Bobbie Jo Stinnett

“In other words, she knew she was not pregnant but told people that she was.It’s my opinion, with reasonable medical certainty, that at the time of the charged offenses the defendant did not suffer from any mental disease or defect, that affected her ability to appreciate the nature and quality of wrongfulness of her acts.It is my opinion with reasonable medical certainty that the defendant was entirely capable of appreciating that she was engaged in a lengthy and elaborate plan designed to kill Bobbie Jo Stinnett at a stage of advanced pregnancy, to successfully conduct a Cesarean section on her first attempt and to kidnap a healthy infant she could present to the world as her own."

The Court heard that it wasn't the first pregnancy Lisa had faked. In the years following the sterilization procedure, Lisa claimed that she had four pregnancies at different stages. She first claimed she was pregnant in 1994 and then in 2000, before she married Kevin, she told him she was pregnant and wanted to have an abortion. Kevin gave her forty dollars and there was never any further mention of a pregnancy. Lisa again claimed she was pregnant in 2002 and told Kevin she had Doctor's appointments but would not allow him to attend. Her Doctor testified that he had treated Lisa for ankle pain and a cold but he did not provide her any prenatal care. Lisa later told Kevin that the baby had died and she donated the body to science.

Lisa Montgomery

The Defense's case centered around the Defense of insanity and it was their intention to call experts to testify in relation to Lisa's mental disease or defect.

The Court heard that Lisa had a troubled life. It was the Defense's case that she was physically and sexually abused by her stepfather. When she was just eighteen years old, she married her step-brother Carl Bowman. The Court heard that she had four children with Carl and then underwent the sterilization procedure.

They divorced in 1998. Carl remarried and Lisa married Kevin. 

The Defense called their expert witnesses, Dr Ramachandran and Dr Logan. They both diagnosed Lisa with depression, borderline personality disorder, post- traumatic stress disorder, and pseudocyesis. 

Dr Ramachandran testified that pseudocyesis is a somatoform disorder in which the patient develops the delusion that she is pregnant. It was his testimony that the woman must have an intense desire to become pregnant. He said that that desire gives rise to hormonal changes that result in physical changes consistent with pregnancy. This includes abdominal enlargement, breast enlargement, nipple pigmentation, and the cessation of menstruation. Women may even develop food cravings, suffer from morning sickness and even have contractions.

It was the belief of Dr Ramachandran that Lisa suffered from severe pseudocyesis delusion. He testified that he believed Lisa was in a dissociative state when she murdered Bobbie and delivered the baby. He was of the opinion that the sexual abuse Lisa suffered as a child predisposed her to pseudocyesis.

He claimed the fact that she carried out internet searches and purchased items for the baby were consistent with her having pseudocyesis.

Furthermore, Dr Ramachandran opined that Lisa was suffering from a severe mental disease or defect and that she was unable to appreciate the nature and quality of her acts.

The Jury spent five hours deliberating and found Lisa guilty of kidnapping resulting in death. The next day, she was sentenced to death. They unanimously found that the government had proved beyond a reasonable doubt all statutory and non statutory aggravating factors. The Prosecution had argued that the aggravating factors in this case included the crime being carried out “in an especially heinous or depraved manner in that the killing involved serious physical abuse to Bobbie Jo Stinnett.” The Jury agreed and she was sentenced to death by a lethal injection of pentobarbital at Terre Haute prison in Indiana.

Lisa was on death row in a federal prison in Texas for female inmates with special medical and psychological needs. During her time there, she received psychiatric care.

Lisa got a new Defense team to try to have the death sentence commuted to life in prison. They argued that due to the horrific abuse that Lisa suffered in her past, she should have never received the death penalty. It was their case that the lawyers at her first Trial did not share all of the details as to how horrific Lisa's past was and the Defense they put forward was inadequate. They argued that at the time of the crime, she was psychotic and out of touch with reality. It was their argument that Lisa's abuse began before she was even born. She was born with foetal alcohol syndrome as a result of her mother's heavy drinking. They outlined some of the abuse she suffered. They claimed Lisa was beaten, had her mouth taped shut and when her mother remarried, the abuse was even worse. They claimed Lisa was sexually abused by her stepfather and he allowed his friends to rape and beat her. They also argued that her mother allowed men who called to the home, like electricians and plumbers, to sexually abuse her in exchange for the work they carried out.

Her lawyers argued that her first husband threatened her with exposing her lie and as a result she was under pressure and detached from reality and fantasised about being pregnant. But their arguments and objections to Lisa being on death row did not result in any change to Lisa's sentence. The execution went ahead.

Lisa received a lethal injection at a prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, after a last-minute stay of execution was lifted by the US Supreme Court. She was the only female inmate on federal death row in the US and the first female federal inmate to be put to death by the government in 67 years.

Lisa was asked if she wanted to say anything before she was executed and she said no. She was pronounced dead at 01.31am on the 13th of January 2021.

Lisa'a attorney, Kelley Henry, said: "The government stopped at nothing in its zeal to kill this damaged and delusional woman. Lisa Montgomery's execution was far from justice."

But many others disagree.

Sheriff Randy Strong told BBC News that the scene that he and his four colleagues found that day was so bloody, they are still traumatised by it. He said: "The people that are defending Lisa, I wish I could take them back in time, and put them in that room. And then go, 'Look at this body'. And then go, 'Stand there and listen to the 911 call of Bobbie's mother. This is the stuff of nightmares."

Social media, especially platforms like Twitter and celebrities like Kim Kardashian West, have helped to elevate the discussion surrounding the death penalty. But in those discussions, the name that people focus on is the name of the person who is on death row. Prior to Lisa's execution, there was a name trending on Twitter and that name was #LisaMontgomery. Whether we agree or disagree with the death penalty, we should not lose focus on the true meaning of the word victim. The only name that should be trending in relation to this case is #BobbieJoStinnett - a sweet, kind and innocent victim and the mother of a beautiful girl Victoria Jo. She was a newlywed and a much loved daughter and friend and was just beginning a new chapter in her life. We cannot allow celebrities, celebrity lawyers or large social media platforms to change the narrative. Always follow the story, follow the facts and remember who the victim was. It's the very least they deserve.