The Murder of Betsy Faria and The Lies of Pam Hupp

On December 27, 2011, Russ Faria returned home and discovered his wife, Betsy, lying on the living room floor with a knife lodged in her neck. Although Russ had spent the evening with friends, cellphone records supported his alibi and none of Betsy’s blood was found on his body or clothing, investigators became convinced that he was responsible.

What they failed to seriously examine was the woman who had driven Betsy home that night: Pamela Hupp.

Just four days before the murder, Betsy had named Pam the sole beneficiary of a $150,000 life insurance policy. Pam’s account of her final moments with Betsy repeatedly changed, yet she was treated as a trusted witness while Russ was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

In this episode, we examine:

• The final hours of Betsy Faria’s life
• Pam Hupp’s changing statements
• The $150,000 life insurance policy
• Russ Faria’s documented alibi
• The blood found on Russ’s slippers
• The theory that Betsy’s socks were used to stage evidence
• Problems with the Bluestar blood testing and crime-scene photographs
• The forensic evidence used to convict Russ
• Russ’s wrongful conviction and eventual acquittal
• The suspicious death of Pam’s mother, Shirley Neumann
• The murder of Louis Gumpenberger
• The current case against Pam Hupp
• The new Y-STR DNA evidence being raised by her defense

Pam is currently serving life in prison without parole for the murder of Louis Gumpenberger. She has pleaded not guilty to Betsy’s murder and is presumed innocent of that charge unless proven guilty in court. Her bench trial is currently scheduled to begin on January 31, 2028.

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