LINCOLN COUNTY, MO (KTVI) – We have an unusual twist in the ongoing saga surrounding the stabbing death of Betsy Faria.  A judge has ordered one of the victim`s friends to stay away from her own bank accounts.  She`s a friend who benefitted financially from Betsy Faria`s death.  Fox Files investigator Chris Hayes has been following the case, along with St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Robert Patrick.  The latest civil court action highlights inconsistencies, suggesting Faria’s  friend may be changing her story.

Pam Hupp was the beneficiary of a $150,000 life insurance policy, paid out after the stabbing death of Betsy Faria.  A Lincoln County Judge did not allow a jury to hear about Hupp`s financial windfall or the fact that Faria`s life insurance was signed over into Hupp`s name just days before the murder.  A jury then convicted Faria`s husband Russ.  In the court record, Hupp first claimed she was made beneficiary to help Betsy`s daughters.  Now Hupp is changing her story, stating in a newly filed temporary restraining order, that the money belongs to her.  Now another judge is stepping in.

A St. Charles County Judge granted a temporary restraining order against Pam Hupp, or anyone acting on her behalf.  They`re prohibited from `removing funds` from their bank accounts or selling their O`Fallon, MO home.
The TRO provides a timeline that explains why.

The morning after Betsy Faria was murdered, Major Case Squad investigators interviewed Pam Hupp,  who indicated she drove Faria home the night of the murder, December 27, 2011.  In a recorded interview, she explained to police why the victim had changed her life insurance policy.   Hupp said, ‘and (Betsy) goes, would you be my beneficiary on my life insurance policies and make sure my kids get it when they need it?’  Hupp continues explaining to investigators and telling them her response to Betsy, ‘I said okay.’

Months later, the chief detective working Betsy Faria`s murder, warned Hupp in this videotaped interview, ‘…the insurance policy, huge in this case, obviously. The biggest doubt they`re gonna try and create is that you, a week prior to her murder, wound up being a benefactor of a $150,000 in cash.  What you originally told investigators is she wanted you to do this to take care of it to make sure the kids are taken care of, because Russ and the kids would blow through it. However you now have this money and have not turned any of it over to the family. That`s a huge problem.’  You could see Hupp nod throughout.

Faria`s kids, Mariah and Leah Day, are still trying to get that money.  They hired lawyers who document Hupp spending thousands, including court record of a $180,000 cash purchase of the Hupp`s current O`Fallon, MO home.

Civil court filings reveal Hupp did set up a trust November 13, 2013, just three days before Russ Faria`s trial for murder.  According to the court records, Hupp said she set up the trust  ‘…because I felt I was pressured to fill that account with that money from the prosecuting side…’  The court documents then reveal Hupp removed $99,700 from that trust on December 10, 2013,  just weeks after a jury convicted Russ Faria of murder.  Meanwhile, Hupp told Fox 2 the following week, that the girls` money was still in that trust.

In person, Hupp told us December 13, 2013 ‘As far as the insurance money and stuff like that, that is in a trust and they know it, for the girls.’

The daughters` attorneys appear to be getting a much different story from Hupp.  In a deposition last month, they asked her ‘Did (Faria) mention to you that she wanted the money to be used for her daughters?’  Hupp responded, ‘Absolutely not.’  Hupp went on to say, according to the court record, ‘It was my money.’

The daughter`s attorneys, Clayton lawyers David Butsch and Christopher Roberts had no comment about the temporary restraining order they helped obtain.  It`s a document that also addresses an additional $50,000 from Betsy Faria`s life insurance.  On the stand during the Faria trial, Pam Hupp  testified she gave the 50-grand to a friend with cancer.  She`s now telling Betsy Faria`s daughters that she did not give the cancer victim that money.  She said in a recent deposition that she was only ‘contemplating it.’

A court filing by an attorney for Pam Hupp, accuses the daughters of ‘attempting to sandbag and garner an unfair advantage.’  Hupp`s attorney adds, ‘until they prove the allegations they raise, they should not be permitted to harass and annoy (Hupp) by forcing restrictions on (Hupp`s) assets.’

This report is part of an ongoing joint investigation, between Fox 2 and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Temporary Restraining Order Of Pamela and Mark Hupp’s Assets

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