What did Pamela Hupp do?
Pamela Hupp is an American murderer who shot and killed Louis Gumpenberger in her home in O’Fallon, Missouri, in 2016. Hupp claimed she shot Gumpenberger in self-defence after he followed her into her home wielding. Gumpenberger had mental and physical disabilities, so Hupp’s claims were not accepted by law enforcement and she was arrested on suspicion of murder.
This wasn’t the first time Hupp was involved in a criminal investigation, as she’d previously testified in the 2013 conviction of Russ Faria for the murder of his wife, Betsy in 2011. However, Faria appealed and was granted a new trial, which resulted in his exoneration in 2015, with the finger now being pointed at Hupp for the murder as she stood to gain a hefty insurance policy held by Betsy.
Hupp was also investigated in connection with the death of her mother, Shirley Neumann in 2013. She suffered injuries sustained from a fall from a balcony. Neumann’s death was initially ruled an accident, but in 2017, the cause of death was changed to ‘undetermined’. However, a full investigation into Neumann’s death by the police Department was inconclusive.
What is happening in the murder investigations now?
In 2019, Hupp entered an Alford plea to the murder of Louis Gumpenberger. This was followed by an announcement of Betsy Faria’s murder investigation being reopened.
In July 2021, Hupp was interviewed in connection with the murder of Betsy Faria. She was subsequently charged with first-degree murder. The prosecution claimed Hupp stabbed Betsy while she was asleep on her sofa.
There have been many delays in bringing Hupp to trial for Betsy Faria’s murder, with debate over where she should be tried in order to get a fair trial.
Where is Pamela Hupp now?
Pamela Hupp is serving a life sentence for the murder of Louis Gumpenberger in Missouri’s Chillicothe Correctional Centre. The trial for Betsy Faria’s murder is expected to take place in summer 2025 and it will last for around a month.
The murders of Betsy Faria and Louis Gumpenberger have led to 6 NBC Dateline episodes airing between 2014 and 2022. In addition to this, a television series starring Renée Zellweger as Hupp titled The Thing About Pam aired on NBC in 2022.
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