Russell Faria on Dateline
Did you catch Dateline NBC on Friday night? The show was titled, “The House On Sumac Drive”. It was captivating and I suspect a real whodunnit for many people in the beginning of the show.
Betsy Faria, who is terminally ill from cancer, ends up dead in the family home and Russell Faria, her husband finds her. He finds her with a knife imbedded into her neck, and assumes it’s a suicide. Betsy had tried to commit suicide before, he says. But Betsy died from multiple stabbings that are inconsistent with suicide, find police.
The story takes a lot of twists and turns, to say the least, but ultimately you hear that the prosecutor’s theory, which ultimately convicted Russell Faria, has no evidence to support it whatsoever. It contains wild accusations — even implicating four people who were Russell’s alibi, but whom have never been charged.
It gets perplexing, doesn’t it?
Russell most certainly acted out of the ordinary at times, right? He called it a suicide, after all.
I personally believe that Russell Faria is being 100% honest in what he is telling us. I believe him without question and there is a person who I don’t believe whatsoever who has the absolute motive, and gain to have committed this murder.
And strangely enough, this person has been inconsistent in her story of seeing Betsy on the last night of her life. Furthermore, she even went to police and lied about Russell’s character. The woman is deadly scary. Who is that woman?
She’s Pam Hupp.
I am highly suspicious of Pam Hupp. She was the last person to see Betsy Faria alive. She somehow became the executor of Betsy’s will and has never given Betsy’s family a dollar of the money she inherited. It doesn’t take much a brain to add up the pieces and see something’s very wrong in this case.
I watched the Dateline programme last night and have perused a couple of the News channel follow ups. I live in one of the planet’s most draconian, Big Brother, surveillance police states, ie, the UK where the criminal justice system is oppressively weighed against a defendant. There is no peremptory juror challenge, previous convictions admissable as evidence, majority verdicts, no comment police interviews and not giving evidence inviting cpnclusions of guilt from the judge and prosecuting counsel. etc. etc. etc.
To give an indication of the British justice system the CPS(Crown Prosecution Service) have circa an 87% conviction rate of success, despite only requiring a 50% chance of success to prosecute. However, even here in this totalitarian state where possession of a starting pistol carries a 5 yr. mandatory sentence, the prosecution would not be permitted to base their summation on a theory that had not been raised during the actual trial which appears to have occurred in this case.
Also here, the police are not allowed to interview a suspect without first cautioning them and a lawyer being present, they are also not allowed to intimidate suspects by poking fingers or practically sitting on their laps. Anything remotely approaching this type of behaviour would not be acceptable under the 1984 Police and Criminal Evidence Act.
I have become an advocate for Russ Faria ever since I saw the Dateline story. It’s obvious that he is innocent and obvious who murdered Betsy. I will do my best to help free Russ.
The Mom says (near the end of the segment) she wouldn’t care what sort of proof they brought to her that it was someone else she would remained convinced the husband did it. What is Mom’s associated with Hupp? Perhaps Mom knew her daughter was dying and thus supported this wildly concocted murder. I would like to see the money trail. IF the insurance funds have not gone to the daughters, then perhaps some of them went to the Mom. Why isn’t the family insisting on their cut of the money?
The saddest part is these cops don’t cop to being wrong…even if a so called detective is busted helping Hupp with the scheme. Sad this Dad may have to suffer in prison his lifetime. I almost threw up when the Mom was making fun of him for taking her daughter’s death so hard. To the point of mimicking him. Yet SHE never shed a tear.
Also tragically comic, if it weren’t so sad and show so much ignorance, was the Mom not believing the FOUR witnesses because they all said the same thing! Maybe Pam Hupp’s lies and inconsistencies are more believable to the Mom for some bizarre reason. And the witnesses all talked in a monotone (because people are usually so exuberant in a murder trial). I had to wonder if outgoing Betsy might not have been a good judge of character. Obviously, if she’s making her own killer her beneficiary. And what kind of family did Betsy really come from, because even the two sisters are deluded? They must be their mother’s daughters. I am sure the $150k is long gone.
There were other ways for Betsy to ensure her daughters got that money and set up in a trust for them. A good lawyer would have setup a will with her last wishes known on the life insurance proceeds.
I had something similar happen in my life, although it had nothing to do with murder. My sister gave her best friend money to hold and to be used to take care of our brother’s needs. It wasn’t a large sum of money at all, but it would have helped my brother on his daily needs. What the best friend did was she would wait for my brother to be needy and he would turn to this woman for help, and in turn she pretended she was helping him and giving him money out of her own pocket, rather than the money my sister had set aside for my brother. This all happened in the last year, so I know dying people can do things that don’t make a lot of sense and they trust the wrong people in spite of it. So this woman was helping my brother and using the money intended for him, but she was using it as if she was doing him a big favor and making him more dependent on her because she had her own agenda which I won’t get into.
This truly a cautionary tale and a warning that all people should make sure that what they intend is in writing and notarized by a attorney who has the obligation to follow the intended instructions. Have a will drawn up, make sure all life insurance documents are setup for the person that is suppose to be getting the money. Never ever trust a friend, even your best friend. While most people are good and will do the right thing, look at what this money lead to a woman’s murder and a man imprisoned and convicted of crime he didn’t commit.
