Lisa Montgomery Gets Death Penalty
News just in….
Jurors unanimously agreed today that baby snatcher/butcher Lisa Montgomery should be put to death for killing Bobbie Jo Stinnett nearly three years ago.
Likely echoing the sentiments of the jury, Crime Rant reader Tina posted this comment earlier in the week:
Lisa Montgomery should get Death! Why should she get LWOP so that she gets guitar lessons, art classes, can take college courses, etc at taxpayers expense? The problem with the DP is the long appeals process. I have said this before: Shorten the appeals process to about 5 years and then, execute the condemned.
Montgomery’s crimes are particularly heinous which cry out for the death penalty. Montgomery knew darn well what she was doing when she cut out Bobbie Jo’s baby and left her to die a slow, agonizing painful death.
I’m glad that the jury rejected the insanity defense.
October 26th, 2007 at 2:34 pm
http://deathpenaltycurriculum.org/student/c/states/maps/policy.htm
You know what I find weird. That Edwin Hall wants his trial to be in MO, because thats where the murder and rape happened, but it would be smarter to keep in in KS, because they havent used the DP since 1976. MO has only used it 8 times though, but 0 is better than 8.
October 26th, 2007 at 3:41 pm
I feel somewhat embarrassed right now and a little honored that you guys used my post. I want to say a few things though: While I feel that Montgomery got what she deserved, I don’t take any pleasure in what the DP verdict is doing to her children and her loved ones. I read an article on the court tv website last night that her eldest daughter begged the jury to spare her (Lisa’s) life because their relationship is the best it’s ever been and she wants to keep that up. I wasn’t sure if Lisa’s other children felt the same way, but, if they did, I would have went with LWOP for their sake. I am not so heartless as to want to leave her children w/o a mother if they want to maintain a relationship with her regardless of what she has done.
Montgomery has brought all this on herself and she has hurt a lot of people in the process, not just Zeb & Becky Harper, but, her own children.
October 26th, 2007 at 3:41 pm
I still can’t agree with the death penalty but she is the closest I’ve ever come to wanting someone to to be punished in this way.
My thoughts are with her children, I hope they can find some way to move on with their own lives.
Take care
Millie
October 26th, 2007 at 3:57 pm
while I tend to not agree with the death penalty, this case screams for it. Bobbie Jo was still alive and conscious when the baby was cut out of her.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/10/26/pregnant.slaying.ap/index.html
That is where I read about it. My thoughts are with the kids and the husband of BJ and the daughter. I hope some resolve can come to the husband and that his daughter can grow up feeling safe that she won’t be taken again.
A friend of mine elsewhere had someone attempt to kidnap her daughter last week. This wasn’t the first attempt in the area and has happened since. The daughter is scared stiff he will come after her again. No child should have to feel that way.
When I saw this on CNN I knew I had to come here cause I figured matt would post something. I too agree thank god they didn’t go for the insanity.
October 26th, 2007 at 4:47 pm
I dont agree with DP either Millie, but the closest I come is with Joseph Edward Duncan. I would kill him myself if I could. Thats how much I hate him.
What Lisa did was horrific, and if I believed in state sanctioned death that costs the taxpayers FAR more money than LWOP, not to mention keeps them in the news FOREVER I would say hell yeah, but murder is murder, even when you are killing a murderer. Fact is, all of us are capable if it in certain instances. But it doesnt make it right unless its in defense of yourself. We as a society should not be into vengence.
October 26th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
Whenever I hear of an especially heinous crime, my first thought is usually “fry them!” But after I relax and gather my thoughts, I usually opt for LWOP because I think sitting behind bars with no future, nothing to look forward to, eating crappy food, missing out on awesome things in the outside world and, above all, missing my family would be a much crueler punishment than death.
I respect the jury’s verdict in this case either way, though. Lisa ranks way up there with some of the other especially hard-hearted ruthless killers who deserve the DP, too.
