Lisa Marie Montgomery was born on February 27, 1968, in Melvern, Kansas. From the start, her life was marked by difficulties. Her mother struggled with alcohol addiction, which contributed to Lisa being born with permanent brain damage. This challenging beginning set the stage for a troubling childhood.

As Lisa grew up, her home life became increasingly abusive. From the age of 11, she faced physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. She experienced severe beatings, often using whatever object was available. In particularly traumatic events, her stepfather forced her to engage in sexual acts, and she was punished harshly when she resisted. This abuse reached a heartbreaking level when her stepfather killed the family dog as a form of punishment in front of her.

Lisa's older half-sister, Diane Mattingly, was removed from their home and placed in foster care. This separation crushed Lisa, as she felt very close to her sister. In search of an escape from her painful reality, Lisa began drinking alcohol at a young age.

When Lisa turned 14, her mother discovered the abuse occurring in their home. Instead of protecting Lisa, she reacted violently, threatening her daughter with a gun. Lisa tried to escape her situation by getting married at the age of 18, hoping for a better life. However, both her first and second marriages brought more abuse.

Lisa went on to have four children, but in 1990, she underwent a tubal ligation, a procedure that prevents future pregnancies. After this, she falsely claimed several times to be pregnant, deceiving both of her husbands about her condition. These claims included stories about going to New Mexico for an abortion and saying she had a miscarriage that she donated to science.

On December 16, 2004, Lisa Montgomery entered the home of Bobbie Jo Stinnett in Skidmore, Missouri. Montgomery had previously posed as a potential customer interested in purchasing puppies from Stinnett, which allowed her to gain access to the house. Once inside, Montgomery strangled Stinnett and then cut the unborn child from her womb. After the murder, Montgomery fled the scene with the baby.

Stinnett's mother, Becky Harper, found her daughter approximately an hour later. She discovered Stinnett lying on the floor in a pool of blood. Harper quickly called the authorities. Paramedics arrived but were unable to revive Stinnett, who was pronounced dead shortly after at a local hospital.

The following day, Montgomery was arrested at her home in Melvern, Kansas. On the day of her arrest, a witness reported seeing Montgomery with the baby, whom she had claimed was her own. Montgomery even showed off the infant at a local restaurant. Montgomery had told her husband that she had gone into labor and delivered the child while on a shopping trip.

Police initially went to Montgomery's home to investigate her as a potential witness based on her online communications with Stinnett. However, when they arrived, they found her inside with the baby and soon arrested her. After her story unraveled, Montgomery confessed to the crime. The baby was safely recovered and returned to Stinnett's family.

Investigators used forensic computer techniques to trace Montgomery and Stinnett's online interactions leading up to the murder. An AMBER alert was also issued to help recover the kidnapped child, and DNA tests confirmed the baby's identity.

Montgomery was charged with "kidnapping resulting in death," which carries severe penalties under federal law. During her trial, doubt was cast on her mental health, with some experts suggesting she had a condition that made her falsely believe she was pregnant. Despite the defense's arguments, Montgomery was found guilty on October 22, 2007, and sentenced to death.

On January 13, 2021, Montgomery was executed by lethal injection, making her the first woman to be executed by the federal government since 1953.