A southern Minnesota woman may soon be back in her home state to face charges that she murdered her husband.

The Florida Department of Corrections on Wednesday cleared the way for Lois Riess to be sent to Minnesota where she is charged with first-degree and second-degree murder in Dodge County. Riess is accused of killing her husband, David, in March 2018.

Riess, 58, was convicted in December of killing a Florida woman and was sentenced to life in prison. Riess waived extradition to the face charges in Minnesota.

Riess made headlines in 2018 when she led eluded authorities for four weeks. She allegedly shot her husband in the couple's Blooming Prairie home in late March, then drove to Fort Myers Beach, Fla. There she befriended and killed Pamela Hutchinson because she had a similar appearance to Riess, according to a Lee County grand jury indictment.

Riess, who earned the nickname "Losing Streak Lois" due to her penchant for gambling, took Hutchinson's car, used the deceased woman's credit card to pay for a hotel room and used her ID to make a $5,000 withdrawal from a Wells Fargo bank.

While on the run, Riess was spotted at casinos in Louisiana, including one where she hit a jackpot. She was also spotted near Corpus Christi, Texas, before U.S. marshals arrested her April 19 in South Padre Island, Texas.

Lois Riess has previously been charged in Dodge County with forging $11,000 in checks from her husband's business account.

The Minnesota Attorney General's Office is handling prosecution of the murder case. It was not immediately clear when Riess would be back in Minnesota.

Tim Harlow • 612-673-7768