The family is suing for the money that Pamela Hupp has, they have even frozen all of her assets. Only recently has the court come up with a compromise until the civil trial is decided. Pamela Hupp has to put up a $150,000.00 bond (which is what the daughter’s are seeking) and unfroze the rest of Pamela Hupp’s assets so she can once again access her disability payments of $800.00 a month. This is a con woman, always looking for a way to make money without working. Claiming she’s on disability for back, neck, and leg injuries yet when approached to make a statement about the money, she’s seen running away from the reporter. That doesn’t sound like a disabled person unable to work, sounds like just one more scam she’s gotten away with.
This woman wouldn’t know a hard day’s work if it hit her in the face.
As far as the mother, that’s such a ugly person inside. Even if the case is once again investigated and the true killer is convicted, she will still believe her son in law did it? That’s cold hearted and incredible. Her affect on the show was very telling, she never liked her son in law, and she’s glad he’s locked up for the killing. She believes everything that investigator’s told her even when it’s clear that they have no idea what really happened yet. If after all this, this mother still believes that her son in law was involved, then there’s just nothing that will ever change her mind. She’s as close minded as they come and isn’t seeking the truth or justice for her own daughter. It’s a crime that someone is getting away with murder.
Dear E4L,
I thought I had found an interesting site as a fan of true crime stories. An extra added element to add to the mix. Yet reading the above comment is a major turn off.
First of all to refer to your reader’s as “the beast” for expecting to learn a bit about “DECEPTIOIN” is in my book DECEPTION if you are not going to provide any insight. And this line ” I prefer to help sources directly on cases where I can make a difference.” …….is a unique way of saying …unless I get paid.
So the name of the site EYES FOR LIES …..DECEPTION EXPERT is in fact a commercial website where you sell your services. It is NOT a site for one to come to learn and gain some insight. MMMM. Why do I feel deceived?
I did not call the readers a beast. Anyone who has followed my blog for a long time knows exactly what I speak of and they aren’t upset at all. Instead, you are a newcomer and make quick decisions without any knowledge. I find it ironic how you also claim to know how everyone else feels here. The only one you are deceiving here is yourself, sadly.
I have donated over 10 years to share free information with the public and still continue to do so at my expense. I do not benefit nor do I get paid for offering this to people. I just don’t offer as much for reasons stated above.
Not to bicker and to fully acknowledge it could been my misunderstanding only, in that I thought I would find out how the “Deception Expert” had viewed the story is discussion. I am not sure how a “beast ” could not be a reader, for without coming to this site, others would never know your insight. So who is the beast. That said, in my comment I stated that I do feel deceived, I never pretended to speak for anyone but myself. Perhaps you could show me that as well. Suffice it to say, this is a site that you promote yourself, your various works, services, and fees etc. Nothing wrong with any of that. I wish you only luck with it.
Are u a member of Pam Hupp’s family?
Nope, not related nor know anyone involved.But I do not blindly assume guilt or innocence.
I still have problems with the 911 call. Russell came to a very quick and certain conclusion: ‘my wife killed herself’. And he didn’t just see a knife in her neck, he saw stab wounds down both her arms, which means he was close enough to the body – surely – to have seen the blood-drenched result of 55 stab wounds. Others arriving at the scene could instantly see it was homicide before the stab wounds were fully revealed and counted. Their life was happy – they’d had intimacy not long before, were planning a trip to Florida and had a shared resolution to live life to the fullest during the remainder of her lifespan – what would make him jump to the conclusion that she had taken her own life? When you are partnered with someone, esp through an ordeal like cancer, you should know where their head’s at and what they’re capable of.
Because she’s dead. That’s how you jump to that conclusion. None of it would make sense. And Betsy had terminal cancer. She wouldn’t be the first person with a terminal disease to try to end it instead of causing her family suffering. The others in question, you mention, who arrived on the scene are trained police officers (though that is debatable). Not a distraught husband. And for the love of God…this was talked about in the program though it might have been too complicated for some. But there was no blood drenched body. Which means the majority of those wounds were caused AFTER death, to make it look like a crime of passion. The wounds were very methodical. That is part of the proof, according to the defense attorney, that Russell didn’t do it. Because once dead, the body does not bleed any more because the heart is not pumping any more. Hence, there is no blood. Hence this was not a crime of passion. When anyone comes home from a boring night out and sees his wife dead on the living room floor…who knows what goes through someone’s mind? But the idea of murder — of a very lovable person — would probably be your last thing. The problem here is that some people cannot believe Pam Hupp was diabolical enough to kill Betsy in cold blood. Planned it. Starting with forging the Beneficiary papers. And carried it out with no remorse. Well, Pam Hupp is that diabolical. Because Betsy is dead. And Russell has an airtight alibi and no motive. Before I even knew where the 48-hour story was going, the first time they flashed Pam Hupp’s photo, my stomach lurched.
The questioning of the 911 call and how he acted while be questioned at first really annoy me. I’ve seen many of these 48 hour shows and so on, and they always raise that person X is suspicious because they didn’t look or act sad enough. Then you get this one where you can hear the pain and how upset he is, and people complain it’s too much. It’s damned if you do, damned if you don’t stuff.
