Tragic life of Dog the Bounty Hunter as star plagued by horror deaths, sinister abuse claims & grisly murder conviction
But the TV star - real name Duane Chapman - has had more than his fair share of tragedy, including horrific abuse at the hands of his father, the deaths of two of his children, his grandson, and the
Advertisement
14
Dog has been dogged by tragedies and controversies throughout his life
Credit: John Chapple, The Sun
14
Dog's 13-year-old step-grandson Anthony, centre, has been shot and killed by his father Gregory Zecca, pictured right alongside mum Francie
Credit: Instagram
14
Dog the Bounty Hunter is married to Francie
Credit: Instagram/Dog the Bounty Hunter
14
Gregory Zecca is from Francie's previous marriage
Credit: Instagram
On Saturday, Dog, 78, was rocked by fresh heartache as his stepson shot and killed his own son, in what is believed to have been a tragic accident,
Gregory Zecca, son of Dog's wife, Francie, accidentally shot Anthony, 13, at their apartment in Naples, Florida.
A spokesperson for Dog and Francie told TMZ: "We are grieving as a family over this incomprehensible tragic accident and would ask for continued prayers as we grieve the loss of our beloved grandson, Anthony."
Zecca reportedly works with Dog and Dog's daughter Lyssa on his bounty hunting team.
Advertisement
READ MORE FEATURES
In 2021, the 38-year-old, who was also a gun enthusiast, shared photos of him and his son with a rifle "getting some range time in."
But the unimaginable accident is one of many tragedies and controversies that have peppered the life of the star.
Dog was one of four children raised by his church minister mum and US Army officer dad in Denver, Colorado.
But he suffered regular beatings with a wooden paddle from his dad, who also battered him in boxing matches to 'toughen' him up.
Advertisement
Most read in Celebrity
In his 2007 book, You Can Run But You Can't Hide, he wrote: "Because of my religious upbringing, I thought my dad was punishing me for being a terrible sinner.
"Until very recently, I never understood that none of his abuse was my fault. Just thinking of the abuse I endured can make me cry.
Eerie link between Rachel Morin murder and second victim as Dog the Bounty Hunter joins search for suspect in Ring video
14
A young Dog, left, with friends in 1969
Credit: Getty
'I was expected to take it like a man. But I wasn't a man. I was a young boy looking for love and approval from my father. I was desperate for his affection, so I ignored the pain,' he wrote.
Advertisement
At 13, he dropped out of school and joined a motorbike gang, the Disciples, spending the next few years in and out of jail for offences including armed robbery.
'I spent the first twenty-three years of my life on the wrong side of the law,' he later wrote. "The only thing I knew about the law was a thousand ways to break it."
As a teenager, he fathered a child with Debbie White, who kept her pregnancy from him and later took her own life.
Their son, Christopher, was adopted and only met his father after Debbie's mum told him he had a grown son.
Advertisement
At 19, Dog married first wife LaFonda Honeycutt and the couple had two sons Duane Lee and Leland.
Conviction for murder
14
In 1976, Dog was convicted of murder and was sentenced to five years in prison
Credit: Getty
Dog has tracked down 6,000 criminals in his job as a bondsman - someone who tracks down wanted criminals for a fee.
But in 1976, it was him that ended up behind bars, convicted of murder.
Advertisement
The 23-year-old was in a car when his friend accidentally shot an alleged drug dealer in a fight over a cannabis deal.
Under Texas law, anyone indirectly involved in a murder can also be charged.
Dog was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to five years in Texas State Penitentiary and a year later, LaFonda divorced him and married his best friend.
As a result of his conviction, he is banned from owning a firearm and instead uses a taser for his bounty hunting.
Advertisement
In 2012, he was barred from entering the UK, where he was due to appear as a housemate on Celebrity Big Brother, because of his criminal record.
While serving time in jail, Dog was commended for tackling a prisoner who was trying to break out.
The incident persuaded him to consider a career as a bounty hunter or ''bondsman'.
He began working independently, interviewing witnesses to track down the police's most wanted criminals, then claiming rewards on handing them in.
Advertisement
Daughter's rape allegation and Beth affair
14
Dog began an affair with Beth after meeting her at a police station
14
Dog's daughter Lyssa said she accused him of rape so she could escape his rows with Beth
Credit: Instagram
Soon after he started his new career, he met Anne Tegnell and had three more children.
One died shortly after birth and the other two – Wesley and JR - were raised by their mother.
Advertisement
The marriage was short-lived and in 1982, Dog wed Lyssa Britain and had three more children - Barbara, Tucker and Lyssa.
The youngest, 'Baby Lyssa', later wrote a book claiming her dad was a drug addict and her mum an alcoholic.
While still married, Dog met
The relationship with Beth was stormy from the start, and Lyssa - who was living with her dad - claims she hated their rows so much she took desperate steps to leave, by making up a horrendous allegation.
Advertisement
'I [falsely] accused my father of raping me when I was 11,' Lyssa admits.
