$400K Raised For Teen Who Killed Rapist And Was Ordered To Pay $150K Restitution

DES MOINES, IA — Pieper Lewis, 17, was ordered this week to pay $150,000 in restitution to the family of a man who repeatedly raped her, after she stabbed him more than 30 times in a fit of rage, killing him, according to reports.

The restitution is mandatory under state law, reports said, but more than twice the amount has already been raised to support Lewis via a GoFundMe established by her former teacher, Leland Schipper.

“Pieper does not owe that man’s family justice,” the GoFundMe said.

“Pieper does not deserve to be (financially) burdened for the rest of her life because the state of Iowa wrote a law that fails to give judges any discretion as to how it is applied. This law doesn’t make sense in many cases, but in this case, it’s morally unjustifiable. A child who was raped, under no circumstances, should owe the rapist’s family money.”

The fundraiser, which had reached over $400,000 in donations as of Thursday afternoon, will pay for restitution, the cost for Lewis to attend college or start a business, and expenses related to aiding other victims of sex crimes.

“Pieper’s path to true freedom will not be easy, and she is still a teenager that has experienced a lot of trauma,” the GoFundMe said.

Lewis was initially charged with first-degree murder in the death of 37-year-old Zachary Brooks, who she killed June 1, 2020, as he slept in his Des Moines apartment after forcing Lewis to ingest intoxicants and raping her, according to reports. At the time of the stabbing, Lewis was a 15-year-old runaway fleeing an abusive home and being trafficked by a 28-year-old man, the Associated Press reported.

A self-described survivor, Lewis earned her GED in juvenile detention and pleaded guilty last year to involuntary manslaughter and willful injury, according to the Associated Press, which reported that Lewis received five years probation but could face up to 20 years in prison if she breaks the terms of her sentence.

Lewis will not be eligible for early release and must reside at a women's center in Des Moines, complete 600 hours of community service over three years, and wear a tracking device, according to The New York Times. If she meets all probation requirements, her guilty plea could be expunged, the Times reported.

“Today, the judge recognized that Pieper was a victim and a child,” the GoFundMe said. “This is a compassionate outcome.”

Schipper, who started the fundraiser, was Lewis’s ninth-grade algebra teacher in the Des Moines public school system, according to WHO 13 Des Moines. The GoFundMe has drawn supporters from across the globe, including fellow survivors.

“No victim of a sexual crime should be victimized twice,” one donor wrote. “The law needs to be changed.”

As of Thursday afternoon, more than 10,000 people had contributed.

“Money doesn't take away the pain and the trauma, but hopefully, it can help you hit the reset button on a life that's barely begun,” another contributor wrote. “You have so much potential, and we're all rooting for you.”