For example, Amanda Knox was supposedly guilty because she didn’t act sad enough for people. Now Russ Faria acted ‘too sad’? I’d be pretty distraught if my wife looked to be dead when I returned home tonight, but I don’t know exactly how I would react – I’m not much of a crier even when I feel very sad and I might not cry enough for people, so I guess if something this terrible ever happened to me I’d be guilty immediately for not looking sad enough.
No one can judge someone on one element alone. That’s dangerous.
Yet in this case that put him at the top of a very short list of suspects. Oh wait there was no other suspect in the investigator’s eyes so it must be true he murdered his wife based on nearly nothing but the word of a woman who last saw his wife alive and had all the reason’s in the world to kill her.
If he knew she had been stabbed 25 times, I don’t think he would try to say “she committed suicide” on the phone to 911. That is just my opinion. If he knew ehat the crime really entailed, his psychology wouldn’t allow him to say something that silly. He’s got a rock solid alibi. All the surveillance of him is totally normal…. he’s not acting weird. His friends don’t seem weird, Russell doesn’t seem weird in his interview. I don’t buy it. I wish him the best.
I just watched this on Dateline on Investigation Discovery. I am extremely disappointed in the states lack of evidence in a sense to assist the framing of Russ Faria. The state should have looked at Mrs Hupp a lot closer as she stood to benefit and perjured herself as the civil trial she changed her story. She should not only be investigated for murder and Russ Faria set free, but she should be in prison for perjury. And why the heck didn’t the state get a handwriting expert to look at those beneficiary papers to see if there was also forgery?
Pamela Hupp should have been the prime suspect as she was the last person to see Betsy Faria alive and the only one who had a financial motive and the immediate need to stop Betsy from talking.
This guy got railroaded. What I can’t believe is the 12 idiots aka jurors who believed the prosecutor’s version and disregard the 4 witnesses who said he was with them…for game night like he was every Tuesday night. Our system is beyond broken.
Our system might be broken but it’s also the most fair compared to any other country. In this particular case, everyone got it wrong and as such it should be re-examined and the truth should be sought. The juror’s have come forward and stated that they aren’t 100% sure he is guilty. Having said that it’s because the jury was given only what the Judge allowed to be given, and now knowing so much more after the trial, they probably wouldn’t have convicted him. So there you have it. I believe the same thing happened with the Casey Anthony trial and the jury came to the conclusion they came to.
This thinking is so Byzantine. “He knew when not to be there.” How about Pam Hupp was a former co-worker of Betsy’s. When in God’s name and why in God’s name would Russell have anything to do with her? So he could split the $150k with someone else? And have her commit the crime. In that event, why would Pam Hupp include Russell at all if she was the beneficiary and she was the killer? And don’t you think Russell would have mentioned that Pam was involved as his defense? Are you saying he was “protecting” Pam Hupp? A woman that the trial did not indicate was a friend of Russell’s. I just wonder if some people who could not think their way out of a paper bag get through life. The only reason police did not suspect Pam Hupp is because she is a woman. And this crime was so vicious that some, including Betsy’s brain-dead family, can’t see what is plain is plain to see. Pam Hupp wanted the money. Probably figured, “Heck, she’s going to die soon anyway.” Otherwise, Pam Hupp would have started that Trust Fund.
Also Betsy Faria could have set up this trust prior to her own death, no need to transfer or change her beneficiuary. All Betsy would have had to do is gone to a lawyer and made her wishes known on the money. None of Pamela Hupp’s story makes sense when considering she couldn’t even keep track of her lies. She was the last person with Betsy before she died, she had a clear motive. Russ had a solid alibi yet the prosecution without any proof claimed that Russ’s friends all helped him commit this murder. Is this how small town justice works? The prime suspect should have been Russ and Pamela yet they completely dismissed her as a suspect and even coached her on putting that money into a trust for the daughters and only after the trial was over she removed all the money from the trust and says it now belongs only to her.
These investigator’s have egg on their faces, no wonder no one from the prosecution side appeared on that Dateline show, they know they made a terrible mistake and had the wrong person convicted. I say let them conduct a thorough investigation on the real suspect and they will find the killer. If it’s this easy to be found guilty with no evidence or proof, imagine how easy it would be to convict the person who actually did with a mountain evidence that just keeps adding up. A innocent man is in prison! I don’t believe he is guilty and that was before finding out about Pamela Hupp’s relationship with the victim and the money.
I believe you and your friends. I don’t have any doubt that Russ was with you at your home watching the movies. My biggest problem is with Pamela Hupp being the last person with Betsy on the night that she died. The one who had the most to gain from her death.
Also because of the lawsuit brought by Betsy’s daughters for the insurance money, Pamela Hupp has once again changed her story about the intended purpose of that money. I don’t know why investigator’s never suspected her, it’s mind blowing to see them telling her to put that money into a trust for the daughter’s just prior to the trial to help the prosecution case. Then days later taking the money back and keeping it. And that story of her own mother’s death, it’s like this woman is surrounded by suspicious deaths but no one suspects her, that’s mind blowing.
