How Did Pam Hupp Get Caught After Betsy Faria’s Murder?

Betsy Faria Murder Case
Betsy Faria

Betsy Faria was last seen alive in her Troy, Missouri home just after Christmas in 2011. Pam Hupp was the last person to see her alive. According to Lincoln County Prosecutor Mike Wood, Pam Hupp has been charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the death of Betsy Faria in December 2011.

When Elizabeth “Betsy” Faria died in the Missouri hamlet of Troy in 2011, everyone assumed it was a straightforward case involving her husband, Russell “Russ” Faria.

However, as ‘The Thing About Pam‘ depicts, this was not the case – the majority of the solid, incriminating evidence still pointed to Pamela “Pam” Hupp, the last person to see her alive. So, now that she’s been charged with homicide – nearly a decade later, in July 2021, let’s look at her likely motive and figure out what led to her eventual arrest, shall we?

Must Read: Betsy Faria Murder: Where is Pam Hupp now? 

Where is Pam Hupp Now

Why Did Pam Hupp Kill Her Best Friend Betsy Faria?

Money appears to be the most clear reason, as Betsy Faria had two life insurance policies under her name while battling illness. Pam Hupp was declared the sole beneficiary of one just days before the murder.

Despite being on disability, the mother of two has always maintained that she had no financial difficulties or bills at the time because her husband had a consistent job. But what’s odd is that she said the $150,000 was for Betsy’s two girls at first, but later claimed her friend wanted her to retain it for herself.

As if that wasn’t enough, Pam claimed “her best buddy” thought she was wealthy, which is why she never begged, wanted, or needed any financial assistance, according to court filings. Even her husband testified about their finances and properties, which was especially important given their side industry of property flipping.

However, the NBC version still hinted at danger for the Hupps. According to the limited crime-drama series, they were late on their mortgage payments around the time of Betsy’s brutal slaying, which could imply a desperate need for cash, leading to desperate measures.

Pam was known to appreciate money, but other motives have been offered over the years, including a desire for power and control, issues from a supposed brain injury, or simply attention.

In early 2020, editor and writer Jeannette Cooperman reported, “The widespread consensus – held by cops, neighbours, families, and true-crime enthusiasts – was that Pam Hupp was nasty.”

In other words, even while it’s permissible to speculate whether Pam stabbed Betsy to death or not, let alone for what purpose, many people believe she was to blame.

Where is Pam Hupp Now

How Did Pam Get Caught After Betsy Faria’s Murder?

Pam Hupp was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action on August 23, 2016, a week after Louis Gumpenberger was shot and killed inside her home. She said he was a threatening house invader who she shot in self-defense, but her storey was dismissed, in part because he had mental and physical disabilities.

As a result, in the summer of 2019, she took an Alford guilty plea. She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of release, causing her prior criminal connections to be re-examined.

That’s when the authorities finally noticed all of the evidence against Pam that had been slowly accumulating over the years. This includes the fact that she changed her storey numerous times during her interrogation for Betsy’s murder, lied about what she planned to do with the life insurance money, and most likely fabricated documents and occurrences in order to accuse Russ Faria.

Furthermore, on that fatal December 2011 day, she had forced herself into Betsy’s life by insisting that she drive her home after treatment, even though she had a ride.

As if that weren’t enough, Pam’s phone records reveal she was in the vicinity of Betsy’s house for about 30 minutes after she claimed she’d dropped her off, implying that her “home” text to “her closest friend” at 7:20 p.m. was also sent from close to the latter’s home.

Pam became the sole viable suspect when all of this was matched with official records demonstrating Betsy was murdered by someone she trusted, and Russ had a solid alibi. As a result, she was charged with first-degree murder on July 12, 2021, for which she has yet to stand trial.

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