October 26th, 2007 at 7:03 pm
Lisa Montgomery created this heartache for her children. Life in prison or death, their lives will never be the same. She caused this, not society. I do believe there are crimes committed with such deliberate cruelty, against the most innocent of victims, without provocation or cause that the only sentence that serves justice is death. Montgomery’s crime is just such a case. It is tragic and there is no pleasure in all this suffering but she caused all this and no one else.
And Duncan — he deserves nothing less than death.
October 26th, 2007 at 8:08 pm
I have not been on here for awhile, and decided to see if there was anything about the sentence. My kids are doing ok, but it has been a difficult day. The prosecution did an excellent job, when the 911 tape was played I knew then that she would get death, the photos are as gruesome as you could ever see. The defense had an uphill battle, but an impossible task. The Lisa I meet in 1984 and married in 1986 is not the same person that committed this horrible sensless crime. She doesn’t even look the same, my heart breaks for her, but more so for our kids and Becky Harper and Zeb and Victoria Jo. Me and my kids believe in our justice system, and that Lisa should be made accountable for her actions. Life will move on and we will deal with this, when my kids hurt I hurt also. It has been an emotional 2 weeks, the things I have heard and seen in this trial have really effected me, so if this doesn’t make sense forgive me. Hey Matt I hope you are doing well.
October 26th, 2007 at 8:12 pm
I was always a major proponent of the death penalty, until I started thinking about if I was on the jury, would I be able to vote for it? I just don’t know, as this unfortunately has never happened to me. However, I think if the majority of the jury was all for it, and it was a case such as Lisa’s or Duncan’s, I would most likely cave in.
The thing is, neither of these people deserve to live, but can I be the person that chooses death for them? Man, that makes me feel like you’re asking me to be God, and I’m so not! Does Lisa deserve death though? I’d have to say an adamant yes. Just thankfully it was others’ that chose that route rather than me. And I fully support them.
If her children are hurting now because they know in the future years (and I say “future” because it’ll be some amount of time with appeals knowing Lisa) she’ll be put to death because of her despicable crime, they’d be hurting regardless of her fate. Knowing your mom committed such a disgusting travesty, knowing taking a life meant nothing to her, for God’s sakes, stealing a baby from her mother’s womb! Lisa’s kids will never be the same about her regardless of whether she’s put to death or in LWOP. She’s a murderer, and they all know it deep down at this point. Hope is, it wasn’t genetic, and was a learned life for Lisa.
October 26th, 2007 at 8:15 pm
Oh Carl, I’m so sorry, we must have been posting at the same time. I’m also so sorry that you have to see all this. I simply cannot imagine my ex doing something so horrendous, and knowing I have to explain it to my son. My thoughts and prayers go out to you and your children. May you find peace and be able to sleep well. Sounds like a silly sentiment, but you get what I’m saying.
October 26th, 2007 at 8:17 pm
Carl, please give our love to your family.
And Kim, if you click on the link I posted you will see that she will more than likely die of a natural cause than DP in MO. Waste of taxpayers money.
October 26th, 2007 at 8:21 pm
Also, tell Kayla she is in our thoughts Carl.
October 26th, 2007 at 9:35 pm
Carl, I never meant to be insensitive to you and your children. I just said how I feel about the case w/o realizing how my feelings might affect you. I am so sorry!
I cannot begin to imagine what you and your loved ones are going through right now and what you have had to endure the past three years. From reading the book and the articles, I can see that you are a very strong person and so are your children. I pray that you and your loved ones find peace and can get through this trying time. My thoughts are with you.
October 26th, 2007 at 9:56 pm
Carl, I’m very sorry for what you and your children have gone through for the past few weeks (not to mention since the crime occurred). It must have been emotionally exhausting.
October 27th, 2007 at 6:11 am
A SAD, horrible crime. Besides the 2 obvious victims, she has created so many more. Carl, her kids……. May you all find a way to carry on with your lives, and may God grant you some semblence of serenity in your future.