If I was Betsy’s best friend like this woman claims and found out my friend had been brutality murdered, there’s no way I would have been at the police station the next day so cool, calm, and collected. I would have been laying on the floor in the fetal position crying my eyes out in devastation. She was cold and caught in lies but that still wasn’t enough to investigate her? That’s some sorry excuse for a arrest of her husband. That was a man in grief, his reactions were the way a person finding their loved one would react.
And lastly, Russ has a solid alibi and it’s not just dismissed but used against him without any proof. Using that against him and accusing you and the friends and being allowed by the Judge to do that, it’s overwhelming that such a travesty can happen. No proof, none that Russ Faria murdered his wife and he’s sitting in prison. So unfair, that was no trial I’ve ever seen, that was a concocted theory made up and pasted together, and even when said outloud was laughable except it ruined this man’s life. Russ’ appeal I hope his conviction is overturned and he is freed and a new investigation is opened for the REAL KILLER/S. Pamela Hupp’s hands aren’t clean in this, not at all. There’s more evidence against her than there ever was against Russ Faria. This is a very troubling case in American Justice.
My brother was murdered on August 5th, 2014. I am the one who received the call from the hospital and the medical examiner’s office. Like Russ (who actually found his wife’s body) I too was out of control. I don’t think his 911 call is a over reaction, or deceptive in any way. He sounds like a man in pain and in shock that this is happening.
It’s true that everyone react’s differently and I always believed that everyone should be acting the same way. But since I have now experienced my own tragedy, I realize that we all do react differently.
Case in point is this best friend Pamela Hupp’s cold, cool, calm demeanor the very next day at the police station. This is the last person to see Betsy Faria alive and she’s not shedding one tear and is talking like it’s an everyday thing to be in a police station answering questions about a best friends murder. Her reaction is the UNEXPECTED one, but that’s just my opinion. I think the police did a terrible job investigating this murder. He has a solid alibi and it’s unrefuted by the stops he made for gas, a soft drink, and then some food he got on his way home. The prosecution made up a fairy tale, a very bad one no doubt, but somehow they managed to get a jury to believe it, based on no evidence that the husband committed this crime. The juror’s aren’t 100% sure he even committed the crime now, because there was so much evidence not presented to the jury, especially for the defense’s alternate version of what happened. They hope he win’s the appeal….
I can attest to what you just wrote here. As a recent crime victim with my brother’s murder on August 5th, 2014, my reaction was hysterical and shocked and devastated. The doctor at the hospital said I needed to call someone so I wouldn’t be alone, that’s how upset I was and it was no act. It’s a pain unlike any other pain and one loses control of their emotion’s. I wasn’t a suspect but I know grief when I see it or hear it. Russ Faria acted and sounded appropriate, while Pamela Hupp was completely inappropriate in her reaction and actions during a police interview.
Very sorry to hear, but thank you very much for sharing that
I’d like to know if she was administered a polygraph…????? Also, WHY is she dragging her feet about turning over the money, now changing her story about what the money was really intended for, refuses to make comments to the media or anyone, etc., etc. She is a killer AND a thief. I’d be willing to help Russ Faria any way I could to prove his innocence. This is a clear-cut case of tunnel vision on the part of the St. Louis Police Department. Were they afraid they might have to work a little TOO hard to prove her guilt? I smell not A rat, but several rats.
You’re nuts and obviously haven’t followed the case closely if at all. What evidence have you seen that makes you think Russ had anything to do with it? Hint–there is none.
Hint: he obviously despised his wife; no man who cares about his spouse acts as he did towards her. The criticism of her intelligence in front of friends and the pillow thing were just the tip of the iceberg. Besides, don’t tell me you find that reaction on the 911 and at the funeral believable. Her own family (his in-laws) think he’s guilty as do 12 jurors. What more do you need? Sure, Hupp is a tad shady, but so is Russ. Unfortunately, the Dateline episode chose to ignore some of Russ’s unsavory behavior to focus on a story of an unfair prosecution. If he didn’t kill her himself, he certainly is guilty of hiring some lowlife friend to do it–same thing. He’s murderer.
Where are you getting your information from Esme? You do know that nearly everything that you’re stating as fact is in actuality lies put out there by Hupp right? Nobody can substantiate those claims that Hupp (and now you) are making except for Hupp. You really haven’t followed this at all have you? The 911 operator THAT TOOK THE CALL has publicly stated that she believes 100% that Russ was inconsolable with grief and not acting at all. I guess you’ve got more experience than her years as a 911 operator huh? I guess you also didn’t know about the 2 jurors that came forth and were interviewed stating that they were very upset that they weren’t told all of the facts and had misgivings about the whole process. Please, try to dismiss your ignorance of this case through research instead of opening your mouth and verifying it to everyone.
No he is not a murderer but one thing is certain-you are a moron.
People lie all the time. I do not take words as literal fact. If words do not fit facts, someone is a ly’in.
Russell’s mother?!? Where the hell are you getting your information about this case?
Russell’s mother has never been publicly interviewed…in fact, the only member of Russ’ family that has been interviewed has been his cousin Mary. Maybe you mean Betsy’s mother?
