Pamela Hupp, a woman central to the Betsy Faria murder case, is in the news again. Just after noon on Tuesday, O’Fallon, Missouri police said they were called to Hupp’s home in suburban St. Louis, where she had shot and killed a man whom she said was trying to rob her.
According to police, Hupp said the man had approached her in her driveway and, after a confrontation outside, followed her into her home. She shot him inside the home.
Police said that Hupp called them twice, first to report a burglary in progress and then to say a person had been shot. When police arrived, they found Louis Gumpenberger, 33, dead in the home. The handgun used in the killing was the only weapon recovered, police said.
Hupp was the last known person to see Betsy Faria alive before she was stabbed to death in her home in late December 2011. Three days before the murder, Hupp had become the beneficiary of a $150,000 life insurance policy that Betsy owned. It was a change that no other friend or family member knew about.
Betsy's husband, Russ, was charged with her murder and, at his trial in 2013, Hupp was the state's key witness against him. His conviction was overturned in June 2015. At his retrial, Faria’s defense attorney pointed to Hupp as the one with the motive and opportunity to kill Betsy, though she was not called by either side to testify. The judge acquitted Faria at a bench trial.
Related: Wrongfully Convicted Russ Faria Sues Prosecutor and Investigators
In reaction to the defense attorney’s statements, Hupp has repeatedly denied any involvement in Betsy Faria’s murder. She has never been charged with any crime in connection with the Faria case and the prosecutor considers the case closed.
You can watch Dateline's most recent report on the Faria case below.