October 27th, 2007 at 10:27 am
Carl,you are in my thoughts and prayers.
October 27th, 2007 at 1:31 pm
Carl, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your children, as well as all of the victims of this senseless crime.
October 27th, 2007 at 9:14 pm
Carl, I join with all the others to say that you and your children are in my thoughts and prayers. I do hope that you can all find some peace now that the trial is over. I know that the heartache will never be gone, but I hope that you can find strength from one another. Take care of yourselves.
October 27th, 2007 at 9:24 pm
[...] auchamps wrote an interesting post today on Lisa Montgomery Gets Death PenaltyHere’s a quick excerpt [...]
October 27th, 2007 at 9:53 pm
I agree with the jury. I feel terrible for Lisa’s family, especially her children, and wish she had not put them through this. The fact of the matter is that 12 people had to sit through that trial and listen to every witness and view every terribly shocking photo of Bobbi Jo’s defensive wounds, and the 8 jagged cuts into her abdomen exposing the womb and other internal organs, and they decided that she deserved to die. I do believe that there are people who do not even deserve to breathe the air that a prison cell holds and Lisa Montgomery is one of those people.
I’ve replayed this crime in my mind too many times to count and simply cannot conceive of the type of evil that would have to be present in someone who could do this to an innocent woman. It’s even more frightening to think about knowing that this was done by a mother. Someone who had lived through 4 pregnancies and experienced how precious life is.
One day Victoria Jo will ask what her birth day story is and she won’t have Bobbi Jo there to recall the moment she first had contractions and rushed to the hospital. She’ll be told of a nightmare that ended in her miraculous survival and her mother’s tragic death. For these reasons, and so many more, I am relieved she received the DP.
October 28th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
She actually probably wont receive it, but since now she will be on death row, her prison niceties will be quite limited, which is ok with me.
October 28th, 2007 at 5:19 pm
Why do you think she won’t get death? I understand that innocent people have died for crimes they didn’t committ, but come on. If there must be an appeal process then let’s limit it.. say 18 months.
October 28th, 2007 at 8:45 pm
Kristina, MO has hundreds of people on death row, but 8 have been put to death since 1976.
October 28th, 2007 at 8:45 pm
Kristina, MO has hundreds of people on death row, but 8 have been put to death since 1976.
October 28th, 2007 at 9:00 pm
I’m not concerned with her actually being put to death, I’m more focused on what options she has while incarcerated, and the DP is the way to go if you want someone to have a miserable existence. LWOP is a lot more cushy by comparison. I’m glad that she will be faced with the thought that every day that goes by is a day closer to her own end, because Bobbi Jo was very aware of her own.
October 28th, 2007 at 9:17 pm
That’s unreal. I wonder what’s the longest someone has been on death row?
What’s the point of having the death penalty? Again I understand that innocent people die for a crime they didn’t commit, but it’s crazy.
I mean you go to trial when you have a good case, good evidence to back it up. The person is found guilty by a jury, then that same jury decides LWOP or the DP. Why should someone who is sentenced to death, wait 5 or more years before actually dying?
It’s a waste of taxpayers money keeping the scum of the earth alive, tying up the courts for appeals. It should be black and white, just like guilty or not guilty. Too many gray areas, way to many.
October 29th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
Clifford Chance right now is the longest, he has been on death row for 32 years.
November 1st, 2007 at 2:05 pm
I posted a blog a few minutes ago stating that I was glad she got dp. I would like to add that my reason for this is because there is a little girl out there that will never have her own memory of her mom and will have to share the date of her moms death everytime she has her own birthday. That being said, my heart goes out to ALL of Lisa Montgomery’s family. The defense painted several of them as the most horrible people out there and I am just not 100% that is true.
November 2nd, 2007 at 6:09 pm
The reason in this case I had said great for the DP and for certain other cases is because once they are gone the sentence can’t be changed. Life without parole can be changed. as can any other sentence if the president feels so inclined.
