DISCOVER HOW SEASON 1 OF THE THING ABOUT PAM IS INSPIRED BY A TRUE STORY!
The Thing About Pam is now available on Salto! If you’re curious about whether the series is based on a true story, continue reading! The Thing About Pam chronicles an unbelievable murder case.
Renée Zellweger stars in the new NBC series as Pamela Hupp, a woman who becomes the primary witness in a case. On December 27, 2011, when Russ Faria discovered his wife Betsy covered in blood, he assumed she had committed suicide.
Russ screamed as he described the gruesome scene he discovered at his home to a 911 operator. To him, it was obvious that his wife, who had battled cancer and depression, had lost hope.
However, when the police arrived at the home in Troy, Missouri, they immediately suspected something sinister. According to Jeannette Cooperman of St. Louis Magazine, investigators discovered that Betsy had been nearly decapitated in addition to having her wrists slashed. Is The Thing About Pam, on the other hand, based on a true story? When? We inform you of everything!
IS THE STORY ABOUT PAM ORIGINAL?
True, The Thing About Pam is based on an actual incident. The Thing About Pam is based on true events that occurred in the life of a woman named Pam Hupp. When Betsy Faria was fatally stabbed in her Missouri home in 2011, her husband Russ was convicted.
Russ was eventually acquitted when it was revealed that the true mastermind of the crime was Betsy’s colleague and friend, Pam Hupp, who was later charged with the murder of another man, Louis Gumpenberger. The limited series is based on these true crime stories.
While certain details and names have been changed for dramatic effect, the series’ heart is based on true events.
HOW DID THIS STORY COME TO AN END?
The situation changed in 2015, when Russ was granted a new trial following several appeals and was acquitted after serving four years in prison; he may have failed a polygraph test years prior, but the evidence stood up.
Pam’s suspicions grew over the next year, culminating in her shooting and killing Louis Gumpenberger in her home after he staged an attack to make it appear as though Russ hired him to kidnap and kill her.
Pam Hupp was eventually charged with first-degree murder in July 2021 after it was revealed she had insisted on being heavily involved in Betsy’s life following her cancer diagnosis. She was also charged with acting as an armed criminal, but the charge was dropped in early September, two months after she entered a not guilty plea behind bars.
In short, as described in The Thing About Pam, Pam was found not guilty of any wrongdoing in connection with Betsy’s homicide despite being a convicted killer in the Louis case.
