In 2016, what seemed like a case of self-defense turned out to be so much more in the death of Louis Gumpenberger. He was murdered at Pam Hupp’s house after claiming he assaulted her. However, Pam’s connection to another 2011 murder meant authorities began to dig deeper into her story. NBC’s ‘The Thing About Pam’ is a crime drama series about Pam’s involvement in the 2011 murder of Betsy Faria. So, if you’re wondering what happened in Louis’s case, we’ve got you covered.
How did Louis Gumpenberger die?
Louis Royse Gumpenberger was a native of St Charles, Missouri. The 33-year-old was living with his mother, Margaret Birch, at the time and only occasionally walked out. In 2005, Louis was seriously injured in a drunken car accident. After hitting his head, Louis became mentally and physically handicapped. At the time of his death, Louis had two children: Desi and Trevelyan.
Then, around noon on August 16, 2016, 911 calls led police to a home in O’Fallon, Missouri. After reports of an active home invasion, police rushed to the home to find Louis dead. He had been shot at least twice. Authorities found $900 in Louis’s pocket and a note with instructions. These pieces of evidence were helpful in resolving the case.
Why did Pam Hupp kill Louis Gumpenberger?
The person who called 911 was Pam Hupp. She said she had returned home after visiting a thrift store when she saw a car drop a man in front of her house. He allegedly then ran to Pam with a knife while she was in her vehicle. After knocking off the knife during a struggle, she ran into the house. Pam said this man demanded “Russ’ money” from the bank. At her home, she shot the intruder with a .38 Ruger she had in her nightstand.
Russ was Russell Faria. In December 2011, he found his wife, Betsy, dead in his home. He was first convicted of the murder, but was later acquitted thanks to new evidence. Pam was Betsy’s friend at the time and a central figure in the case. She was the last person to see Betsy alive. In addition, the victim, a cancer patient, had changed the beneficiary of her life insurance policy to Pam just days before her murder. After Betsy’s death, Pam had received approximately $150,000.
Part of the note found on Louis read, “Take Hupp back to… [the] home and away from her. Make it look like Russ’ wife. Make sure that [the] stab knife [is] from [the] neck.” It also appeared to have instructions to kidnap Pam and take Russ’ money from the bank. Authorities weren’t so sure, though. Louis’ condition after the accident made it unlikely that he would mount an attack. the evidence falls into place that Pam was involved in Louis’s death.
A $100 bill found in Pam’s possession was part of the same set as four bills found on Louis. Then, about 45 minutes before the murder, phone calls revealed that Pam was near Louis. At the time, she claimed to have gone to her daughter’s house, about two miles from where Louis lived. Then a man and woman said they were approached a few days before the murder by a woman who claimed to work for Dateline and wanted a sound bite for an episode about 911 calls. She offered $1000 for it.
The woman who went to the police claimed that she was approached on August 10, 2016 by the alleged producer of an SUV. She initially agreed to the deal, but asked to be driven home when the woman was unable to provide references. Surveillance footage at the home showed the SUV’s license plate numbers matched Pam’s car, and she was later identified by the woman as the alleged Dateline employee.
Prosecutors believed that Pam picked up Louis by offering a similar deal and brought him home. They felt that she wanted to frame Russ by organizing a home invasion and portraying Louis as a hit man hired by Russ to kill her. Police traced the knife found in Pam’s car to a local store where she had purchased other items. These items were similar to the ones found in her home. Furthermore, the knife was found in the exact position in which Pam had stored her knives in the kitchen.
Authorities also believed that the note was written on paper Pam had bought. After her arrest, Pam stabbed herself in the neck and wrists with a pen. The police thought it was a sign that she was guilty. As evidence piled up against her, Pam decided to file an Alford plea for Louis’s murder in June 2019. In August of the same year, then 60 years old, she was sentenced to life imprisonment with no chance of parole. In July 2021, Pam was charged with the first degree murder of Betsy.
Read more: Where is Pam Hupp now?