Really, don’t comment on this case unless you have at least a partial understanding of what happened and those that have spoken about it…you are doing yourself and those that do want accurate information a grave disservice. It doesn’t take much…the Dateline episode or the Fox2now.com reports that Chris Hayes did gives enough rudimentary accurate information that you should be able to make educated comments. What you are doing now is just hurtful to Russell and his family that are taking this as best they can.
And so this Pam Hupp’s mother in law recently, mysteriously fell to her death from the balcony of her home? And knowing the area where she lived, she was certainly not a poor person. Makes me wonder who gains finacially fromher death. Since this occured in a place that is NOT TROY, I hope they seriously investigate her death!!!!!!
I saw an episode of this on Dateline. I am shocked that in the 21st century that such a miscarriage of justice can happen. A man can be sent to prison based on illogical claims that are not backed up at all by evidence. And a jury can convict a man with the assurance he will have an appeal. How can a juror convict a man based on their personal feelings about the defendant. One juror Ken Masteron said he did not believe 100 percent that Russ Faria committed murder. Then why did you find him guilty!? illogical on all levels. The judge supressing evidence. Prosecutors defaming eye witnesses based on illogical claims and out right lies. Jurors who seem to lack the intelligence to logically think about what could of actually happened! It is quite scary this nonsense can happen as recently as of 2013.
I have no doubt in my mind that Russ Faria will be a free man one day. The corruption and illogic cannot exist in the entire Judicial system of Missouri. I am confident an Appeals court will toss the conviction based on lack of evidence against Russ Faria.
I am of the personal belief that there needs to be reforms made to the jury system. I strongly belief that unqualified (and at times idiotic) people should not be able to make life altering decisions that can ruin an innocent person life.
I totally agree with you! I sat on a jury a couple of years ago. There was no evidence that the young man committed this crime! If me and three other women allowed the rest of the jurors to manipulate us, an innocent man would have gone to jail for one of the craziest cases I’ve ever heard! It’s so sad that people will stand before a judge and say that a person is innocent until proven guilty, when being selected as a juror; but then turn around during deliberations and say, “If he’s not guilty, then why was he arrested?” Really?!!!! I never ever want to be in a situation where my fate is decided by a jury! I just finished watching this episode on Dateline, about an hour ago, and it made me furious! What’s sad is, the jury didn’t have the pertinent information needed to decide this man’s fate. This is so unfortunate! In my opinion, as a juror, I probably still wouldn’t have convicted him, due to the evidence and the four alibi witnesses. The main thing that bothered me is how this woman, (Pam Hupp), is getting away with murder. Also, while being interviewed, Betsy’s mother was asked if Russ loved Betsy and she said, “Yes”. But, there was no doubt in her mind that he killed her daughter. It’s crazy with all that’s going on with Pam Hupp, it has never crossed Betsy’s family’s minds that Pam Hupp had something to do with her murder! Go figure!
WOW! is this family of Betsy really that ignorant? I’m sorry to say that but come on. To believe this you have to believe that her husbands game friends (who have never been charged) all lied. Also the whole cell phone thing. The police are like the keystone cops, do a little work guys. Ask yourself this question.. if you had an insurance policy and you wanted to make sure your kids were taken care of, and you have very close family members would you pick a so called friend??? as a woman i can tell you NO. her kids would have been named, not Pam. She puts herself at the scene, she tells different stories, she has 150,000 reasons to lie. And why has she never set up the trust that Betsy trusted her with over her own family. But the biggest miscarry of judgement is how a JUDGE does not allow this woman to be crossed examied? The family of Betsy has done her a injustice. I wish i would have been on that jury, i could not find him guilty. And why hasn’t the 4 others been arrested? after all the DA says they helped… What a LAUGH. the saddest part is the woman who did this has gotten away with murder. The family of Betsy you really need to look at what is right under your nose.. SHAME ON YOU, Betsy deserves better.
Don’t tell me you find that 911 call credible! An innocent person who finds their spouse covered in blood doesn’t begin his phone call with “I just returned from a friend’s house and . . . .” They would scream, “Help, my wife is all bloody, please help her.” That hilarious wailing and bad acting was completely bogs. Collapsing at the coffin? Yeah, right. It was obvious he didn’t care for his wife. I’m stunned that you find this guilty murderer to be believable and makes me question your other assessments.
Esme…I really can’t believe that you would be this ignorant, but apparently you are. Either that or you have a connection to the Hupps. So you are going to decide the fate of a mans life on the fact that he was inconsolable with grief when he found his beloved wife dead and then again at the funeral? Did you ever know Russell? Do you have any idea what you are talking about? What evidence ties Russ to the crime again? Oh I see….yea, he didn’t ‘sound right’. Do you want to be judged on how you come across based on purely superficial matters that are subjective entirely upon the observer? The verdict is in, Esme…
So Esme, what’s your take on the case being Remanded back to Lincoln County to be re-tried? This particular move has only happened twice before in Missouri state history.
The Chief Judge that wrote the Remand made sure to mention that a failure to give Russell Faria a new trial would be looked upon as an error in the first trial and the verdict would almost certainly be overturned.