December 1st, 2007 at 10:56 pm
Being a Nodaway County citizen I don’t know a single soul that doesn’t want Lisa to get the DP. I do feel awful thinking about what she has put her own family through, but don’t forget about the Stinnetts too. If you can pre-meditate something so horrific, knowing the risks that you are bringing to your family, what do you expect? I think everyone has suffered a loss and all because of her actions. Insane or not, she has changed the lives of so many, and not for the better.
December 21st, 2007 at 5:00 am
I have total faith in the justice system and I believe the jury took all the above issues into to account when they sentenced Lisa. I am sure they saw things that the average citizen has not seen like the crime photos. I would have no problem with Lisa Montgomery beeing executed. She should have though about all this before she entered the Stinnett home and took Bobbie Jo’s life and daughter. I have no sympanthy for her at all. I do feel bad for the children she has and her husband. But still you have to consider the rights of Victoria Jo and Zeb Stinnett. Who is to say this monster would not get out even with LWOP? You just never know what is going to happen somewhere else along the line. Look at Charlie Manson. He got death in what 1970? And he is still here because the United States did away with the death penalty in 1972 or so for a while. And they had commuted his sentence. And believe it or not he could be released at some point. He hasn’t yet and in his 70’s he is still the pint size raving lunatic he was when he ordered the murder of all those victims in the summer of 1969.
February 17th, 2008 at 10:43 am
Feb 2-08 The Kansas City Star Posted a statement that Lisa Montgomerys lawyer asked the judge if she may be released to the general population where she was before the trial, but after she was sentenced she was put in solitary confinement.I agree with her Lawyer that she would not be any danger to her inmates or herself. I also believe that she has repented and is sorry for what she has done and if she could change it she would.I pray for BOTH Bobbie Jo & her family as well as Lisa Montgomery’s family,and when Lisa is executed it WOULD BE AS horrific to her children especially year after year for the rest of their lives when the anniversary date of the execution comes around and why punnish the children for something they had no control over.Believe it or not GOD loves her too and I will continue to pray for her & family and Especially the Stinnet family.I will pray for some miracle that her Death sentence be overturned to Life without perole so that her children may visit THEIR MOTHER. GOD BLESS.
February 2nd, 2009 at 5:11 pm
I just had to take a look and see what happened to Lisa Montgomery. She was my roommate in Leavenworth KS..CCA. She really scared me..told me things I wish I never heard..
June 30th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
Was just checking in to find out if there was any info on when Lisa’s sentencing would be carried out. I have often visited this site to get some insight on the perspective of the public but also to see what some of the family members have said. I know Lisa, actually, I know all of her family and Carl and Carl’s family. I’ve actually known Carl since I was 14 when he was dating Lisa. Although I completely agree with the judgement and am sorry for the pain that the Stinnett family has suffered, I am also sorry for the pain and suffering that her children and “her” family has endured as well. I never wanted to speak out about any of this as I wanted to respect Lisa’s family and not add to any of their hurt however I have a hard time choking down the sympathy that Carl has recieved through all of this. All though I was never a fan of Lisa’s when we were young, I have to say that she was never the “pychopath” everyone says that she was til she hooked up with Carl, I say this because I know first hand how manipulating, controlling, and pathalogical Carl was and still is. I am a married woman, with children of my own which is why I never wanted to say anything before, but I was 14 years old when I Carl used his manipulation on me and though that’s a chapter of my life I wish not to dwell on I say that Carl is a liar, a cheat, and still is to this day. I am still close to member’s of “his” family and I know that he has used this devastating crime and a way to make himself look like the good guy when it really wasnt necessary. Lisa did what she did. It effected the Stinnets and it effected her children and her family but seriously….how did it affect Carl? Carl never wanted to be a part of his children’s lives til Lisa did what she did. Nobody cared who Carl was til Lisa did what she did. NOBODY believed anything that came out of Carl’s mouth until Lisa did what she did. Carl