The Life and Crimes of Pam Hupp
For today’s case I’m going to actually talk about three different murders, committed by the same person: Pam Hupp. Two of the murders are actually solved, and one is more of a speculation, but they all revolve around the same malicious person. I first heard about these cases on Dateline and 20/20, and it’s one of the cases that you find out more information the more you hear about it.
Background
Pam Hupp was born on October 10, 1958. For most of her life, Pam was involved in crime, even when she was working in the insurance industry. She had been fired for forging signatures multiple times before she moved to O’Fallon, Missouri, with her husband.
By 2010, she completely stopped working because she complained about having back and neck pain. She claimed disability benefits for it, and I think this is where her life really went downhill.
The Murder of Betsy Faria
Betsy and Pam worked together at State Farm. Betsy was married to a man named Russ, and had two daughters from a previous marriage.
In 2010, Betsy was diagnosed with breast cancer, but then it got worse in 2011, and spread to her liver. Somehow, Pam conned her way into Betsy’s life and talked Betsy into her signing her State Farm life insurance policy over to her. The policy was for $150,000. Pam claimed that Betsy wanted Pam to have it all to herself, despite originally saying that Betsy wanted her daughters to have it later on.
On December 27, 2011, Betsy went to her chemotherapy appointment and her mom’s house and had to be driven home. Once again, Pam said she would pick Betsy up from her mom’s and take her home.
Betsy’s husband, Russ, came over after being at a friend’s house and called 911. He said his wife committed suicide. However, Betsy was stabbed 55 times and there was a kitchen knife stuck in her neck.
The police and ambulance arrived 9 minutes after the 911 call, and said Betsy had been dead for about an hour. They also found another knife under a pillow near Betsy’s body.
Russ and Betsy Faria
The Arrest
The only person that police were suspicious of during the investigation was Russ, even though he had an alibi. They became more suspicious when he failed a polygraph, and they found a bloodstained slipper that belonged to Russ in the closet of the Faria home.
They also had a friend of Betsy’s come forward, it was none other than Pam Hupp. She was interviewed by police, and she said that Russ had a temper. Pam also told the police that they could find a letter written by Betsy on her computer, stating that she was afraid Russ would kill her.
On January 4, 2012, the day after Betsy’s funeral, Russ was arrested and charged with first degree murder and armed criminal action.
Russ’s Trial
Russ’s trial began on November 18, 2013. Russ’s attorney, Joel Schwartz, stated that Russ’s friends testified that he was with them the whole night of Betsy’s murder, and that he also stopped on the way home at several different places to buy items. His attorney also mentioned that he had no blood on his clothing or shoes.
Schwartz’s testimony of Pam Hupp being a suspect was denied. He had evidence that Pam’s phone was near the Faria home at the time of the crime, and that she was the beneficiary of Betsy’s life insurance.
On November 21, 2013, Russ was found guilty. On December 22, 2013, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
The Acquittal
In February 2014, the St. Louis Dispatch exposed a story about this case. They said that Pam Hupp kept all the money instead of putting it into a trust for Betsy’s daughters. They also said Pam’s statements during her interrogation were false.
In June 2015, Russ was released after a new trial was accepted. This time Russ’s attorney could introduce the evidence he had for Pam being a suspect. Pam had stated many things during her interviews with police, one time she said she and Betsy had a relationship and another time she said she saw Russ and another man talking while she was driving Betsy home.
On November 7, 2015, Russ’s conviction was overturned. He had spent about 4 years in prison.
The Death of Shirley Neumann
Shirley and Pam Hupp
Shirley Neumann was Pam Hupp’s mom, as well as three other children. Shirley’s husband died in 2000, and in 2013, she was living at the Lakeview Park Independent Senior Living Community in Fenton, Missouri.
On October 29, 2013, Pam spent the night there with her mom. Pam was also with her the next day on October 30, she had dropped her mom off.
On October 31, a housekeeper found Shirley dead. She was found under the balcony of her third floor apartment, the railing had been broken. Shirley had died from blunt trauma to the chest from a fall, and the medical examiner also found .84 micrograms of Zolpidem (another name for Ambien) in her blood. This was 8 times more than what someone should be taking.
In November 2013, an anonymous note was sent to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s office saying that Pam murdered her mom to get her life insurance. Pam was also caught on camera saying “"my mom's worth half a million that I get when she dies. If I really wanted money, there was an easier way than trying to combat somebody that's physically stronger than me.”
Pam was still not even investigated or arrested until her final crime.
The Murder of Louis Gumpenberger
Louis Gumpenberger
Louis was struggling after a car crash from 2005. He was struggling mentally and physically.
On August 16, 2016, a 911 call came in from Pam Hupp, she said she killed someone in self-defense. The whole incident was recorded on that call.
Louis was shot five times in Pam’s house. There was also a note on him that said “kidnap Hupp, get Russ's money from Hupp at her bank, and kill Hupp" and to "take Hupp back to house and get rid of her. Make it look like Russ' wife. Make sure knife sticking out of neck." The police were suspicious from the very start.
Pam was brought into the police station to be questioned. She said that Louis showed up at her house, approached her with a knife and told her to get '“Russ’s money.” She said he followed her into her house, and she shot him after grabbing the gun from her nightstand in her room.
However, Pam’s story was contracted when a witness came forward and said that a woman (Pam) came to her house and said she was a producer from Dateline. The woman agreed, and then backed out because she didn’t believe her. The police believed Pam did the same to Louis, and that he believed her.
Evidence against Pam
There was a lot of evidence against Pam. First, cell phone records showed that Pam was in the neighborhood where Louis lived even though she didn't know him. Louis had nine $100 bills in his pocket that matched the serial number on another bill found in Pam’s room. Louis also had severe mental impairments, and the police believed he couldn’t have attacked Pam like she said.
Pam talking about Louis’s death
Conviction
On August 23, 2016, Pam was arrested and charged (FINALLY) with first degree murder and armed criminal action. Pam asked to use the bathroom, and had NO SUPERVISION. She had taken a pen from the interrogation room and tried to commit suicide, by taking the pen and stabbing her arms and neck.
Pam after her arrest and suicide attempt
On June 19, 2019, Pam took an Alford plea to the charges of first degree murder and armed criminal action.
On August 12, 2019, she was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Other
In October 2019, Louis’ mom, Margaret Burch, filed a wrongful death suit against Pam for wrongful death, fraud and misrepresentation. In July 2020, Margaret was awarded $3 million.
After Pam’s guilty plea to the murder of Louis Gumpenberger, the police reopened the Betsy Faria murder.
In March 2020, Russ Faria received a settlement of $2 million.
In September 2020, Pam filed a motion to vacate her conviction, stating she was pressured into taking a plea. I HATE THIS WOMAN.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I honestly can’t believe Pam got away with her crimes for so long. She’s such a liar, I don’t think she even knows what the truth is anymore. She should have been locked up a long time ago, and maybe it could have prevented some of these deaths. She took advantage of people, and she knew exactly what she was doing.
I feel so bad for Russ, Margaret and even Pam’s husband. She clearly hated Russ and his whole life was ruined by her, I truly hope he can move forward with his life knowing, she’s rotting in prison. I hope they all can move forward knowing that she’ll never see the light of day.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pam_Hupp