Do you understand just how big of a slapdown this is to the original Judge Mennemeyer and PA Askey? The Chief Judge has essentially told Judge Mennemeyer “If he doesn’t get a new trial we will overturn the original and likely hand you another Writ of Mandamus” (she’s had many this past year). Then, PA Askey has to decide if she will charge Russ again and guess what…..she won’t. Do you have any idea why she likely won’t re-try Russ? (show us your knowledge of the case here Esmi)
She will not re-try Russ because there’s LOTS of evidence that the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Dept. and PA Askey both worked with Pam Hupp to help her facilitate the insurance scam–and they were successful. Both PA Askey and Det. Michael Lang would likely be called to the stand to be raked over the coals about helping Pam Hupp in her latest scam as well as be dissected concerning the ilicit affair that they were having at the time of this trial. It appears that Askey and Lang worked in conjunction to railroad Russ while they had their adulterous relationship (that the court didn’t know about even though one lover was questioning the other on the stand against Russ). All one has to do is watch Dateline or Chris Hayes from Fox2’s fantastic reporting about this case to see the video of the Sheriff’s Dept. advising Hupp on how to best hide the money and make it look like she would give it to Betsy’s kids, even though they knew full well it would never happen.
This is the beginning of the end of Russ’ stay in prison. I cannot wait until he is back home and levels lawsuits against all of those that have done this to him. Regardless of what kind of ridiculous mental somersaults you make yourself go through to actually believe that Russell did this, he WILL be vindicated and collect millions from those persecuted him. You just don’t seem to get that Russell is just as big a victim of this travesty as his beloved wife Betsy was…the only difference is Russell WILL get an opportunity to live through this and grow from it.
Thanks for posting this. I just watched the episode and was dumbfounded at the end when they said he was found guilty. Glad to see common sense finally rear it’s head in this case.
I’ve watched many of these type programs and may have thought some were innocent or guilty, but there was still something off about it and had some doubt. With this case I would have bet my bottom dollar that your friend would be found innocent at trial.
I hope he can put this behind him and I truly hope his wife’s family see the light and realize that someone else killed their loved one and press to see that sick individual prosecuted.
Just watched episode about Betsy. Was there any security cameras at the library? To ensure the two will signers were actually Betsy and Pamela ?
Yea I’m sure he did all that expansive planning, got his friends to be in on it, stab his wife mercilessly, oh then threw bloody shoes in his closet. Poor guy man.. PAM you set it up! #Dirty
The fact that this man was found guilty scares the living crap out of me. Alibi? Doesn’t matter. No physical evidence? Doesn’t matter. No motive? Doesn’t matter. If they want you found guilty you will be found guilty.
Pam Huff killed Betsy Faria without a doubt in my mind. Stabbed her the 55 times after the decedent was dead, because of the blood pattern. There was no huge loss of blood as there should have been if Betsy was alive during the stabbings. On top of that Betsy was redressed after she was dead. Pam conned Betsy to change the beneficiary of her life insurance the day before her death or the same day as her death. It was not done with a notary, which would not make it valid in my mind. The story that 4 of his friends lied for him is absurd. Also, the prosecution said that one of his friends went around with his cell phone is preposterous. This is a horror story of the worst kind when an innocent man is convicted on no evidence at all that Russ could be the murderer of his wife. The police never looked at anyone else. Where in the world did this happen?
This happened in the city limits of Troy in Lincoln County Missouri. It was the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Dept. and PA Leah Askey that investigated and then prosecuted this case. Though it’s well known in the area how corrupt that county is, Dateline really gives a good window into how they do things out there. All of Russ’ alibis live in St. Charles County…if the alibis lived in Lincoln County they would likely all be in prison now as well–remember that Russ was arrested on evidence that never came out in trial…ie, it doesn’t exist.
pay attention…..they did game night every Tuesday for years……he didn’t GET an alibi, he HAD an alibi !!! then why weren’t the 4 friends arrested for being accomplices????? I pray you never are called for jury duty……..
I’m one of the alibi witnesses dave, are you accusing me of being a liar? He was at my house that night from 6-9, like every Tuesday dave…even to this day we still do game night 6-9 Tuesday nights, just without Russ until he is free again. Why don’t you do some research and you can find out for yourself that it is IMPOSSIBLE that Russ could have committed this crime. If you are so sure that his alibi’s had something to do with the crime then why don’t you come on over and slap the cuffs on me yourself? sheesh
Michael, could you possibly give me an update on this case? Did Pamela Hupp ever make good on her promise to set up the trust fund for the kids? I just watched part of the Dateline show on this case, having seen it in the past, and again was simply astounded that Pam was not the main suspect.
This case was remanded back to Lincoln County by the Missouri Eastern Court of Appeals. In this nearly unheard of move the Appellate Court decided to give Lincoln County another chance at a fair trial. In the body of the remand, the chief judge wrote that the court would likely see refusal of a new trial as grounds for an overturn. Since then, the original Judge Mennemeyer has recused herself and a new judge has been assigned. June 6 is the next hearing scheduled and at this hearing the new judge gets to decide whether the State gets the opportunity to re-file charges or if he will ignore the obvious concerns of the Appellate Court. I suspect that he will be granted a new trial. From what I understand, the PA then has to decide whether to re-file the charges or not. This is a difficult situation for her, since Russ’ attorney has a LOT of evidence concerning Hupp, the PA and her alleged love interest, Det. Mike Lang of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Dept. There is a copy of a love letter as well as a signed affidavit from the PA’s own step-brother acknowledging the affair. Det. Lang testified against Russ as an expert witness for the Prosecution…taking questions from his lover on the stand.