has never said or did anything that was credible but because of what Lisa did he’s become the patron saint and it’s really rather disgusting. It’s amazing how when the news broke of what Lisa did, Carl went around asking and pleading everyone that he knew, including Lisa’s family to say nothing to the press or tabloids out of respect for his children and everyone agreed and then the next thing you know HE is talking to any media outlet that will speak to him and taking his children on talk shows and then giving his perspective for books to be written. Here we are in present day, several years after the fact, where and what is he doing now? I think it’s a little strange that now Lisa’s been moved to Texas, he has moved to Texas. He hasn’t had a steady job, he’s been living off his children since this has all happened. For someone who wants his kids to get on with their lives and not have to dwell on what their mother did, he is still contacting TV shows to keep the fire burning. Carl, why can’t you let it rest for the sake of your children? I’ll tell you why, it’s never been about your children. It’s about getting one up on Lisa. Here’s a news flash for ya buddy…..LISA ALREADY SCREWED HERSELF!! EVERYONE ALREADY KNOWS THAT SHE’S A NUT CASE!! Is it really necessary for you to keep this drama going? I realize that you are a self proclaimed Christian and that you have everyone in the media and on this blog thinking that you are a victim, you are victimizing your children by continuing to keep this going. The only reason that you continue to do this is because you know that Lisa’s family and others will not challenge your “word’s of truth” is because they truly still hurt and don’t want anymore of the drama. I know that you have given interviews recent and have drug your 1 of your daughter’s once again through the agony once again. Please do what Lisa couldn’t, or wouldn’t do….Love your children enough to do right by them and stop this caos from continuing. You’re supposed to be a Christian, trying to become a minister. Sometimes the best was to minister is by example.
August 26th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
Carl James is a family member of mine and I’d like to say that the things said about him are not true at all. If Lisa had problems I think it might have something to do with her mother who was to put it plainly trash.
September 26th, 2009 at 10:27 am
I found my daughter and lost her in about 3 months. I do no understand what she did even now. I know the mother was not a Mother, that is why I was an absent father. I have never believed in the death penalty, so it is doubly hard for me to know that I will have to watch my daughter put to death..yes I will be there for her. I will say that when I was in Kansas City for the trial, so many people gave me help. Just regular people on the street that knew my and my daughter. I had one cab driver give me his home phone to call if I needed help. My biggest hope is that the family will find it in the heart to forgive my daughter.
November 23rd, 2009 at 5:18 pm
I saw this on the show “Solved” the other day and I must say I was shocked at what Mongtomery did to Bobby Jo and to the baby. Bobby Jo was still awake when her stomach was quite open. I can see why people would call her a psycho path, and yet. I don’t know any more about her than anyone, but I highly doubt it, She successfully retrieved the baby. Without being a doctor, and knowing how to professionally do that, she must have spent hours and hours and days and says researching C-sections. She was cruel and aggressive, but she was certainly intelligent in her execution of this selfish and horrendous plan. I take solace in the fact that she is getting what she deserves, seeing as she isn’t mentally ill and can comprehend the consequences of her actions, on death row. She must be miserable, between cold bars, knowing death is near. Personally, I don’t believe in the death penalty, but after seeing this case, this is the closest I have ever come to re-considering my stance.
November 24th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
she got just what she deserved.why should she get 3 hot meals and a warm place to sleep.she robbed the poor baby out of a mother and a husband (bobbi jo’s husband) out of a wife.she should burn in hell for what she did.and feel bad for her? NO WAY. and the husband is just as guilty for standing by the wack job. its sick!!!i only wish i could be there when they give her what she deserves.anyone who feels bad for this sicko is just as sick!!she planned this for a while.she knew what she was doing.being molested dont mean that u have to kill a woman that is 9 months pregnant. thats no excuse.and im tired of hearing that being used when someone decides to go on a slaying spree.LET HER DIE..ILL BE CLAPPING!!!!