Arrest warrant issued for Iowa teen who killed rapist

An Iowa teenager convicted of fatally stabbing her alleged rapist has been missing since early April after violating the terms of her probation, and authorities have now issued a nationwide arrest warrant for her.

Pieper Lewis, a 19-year-old sex trafficking survivor, pleaded guilty in September 2022 to involuntary manslaughter and willful bodily harm in the 2020 killing of Zachary Brooks, a 37-year-old Des Moines man who she said repeatedly raped her for weeks .

Lewis was sentenced to five years probation and 600 hours of community service. She was also ordered to pay $150,000 in restitution to Brooks’ family.

Her case made national headlines and sparked outrage among supporters. A GoFundMe campaign started by a former teacher netted her about $560,000 — nearly four times the amount she had to pay.

In March 2023, she pleaded guilty to absconding from the Des Moines Fresh Start Women’s Center, the facility where she was serving her probation sentence.

In November, Lewis was taken to the House of Cherithr, a gated community in Atlanta. Ga., which helps victims of sexual exploitation.

Earlier this year, the facility said Lewis had been kicked out for “multiple house rule violations,” KCRG reported. She also failed to appear for mandatory probation interviews.

After her release, Lewis was fitted with a GPS monitoring device and instructed to charge the batteries daily. But according to officials, the device broke in early April due to a lack of charge.

After learning that Lewis had violated her probation, the Iowa Department of Corrections issued a statewide arrest warrant for her.

Her whereabouts have not been known since April 6, officials said.

With News Wire Services