Hupp has never turned over any money to anyone and all indications are that the money has been spent. The girls are suing her and so far she has successfully been able to continue to hire, fire and delay the hearings in that civil trial. She has given a deposition for the upcoming civil trial against her and it is stunning how much her answers have changed since the deposition for Russ’ trial. She even goes onto say that Lincoln County told her how to hide the money to make it look like she wasn’t guilty–she even named names! Just stunning….and yet my friend is still sitting in maximum security when it is obvious that it is impossible that he could have killed his wife.
Thank you, Michael, for the thorough update. That is great news that your friend is probably getting a new trial. If I understand you correctly, not granting the trial would be grounds for an outright overturn of the conviction (even better!).
But damn, this case for me has gone from outrageous to downright bizarre. Am I correct in saying that at least part of the reason for the blatant injustice is that people from the justice system itself are complicit with Pam Hupp? I understand the relationship between the PA and the detective, but I don’t see the connection between them and Hupp. Could you clarify that a bit, and why Lincoln County is so cooperative with her? Is it just prosecutorial zeal, or is there something more?
Thank you for your response and let me know if there is anything I can do. I was equally stunned by the Ryan Ferguson case, if you are aware of that, and wrote a letter to the governor of Missouri on his behalf. Fortunately he has been released.
Mark, you are correct–in the text of the remand the chief judge said that not giving a new trial would be considered an error and grounds for an overturn. The thing is, the appellate court takes time to go through and by remanding this, they have given Russ the opportunity have a new FAIR trial quicker than if it had to go all the way through the appeals process. I’m no lawyer and I do not have close access to Russ’ legal team, but this is how I am understanding the process.
I do not know if people in the Lincoln County justice system have any connection to Hupp other than her being their star witness against Russ. However, just watch Dateline to see Det. Ryan McCarrick telling Pam Hupp what to do with the money in order to make it ‘look better’ obviously under the direction of the PA Leah Askey. Look better for who? Is that not witness tampering? I cannot explain why Lincoln County went after Russ with such maliciousness and seemingly ignored the blatant problems that Hupp presented to their theories…but it happened. You and I and many, many others can see the problems and most of us are not trained investigative experts (detectives). We may never know why things went the way they did for Russ exactly, because nobody that did this to him wants to talk about it now.
Hello, Michael, I just got finished watching you on Youtube. Man, that was one hell of a conspiracy you all had! Were you the one who drove Russ’s cell phone back to his home? Goddam, that is one of the most preposterous stories I have ever heard.
After watching the whole Dateline episode again I feel almost certain that Pam Hupp committed that murder. I don’t know law either, but I personally wouldn’t call what the detective said to her “witness tampering”. He was simply telling her that in order to demonstrate she did not have the obvious motive of a whopping $150,000 she should give the money to the girls through a trust fund. According to his own line of reasoning, since she did NOT do it, she is pretty much proving her own guilt.
No matter how much a woman might allegedly detest her husband, there is NO WAY she would give a life-changing sum of money to a friend, rather than to her two daughters!
That leads me to one of the things that most jumped out at me. Did they ever verify the signature of “Elizabeth Feria” on that insurance policy through a handwriting expert? Did they ever interview the librarian who supposedly witnessed the signature? That seemed like a huge omission in the story.
I don’t know what more they need though. Russ has an alibi certified by several friends, videotape, receipts and cellphone pings, while a cellphone ping proves one of Hupp’s several lies. She was the last one with Betsy right around the time of the murder, and again she has the HUGE motive of the very suspiciously obtained life insurance.
Yeah, I have little doubt that, as of now, Pamela Hupp got away with murder and 150 grand.
Mark, it was my house that we used to host game night at and so I’ve kind of fallen into the role of being the spokesperson for the alibi witnesses. Also, it is myself that has known Russ the longest and I am the only one with an online presence–none of the others even have Facebook. The person that the prosecution accused of driving the cell phone back is Brandon. All of the alibi witnesses are resolute in the truth about where Russ was that night and if need be we will all be back up on the stand telling the truth again. None of us, including Russ, are criminals.
Here are a few odd things about the beneficiary change:
1) The change was made at the Winghaven Public Library where there are no video cameras
2) The change was made 4 days before the murder and nobody knew that this change was made
3) The Notary that witnessed the change failed to ask either party (the people there claiming to be Pam Hupp and Betsy Faria) for any kind of ID. This was confirmed in the most recent deposition that she gave for the civil trial that Betsy’s daughters have against Hupp.
4) The beneficiary change form was received by State Farm in the mail 2 days after the murder and was still approved
5) Pam Hupp and Betsy Faria met each other years before when they both worked for…wait for it….State Farm
These are just the items of publicly available info that I have…I am sure that Russ’ lawyer has even more. This also isn’t even mentioning the deposition that Hupp gave recently for the civil trial where she stated that Betsy wanted her and only her to have the money…not the kids. This is on a videotaped deposition and of course is completely contradictory to what she has claimed in deposition and on the stand in the past.
