Viewers are still reeling from NBC’s most recent true crime miniseries, The Thing About Pam. It seems crazy that such a cast of characters could come out of a real-life tragedy, but that’s just how the stars aligned. So, where are those involved in the story today?
Where Is District Attorney Joel Schwartz Now?
The miniseries proved that going up against county prosecutor Leah Askey twice is no easy feat. However, Joel Schwartz, played in the series by Josh Duhamel, was determined to get the job done for his client, Russ Faria. After scoring an exoneration for Russ in 2015, Schwartz stayed in Missouri to continue his law career and serves today as a criminal defense lawyer at the St. Louis firm Rosenblum Schwartz & Fry.
Interestingly, Schwartz was also happy to lend his experience with the Betsy Faria case to producers of The Thing About Pam. He spent time in the writers’ room and even disclosed his liquor of choice (bourbon) so that Duhamel’s character could be as accurate as possible.
Where Is Judge Christina Mennemeyer Now?
Though Christina Mennemeyer presided as judge over Russ’ first trial, she was not involved in the retrial wherein he was found not guilty. As it turns out, multiple cases Mennemeyer presided over have been overturned. The judge was suspended from her position in the Missouri Supreme Court for a period of six months in 2017 following accusations of misconduct. She was eventually unseated from the Supreme Court in 2018 in an election, though she continues to deny any accusations of malpractice.
Where Is Russ Faria Today?
It’s hard to think of anyone in the series who was treated more unfairly than Russ Faria–except, of course, his wife. Russ was immediately detained for Betsy’s murder and cops closed in on him without taking any other evidence into account. This failure to perform a thorough investigation landed Russ in prison for two years and permanently damaged his reputation.
Russ maintained his innocence throughout the ordeal, and in 2020 was awarded $2 million in damages following his release from prison. This money came as the result of a civil lawsuit filed by Russ against three investigators in his wife’s case. In the suit, Russ alleged the officers “fabricated evidence” and “failed to investigate the other obvious suspect.”
Where Are Betsy Faria’s Daughters Now?
Betsy’s daughters, Mariah and Leah Day, were both pitted against their father without having time to process what happened to their mother. Both girls have stayed away from the public eye since the ordeal, but they did recently participate in a July 2021 interview with FOX 2 St. Louis to discuss their now-strained relationship with Russ.
Mariah detailed how every time she brought up the possibility of Pam Hupp being involved in Betsy’s murder, she was brushed off by law enforcement and made to feel invalid for her concerns. “They tore our family apart, and not only did we lose our mom, but we lost both of our parents because of their sh*tty investigation,” Leah added. Unfortunately, their relationship with Russ remains complicated.
Where Is Mark Hupp Now?
Mark Hupp, Pam Hupp’s husband at the time of Betsy’s murder, continued to stay by Pam’s side through two additional murder investigations before finally filing for divorce in 2020, after 37 years together. Mark stated that the marriage was “irretrievably broken.” While Mark has kept his life private, he does still reside in Missouri. It should be noted that the pair’s children stay out of the public eye as well and are not active on social media.
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