$200k Raised For IA Teen's Restitution To Alleged Rapist's Family

A GoFundMe has raised over $200,000 to help an Iowa teenager cover restitution costs that she was ordered to pay to her alleged rapist's family.

17-year-old Pieper Lewis from Des Moines claims that Zachary Brooks raped her multiple times when she was 15 years old. In 2020, she stabbed and killed Brooks. The Associated Press says that she was a runaway looking to build a better life before being trafficked to men for sex.

According to the GoFundMe created for her, Pieper was initially charged with 1st Degree Murder as an adult. However, KWWL reports that yesterday, she instead received five years of supervised probation and was ordered to pay $150,000 in restitution to Zachary Brooks' family. That money was raised immediately and the total continues to go up in the GoFundMe.

Get our free mobile app

Iowa law does require people convicted of homicides to pay $150,000 in compensation, according to USA Today. It's not known yet if Pieper's lawyers will appeal that $150k. The argument was made that Brooks was more than 51% responsible for his own death and that Pieper shouldn't have to pay his estate anything.

Prosecutors at the time of her sentencing pushed for some form of punishment against her, since Brooks was sleeping when she stabbed him. KWWL reports that their argument was that Brooks wasn't an immediate danger to her at the time of the killing.

If you are interested in donating to the GoFundMe to help Pieper or learning more about it, you can do so here.

The Best Places To Watch Iowa Football Games

We have gathered 15 places around the Quad Cities where people LOVE to watch Iowa Football games. Many bars with owners that are Hawkeye fans have specials on game days. Cheaper beer, special dishes, and even free shots when Iowa scores a touchdown.

We asked listeners where their favorite place to watch Iowa football was, and here is what they suggested.