'It was a horrible life that I never wanted to go back to, living with him and Beth and the fighting and the drugs.
'When I got to my mother's, although she drank, it was much more peaceful. I was willing to do anything to not go back.'
Marriage on the rebound
After their romance faltered, in 1991, Dog was devastated when Beth married his childhood best friend, Keith Barmore, and had a daughter Cecily.
Advertisement
"He was a thief with a heroin habit," Dog wrote later. "It just about broke my heart when I heard Beth was dating him.
'When I heard they got married, I got physically sick.…Friends told me he was abusing her something awful."
Dog wed Tawny Marie in 1992 – but says he was 'coerced' into marrying her despite knowing she was a 'mistake.'
But Beth later admitted the pair continued seeing each other, despite their new marriages.
Advertisement
Beth and Dog finally divorced their partners and got back together in 1995 and she began working with him - becoming the youngest licensed bondsman in Colorado at 29.
To cement the bond the couple had two more children, Bonnie and Garry, and Dog adopted Cecily as his own.
Daughter's death
14
Dog's daughter Barbara died the day before his wedding to Beth in a car accident
Credit: Instagram
14
Dog went ahead with the wedding and broke the news to friends and family at the reception
Credit: Getty
Advertisement
Dog and Beth settled in Hawaii and got engaged. Then, in 2004, he landed his own TV show, Dog The Bounty Hunter.
But the couple were to suffer fresh tragedy.
Beth's beloved dad and "best friend" Garry Smith died two months before he was due to walk her down the aisle in 2006, leaving her heartbroken.
And, the night before their dream Hawaiian wedding, Dog received the horrific news that daughter Barbara, 23, had been killed in a car accident while in a stolen SUV in Alaska.
Advertisement
Incredibly, he went ahead with the wedding as planned, breaking the terrible news to his friends and family at the reception.
After Barbara's death, her son went to live with his biological father, Travis Mimms.
But, in October 2011, Dog and Beth stepped in and took temporary custody after hearing a recording of Travis allegedly physically abusing the nine-year-old.
Perhaps remembering his own childhood, Dog said: 'To hear the audiotape of my grandson being abused was torture.'
Advertisement
Beth's tragic death
14
Beth suffered from throat cancer before her death
14
Dog shared this picture of Beth a day before she died
Credit: Twitter
Dog's string of horrific luck continued in September 2017 when Beth was diagnosed with stage two throat cancer.
On their A&E special, Dog & Beth: Fight of Their Lives, they told viewers that she no longer had the disease after the cancer had been removed.
Advertisement
But in 2018, the disease returned. Dog frequently took to social media to update fans about his wife's treatment and said she was battling to get back to good health.
In an interview with the Star Advertiser, Beth said: "I'm a fighter, I'm a strong fighter – big-time survivor – and I'm gonna fight this as vigorously as it's fighting me."
In April 2019, Dog revealed that she had been admitted to the hospital and asked for prayers for her two months later on June 23.
But on June 26, Beth tragically passed away at a hospital in after being put in an induced
Advertisement
In an emotional tweet, Dog wrote: "It's 5:32 in Hawaii, this is the time she would wake up to go hike Koko Head mountain. Only today, she hiked the stairway to heaven.
"We all love you, Beth. See you on the other side."
Love again
14
Francie and Dog vowed to honour their former spouses who passed away within months of each other
Credit: John Chapple, The Sun
In 2021, two years after Beth died, Dog found love again and tied the knot for the sixth time with Francie Frane, who had also lost her husband Bod to cancer just six months before Beth.
Advertisement
A day before their wedding, the couple told ET that they had written their own vows which would honour their deceased spouses.
"And so we will continue to do that throughout their lives. Throughout our life together, we will continue to do that. They will be a part of that always."
They wed in front of family and friends in a Tuscan-style estate with incredible views.
Advertisement
Close friend and co-star
14
His close friend and co-star David Robinson died in 2022
In 2022,
David, described by wife Brooke as being 'very healthy', collapsed at home while on a zoom call on Wednesday, although no official cause of death has been announced.
In a statement to TMZ, Dog said he was 'shocked and saddened by the sudden loss'.
