Pam Hupp: who is the murderer played by Renée Zellweger in The Thing About Pam?

Pam Hupp is an American murderer who was sentenced to life in prison after killing a man in 2016, she is also the focus of a new TV series, starring Renée Zellweger, called The Thing About Pam.

Pam Hupp is going to be the primary focus of a new NBC True-Crime Limited Series ‘The Thing About Pam.’ The new series comes from Blumhouse productions who also made horror films such as the Insidious franchise and the Purge series of films.

Starring as Pam Hupp is Renée Zellweger, who has recently been spotted on set in a fat suit for this role. But who is Pam Hupp? 

Here is everything you might need to know about this notorious killer ahead of the limited series debut. 

Who is Pam Hupp?

Pam Hupp is a serial killer who murdered a man named Louis Gumpenberger in 2016. Louis was a man who was left with severe mental and physical disabilities after he was involved in a car accident in 2005.

Pam alleged that she shot Louis in seld defense after he pursued her into her home and was wielding a knife. 

The prosecutors theorized that in actuality, Pam selected Louis at random and posed as a producer for the television program Dateline NBC. It was suggested that Pam asked Louis to reenact a 911 call that took place and in the process of this charade, shot him in five times and framed him for her attempted murder. 

On Louis' person was $900, a note that read, "kidnap Hupp, get Russ's money from Hupp at her bank, and kill Hupp" and to "Take Hupp back to house and get rid of her. Make it look like Russ' wife. Make sure knife sticking out of neck." 

Later it was discovered that this was not Pam's first murder. Pam actually murdered Betsy Faria in 2011. Pam stabbed Betsy to death fifty-five times. 

Although Betsy's husband Russ was imprisoned for this crime, he was later exonerated when it was discovered in 2021 that Pam had actually murdered Betsy. 

Who did Pam Hupp kill?

Pam Hupp killed Louis Gumpenberger in 2016 and Betsy Faria in 2011. Pam also attempted to frame Betsy's husband Russ for his wife Betsy's murder.

In 2011, Pam convinced Betsy to switch her $150,000 life insurance policy into her name just four days before she murdered her. 

Betsy was undergoing chemotherapy as part of her treatment for cancer and when she was weak after another round of chemo, Pam took the opportunity to stab Betsty to death in her own home and frame the scene so it appeared that Betsy's husband Russ had been the one to kill her.

It was not confirmed until 10 years after Betsy's murder that Pam was in fact the culprit. In June 2021, Pam was finally charged with killing Betsy Faria. 

Which TV show is about Pam Hupp?

A TV series that explores Pam Hupp's murders will be called, The Thing About Pam, and will be released by NBC. The limited series will consist of six episodes.

Susan Rovner, Chairman, Entertainment Content told Deadline, "When you think about what qualifies something as a ‘must-watch,’ I’m not sure you could do any better than the undeniable trifecta of Renée Zellweger, Blumhouse and Dateline.” 

She added, “The twists and turns of this saga are truly stranger than fiction, and in the hands of this incredibly talented artistic team, this series will bring a completely new perspective to a story that has already captivated millions.”

A release date for the series has yet to be confirmed by NBC.