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‘The Thing About Pam’ Podcast About The Bizarre Betsy Faria Murder Will Be Turned Into TV Show

NBC News Studios and Blumhouse Television will co-produce the scripted series, the first project of a previously announced partnership.

By Connor Mannion
Pam Hupp Keith Morrison Pd G

A new scripted series is on the way from NBC News and Blumhouse, based on the hit "Dateline" podcast where Keith Morrison explored the bizarre case of Pamela "Pam" Hupp.

"The Thing About Pam," hosted by Keith Morrison, dives into a case "Dateline" has covered a number of times before: the killing of Elizabeth "Betsy" Faria in 2011, who was found stabbed to death in her home two days after Christmas.

But investigators would soon discover a twisted web of a case despite initially seeming open and shut — ultimately resulting in a wrongful conviction, another killing, and "Dateline" itself getting drawn into the case, with all roads apparently leading back to Hupp.

“We have covered this story from all angles, including as an unwitting participant,” NBC News Studios President and "Dateline" Executive Producer Liz Cole said in a statement provided to Oxygen.com. "Having been at the forefront of the true crime genre for so long, we know better than anyone that truth is often stranger than fiction, and with the twists and turns in this case, we saw a real opportunity to present it in a scripted format. We are so fortunate and pleased to be co-producing it with the brilliant storytellers at Blumhouse Television.”

“When we first came across The Thing About Pam, like thousands of others who’ve seen the Dateline episode and listened to the podcast, we were riveted. So when NBC presented this to us we jumped at making this our first scripted project with them.” Blumhouse Television Co-Presidents Marci Wiseman and Jeremy Gold said in a statement.

A new trailer for the limited scripted series was released on Tuesday, with narration provided by Morrison. Hupp's relationship with Betsy and her husband, Russell, was also the focus of an episode of the Oxygen series "Snapped."

Although Betsy's murder has never been officially solved, authorities believe Hupp, a longtime friend and beneficiary to her life insurance policy, may have killed the woman — and in 2019, Hupp was sentenced to life in prison for the 2016 murder of Louis Gumpenberger, who prosecutors say she murdered in an attempt to frame Gumpenberger as Betsy's killer.

Russell was initially convicted of killing his wife in 2013 — and Hupp was the star witness at the trial that resulted in Russell's conviction, according to PEOPLE. He was acquitted in 2015.

This led Hupp to orchestrate the killing of Gumpenberger in an attempt to divert attention from herself, authorities said. In August 2016, Hupp lured Gumpenberger into her vehicle by pretending to be a producer for "Dateline" seeking actors for a 911 re-enactment, as "Dateline" previously reported. She shot him while she was on the phone with emergency dispatchers, falsely claiming that the Missouri man was an intruder who followed her home, police said. She then proceeded to plant a fake kidnapping note that attempted to implicate Russell as having hired Gumpenberger to kill her.

Hupp previously took an Alford plea in Gumpenberger's death, which allowed her to dodge the death penalty. An Alford plea means the 60-year-old acknowledged prosecutors had sufficient evidence to convict her but she didn’t admit she was guilty. 

“[Hupp] is going to spend the rest of her life where she deserves to spend it,” Tim Lohmar, St. Charles County’s prosecuting attorney, previously told Oxygen.com. “She’s certainly capable of being a monster. In this case, we saw the devious nature and the lengths she went to cover up her crimes. It’s hard to imagine a human being being capable of that.” 

Hupp has repeatedly denied any involvement in Betsy Faria's death and has never been charged in connection with the murder; however the case is still being investigated.

The new limited series is currently in the early stages of production and an air date has not yet been announced, a spokesperson for Blumhouse told Oxygen.com.

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