly
murder due to the internetcorrespondence the two women had

(03:27):
been having in the lead up toBobby's murder.
Following the murder, lisa hadtaken the newborn baby and
returned to her hometown ofMelbourne and started to show
the baby girl off as her own.
She had even presented the babyto her husband, kevin, and
claimed she had gone intopremature labor while he was at
work.
The very next day, lisa wasarrested and the baby was

(03:48):
returned to her father, zebStinnett.
While the baby had been cutfrom Bobby's body one month
premature, she was healthy.
She was named Victoria Jo andshe became the miracle that
emerged from what could only bedescribed as a grim nightmare.
She is just a beautiful babygirl, said Carol Wheeler, a
spokeswoman for the StormontVale Regional Health Center.

(04:08):
Lisa was charged withkidnapping resulting in death.
During Lisa's trial, her defenseattempted to argue that Lisa
was not guilty.
By reason of insanity.
They stated that they believedthat she had a mental disorder
which left her incapable ofunderstanding that what she had
done was wrong.
They painted a picture of awoman who had been left scarred
by the sexual abuse she hadsuffered from her stepfather as

(04:30):
a child, as well as theemotional abuse inflicted by her
mother.
They put forward the theorythat Lisa had suffered from a
delusional belief that she waspregnant, despite the fact she
was unable to have any children.
The prosecution, however,argued that Lisa killed Bobby
specifically so she could stealher unborn daughter and then
raise her as her own.
They painted Lisa as a scheming, dishonest and manipulative

(04:54):
woman who faked pregnancies togain preferential treatment.
They put forward the theorythat Lisa and killed Bobby in an
act of desperation spurred bythreats of exposure from Carl.
During closing arguments,defense attorney John O'Connor
said we have seen theunthinkable.
It is natural to want to strikeback.
It's hard to put our armsaround mental illness because we

(05:15):
don't understand it.
I'm not asking for sympathy.
I want you to have empathy.
Assistant US Attorney RoseanneKetchmark refuted this, stating
the defense told you in openingstatements that their case would
tell you why the why is that?
This defendant did not want tobe exposed.
The jury sided with theprosecution and Lisa Montgomery

(05:35):
was found guilty of kidnappingresulting in death.
The sentencing phase was tofollow, which put Lisa's life in
the hands of the jury.
The defense once againreiterated their belief that
Lisa was so mentally ill thatshe could not comprehend that
what she had done was wrong.
The prosecution, however, citedpotential aggravating factors
which made Lisa eligible for thedeath penalty, including the

(05:58):
brutal nature of the murder andthe fact that Bobby had died
during the act of kidnapping.
The prosecution also focused onthe impact that the slaying had
on members of Bobby's family.
Her husband, zeb, told the jurythat the murder had completely
devastated his life.
My world just crashed, he said.
He further said that he had notyet told Victoria Jo what

(06:18):
happened to her mother.
Bobby's cousin, mindy Winger,said Victoria reminds me a lot
of Bobby and I wish she couldhave seen what her mom was like.
Other family members testifiedwhile the prosecution showed
photographs of Bobby's childhoodand through a few years of her
marriage.
They also displayed pictures ofthe clothing that Bobby had

(06:38):
purchased for the birth of herbaby daughter.
The defense called on members ofLisa's family to testify in a
bid to save her life.
Her husband and two of herdaughters testified that they
would maintain a closerelationship with Lisa from
behind bars.
Kevin said I'm trying tosupport her to make it easier
for her.
She calls and I just like tohear her voice.
I love her.
Her sister, diane Hedberg,testified that their mother had

(07:02):
been abusive and neglectfultowards them throughout their
childhood and at one point shewas even removed from her care.
After deliberating for morethan five hours, the federal
jury decided that LisaMontgomery should die for her
crimes.
Judge Gary Fenner sentenced herto death.
On the 12th of January 2021,lisa Montgomery was executed.

(07:22):
She was the first female inmateto be put to death by the
American government in more than60 years.
Thanks for joining me.
What a horrible case.
Justice was served in the end,but you cannot undo the wreckage
that she did.
Till next time, take care ofyourselves, thank you, outro

(08:13):
Music.