Hello, Michael, this gets curioser and curioser, as they say. I had a strong feeling that the signing of the insurance policy was going to be highly suspect, and indeed it was. Yeah, I was wondering about the insurance company’s investigation, and now I see that also has a very strange twist to it.
Oh yeah, I am just sure Betsy wanted Pam, rather than her two daughters, to have the money. Does anybody actually buy that?! Especially considering she said, right on the videotaped interrogation, that she was fully planning to set up the trust fund for the girls. Is there any end to her lying?
How that woman is not in jail, and Russ not out of same, I simply cannot understand. If I ever saw anybody that, in every respect, just reeks of guilt and shiftiness, it is Pamela Hupp.
Is there a chance that when Russ gets exonerated, she will get indicted? I just cannot imagine how anyone could fail to see her guilt written all over this case.
For what it’s worth I have taken a firm position on five cases before this one: Ryan Ferguson, the West Memphis Three, and Amanda Knox. Right now all of them have been exonerated and are walking free. I have the same strong feeling on this case, and I truly hope to go 6 for 6 when Russ walks out of jail.
In all fairness, Hupp did take the detective’s advice and set up a trust just before the trial. However, weeks after Russ was sentenced, she REVOKED the revokable trust. Hupp played Lincoln County like a harp and they played right into it. In the newest deposition she doesn’t even refer to the money as Betsy’s insurance money, she even corrects the detective at one point and says “it’s my money”.
Odds are unlikely that anyone will investigate Hupp for this crime. It falls squarely in Lincoln County’s lap to do so, and they are not going to further investigate a woman that has publicly turned them into a laughing stock. She says on video that they told her what to do with the money. I’m not a detective and I can see that they are helping Hupp, yet they are clearly leaning down my friends throat just hours after his wifes death accusing him of everything in the book. The only real damning evidence that I’ve seen so far is against Hupp and if the prosecution’s basic premise is that we(the alibis) helped him commit this crime–that’s just complete trash. Why don’t they come slap the cuffs on me? How come when I publicly decry them they have no response? How come they won’t even acknowledge now that the alibis even exist? We are clear evidence that Russ could not have murdered his wife…case closed. How this even happened is insane.
I’ll tell you one thing, for good or bad, I will never trust law enforcement or the justice system again. The very ugly things that we’ve seen them all do in this case is a clear lesson to us at least that none of them are to be trusted.
I do basically agree with you on that, Michael. Many years ago I would not have worried if I got falsely accused of a crime, because I would feel sure my innocence would be revealed. After all the cases I have witnessed, I would be really scared if I were falsely accused, because I would have no confidence that the truth would come out. In the zeal to get a prosecution the authorities often seize upon a suspect and become blinded to everything else, no matter how striking it might be.
The Amanda Knox case was actually a simple matter of a botched burglary that led to rape and murder. A burglar who had been operating in the Perugia and Milan area broke in to the apartment of Knox and the victim, Meredith Kercher; got caught by Kercher; and proceeded to rape and murder her. He left a ton of forensic evidence, including a bloody hand print, DNA on and inside the body, DNA on the purse that he stole from, and bloody footprints in the bedroom and down the hall. The fingerprint in the bloody hand print was so clear that they were able to quickly identify him, track him to Germany, where he had fled, and bring him back to Italy for a fast-track conviction.
Unfortunately on the basis of somewhat odd behavior by Amanda, including the kiss seen around the world, she had already been convicted in the eyes of the Italian police. When all of the above evidence came in, and none at the site of the rape/murder for Knox, they still indicted her, instead of admitting the obvious mistake and releasing her.
However, as bad as it was for her, in the end common sense prevailed and they exonerated her and her equally innocent boyfriend. The same finally happened for the West Memphis Three and poor Ryan Ferguson, who was literally convicted on the basis of a dream by a very confused friend of his.
That is all I can say to you, Michael. In the end, justice prevailed for all five of those innocent people, and it can very well also happen for Russ. The new trial is a very definite chance for him to gain his freedom, and you and your buddies can be instrumental in that by simply presenting your honest, clear testimony on his behalf.
Since your testimony, backed by overwhelming documentation of his activities, demonstrates that it is impossible that he committed the crime, I feel strongly that this time he will get off. If evidence related to Hupp is permitted this time, it should be a slam dunk!
Personally I’d like to hear a little more about the Arby’s receipt. Maybe I missed it but did the police talk to anyone working the evening in question to see if they remembered Russ (or Brandon)? I believe the PA asserted Brandon not only drove Russ’s cell phone back to his home but he stopped by Arby’s to provide Russ with additional evidence of his alibi.
Or you make stuff up. Have any proof? As people lie all the time. Me, I will side with the jury and judge that the case was presented to. Far more impartial than friends would be.
Then accuse me of something dave.
Jeff I agree with you. Conversely, if you observe Russ, esp. on day 2 of his interviews with police, the entire time he is sitting with a very open posture, legs spread, with his arms wide apart, and seems to be completely open and honest.