Pam Hupp charged with murder of Betsy Faria

LINCOLN COUNTY, Mo. (TCD) --

Prosecutors in Lincoln County, Missouri, announced Monday that Pamela Hupp has been charged with murder in the 2011 death of Elizabeth “Betsy” Faria.

Pamela Hupp is currently serving life in prison for killing Louis Gumpenberger, a disabled handyman, in 2016. Hupp was convicted in 2019 after she made a plead deal to avoid the death penalty. Hupp entered an Alford plea, acknowledging county prosecutors had enough evidence to convict her of murder.

Hupp was accused of luring Louis Gumpenberger to her home to make him look like a hit-man sent to kill her.

Lincoln County prosecutors were expected to announce at a news conference Monday afternoon that they will seek the death penalty for Hupp, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports, in the Faria case.

Lincoln County Prosecuting Attorney Mike Wood was also expected to announce Monday a new investigation into “potential prosecutorial and police misconduct in the Betsy Faria case,” KTVI reports.

Lincoln County Prosecuting Attorney Mike Wood said it’s believed Hupp convinced Betsy Faria to change a $150,000 life insurance policy to make Hupp the beneficiary, then murdered Faria and staged the scene to frame Betsy’s husband Russell Faria.

Betsy Faria was murdered and mutilated two days after Christmas in 2011 at a house in the St. Louis suburb of Troy, Mo. Faria’s husband Russ found her dead. She had been stabbed 55 times.

Russ Faria was charged with first-degree murder and convicted by a jury. He was sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years. He was later exonerated and set free after almost serving almost four years.

TRUE CRIME DAILY: Betsy Faria case coverage - TCD

Hupp was a key witness in the case against Russ Faria, despite inconsistencies in her statements to police.

Hupp had been helping to care for Betsy, who was suffering from terminal cancer, and Hupp was with her the night of the murder. Hupp had unexpectedly turned up at Betsy's chemotherapy session and insisted on taking her home that night.

Suspicion fell upon Hupp when it was learned Betsy had removed Russ as the beneficiary of a $150,000 life insurance policy just days before her murder and replaced him with Hupp. The prosecutors and the judge wouldn't allow jurors at Russ's trial to hear about the insurance policy or other evidence that pointed to Hupp as possibly being Betsy's murderer.

VIDEO: Russ Faria speaks out about murder of wife, 11/20/15 - CWD

That suppression of evidence and an investigation by reporter Chris Hayes that helped win Russ a new trial, which resulted in his exoneration and prison release.

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