Countdown to Murder

With the August 6 trial approaching, national attention has returned to the case of Pam Hupp.

Before the courtroom arguments begin, understand the full story behind the murder of Betsy Faria and the wrongful conviction of her husband, Russ Faria.

Countdown to Murder delivers the complete background of the Betsy Faria case, the shocking twists in the investigation, and the web of manipulation, deception, and legal maneuvering that led to this pivotal trial. It also covers the murders of Louis Gumpenburger and Pam Hupp's mother, Shirley Neumann.

As documentaries and national coverage intensify, readers are searching for clear, factual context. This book provides the essential foundation necessary to understand what the jury will hear - and why this case has gripped the country for years.

Rebecca F. Pittman will be attending and covering developments related to the August trial through her investigative platform, The Black Ledger, providing ongoing analysis as the case unfolds.

If you are following the Pam Hupp trial, this is the definitive background before the verdict.

Read the case before the headlines rewrite it.The brutal murder of Betsy Faria on December 27, 2011 set off a maelstrom of events that resulted in an innocent man's imprisonment and another man's death. It would take a decade to unravel all the misdirection in the Faria murder case, the misconduct of the prosecution team, and the insidious mind of a murderer that St. Charles County Prosecutor Tim Lohmar called "The Worst of the Worst!" Betsy Faria was stabbed over 55 times. The murder scene was staged in an effort to frame the victim's husband Russell Faria. Through an investigative trial filled with perjury, tainted evidence, and misdirection, Russell was found guilty and spent 3 1/2 years in prison before his tenacious lawyer won him a second chance. It was during that second trial that the shadows fell away and the real murderer was revealed. But, before they could bring her to justice, several people would be stalked as potential victims, and one man would eventually lose his life in her effort to deflect suspicion from herself. Along the way, her mother mysteriously plunged from her third-floor balcony and died. Pam Hupp benefited from the insurance in both her mother's and Betsy Faria's deaths.
Ripped from the headlines, this incredible case has spawned multiple podcasts, including Dateline NBC's most-popular podcast to date: The Thing About Pam. It will air February 22, 2022 as an NBC mini-series starring Renee Zellweger as Pam Hupp. .
The book is packed with crime scene photos supplied to Ms. Pittman by the prosecuting attorneys and their law enforcement agencies. Exclusive interviews with family, police, media, and prosecutors are included. Ms. Pittman was also given access to the detectives and PAs involved in the two murder cases and enjoyed sharing details of the evidence provided. A follow-up book, Countdown to Murder: Pam Hupp - After the Verdict, will be released.
Female serial killers are rare, representing only five to seven percent of the population. Accused of three murders, and with rumors of possible other victims, Pam Hupp falls within that five to seven percent.
Rebecca F. Pittman is a bestselling author of 25 titles. Her History and Haunting series of books is frequently spotlighted on TV, radio, and podcast programs. Her research into the famous Lizzie Borden murders of 1892 resulted in finding new evidence, including the identity of a man whom the police failed to turn up. Ms. Pittman is a former talk show host, muralist, and game creator, including a popular escape room business. More Countdown to Murder books are in the works, as well as a foray into murder mysteries with a supernatural bent. She makes her home in Colorado.