Advertisement
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Journal
an hour ago
- The Journal
FKA Twigs agrees to settle lawsuit alleging abuse from Shia LaBeouf
FKA TWIGS AND Shia LaBeouf have agreed to settle her lawsuit alleging LaBeouf was physically and emotionally abusive to her during their relationship. A lawyer for FKA Twigs, whose legal name is Tahliah Barnett, filed a request in Los Angeles Superior Court to dismiss her case against the 39-year-old American actor with prejudice, meaning it can't be filed again. A joint statement said: 'Committed to forging a constructive path forward, we have agreed to settle our case out of court. While the details of the settlement will remain private, we wish each other personal happiness, professional success and peace in the future.' First filed in 2020, the case had several trial dates scheduled in the years since, but those were always delayed well in advance. The two met and became a couple in 2018 after 37-year-old English singer and actor Barnett was cast in a supporting role in Honey Boy, an autobiographical film about LaBeouf's upbringing as a child actor. After an early 'charm offensive' from LaBeouf, the relationship became a 'living nightmare', her lawsuit said. Advertisement She said LaBeouf put her in a constant state of fear and humiliation, once slammed her into a car, tried to strangle her and knowingly gave her a sexually transmitted disease. She said he also isolated her from family and friends, demanded absolute fealty and was angrily jealous of everyone from waiters she'd been polite with to her ex-fiance Robert Pattinson. She said that her experience was part of a pattern for LaBeouf. 'Shia LaBeouf hurts women,' the suit said. 'He uses them. He abuses them, both physically and mentally. He is dangerous.' LaBeouf said in a statement just after the lawsuit was filed that he had been 'abusive to myself and everyone around me for years. I have a history of hurting the people closest to me. I'm ashamed of that history and am sorry to those I hurt'. But he denied the accusations in the lawsuit in a 2021 filing, saying any injuries done or damages incurred by Barnett were not his doing. LaBeouf is best known for his roles in 2007′s Transformers and in 2008′s Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull. He also starred in the 2019 film The Peanut Butter Falcon and in last year's Megalopolis. Known for her genre-bending musical styles, FKA Twigs worked as a backup dancer for other artists before releasing her studio debut, LP1, in 2014. She followed it with 2019's Magdalene and Eusexua from earlier this year. As an actor, she appeared in 2024's The Crow.
Irish Examiner
12 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
FKA Twigs agrees to settle lawsuit alleging abuse from Shia LaBeouf
FKA Twigs and Shia LaBeouf have agreed to settle her lawsuit alleging LaBeouf was physically and emotionally abusive to her during their relationship. A lawyer for FKA Twigs, whose legal name is Tahliah Barnett, filed a request in Los Angeles Superior Court to dismiss her case against the 39-year-old American actor with prejudice, meaning it can't be filed again. A joint statement said: 'Committed to forging a constructive path forward, we have agreed to settle our case out of court. While the details of the settlement will remain private, we wish each other personal happiness, professional success and peace in the future.' First filed in 2020, the case had several trial dates scheduled in the years since, but those were always delayed well in advance. The two met and became a couple in 2018 after 37-year-old English singer and actor Barnett was cast in a supporting role in Honey Boy, an autobiographical film about LaBeouf's upbringing as a child actor. After an early 'charm offensive' from LaBeouf, the relationship became a 'living nightmare', her lawsuit said. She said LaBeouf put her in a constant state of fear and humiliation, once slammed her into a car, tried to strangle her and knowingly gave her a sexually transmitted disease. She said he also isolated her from family and friends, demanded absolute fealty and was angrily jealous of everyone from waiters she'd been polite with to her ex-fiance Robert Pattinson. She said that her experience was part of a pattern for LaBeouf. 'Shia LaBeouf hurts women,' the suit said. 'He uses them. He abuses them, both physically and mentally. He is dangerous.' LaBeouf said in a statement just after the lawsuit was filed that he had been 'abusive to myself and everyone around me for years. I have a history of hurting the people closest to me. I'm ashamed of that history and am sorry to those I hurt'. But he denied the accusations in the lawsuit in a 2021 filing, saying any injuries done or damages incurred by Barnett were not his doing. LaBeouf is best known for his roles in 2007′s Transformers and in 2008′s Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull. He also starred in the 2019 film The Peanut Butter Falcon and in last year's Megalopolis. Known for her genre-bending musical styles, FKA Twigs worked as a backup dancer for other artists before releasing her studio debut, LP1, in 2014. She followed it with 2019's Magdalene and Eusexua from earlier this year. As an actor, she appeared in 2024's The Crow.
The Irish Sun
12 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Channel migrants who claim to be children given benefit of the doubt despite over HALF turning out to be adults
SMALL boat migrants who claim to be children are being given the benefit of the doubt by immigration staff - despite more than half turning out to actually be adults. A report has found that workers show a 'lack of curiosity' about the real age of asylum seekers arriving across the Channel. Advertisement 2 Dame Angela Eagle, Minister for Border Security and Asylum, said: 'Accurately assessing the age of individuals is an incredibly complex and difficult task' Credit: Richard Townshend Photography AI tech is set to be rolled out in 2026 which can accurately assess how old a person really is. Currently, anyone who says they are under 18 are treated as minors unless they look 'significantly' older. In one case highlighted by Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration David Bolt, an Iranian national who had grey hairs was treated as a child despite assessors thinking he was probably around 22. In 2024, over half - 56 per cent - of the individuals who claimed on arrival to be children were either later assessed to be adults or admitted that they were 18 or over. Advertisement READ MORE ON IMMIGRATION The two-day training given to assessors 'instructs officers that they should always give the benefit of the doubt to the individual where they are not sure about someone's claimed age and do not judge them to be significantly over 18'. The report states that a Vietnamese national was 'initially given the benefit of the doubt' as a child because workers said he had a 'soft face'. Another officer then raised concerns about his age because of his 'developed shoulders', 'huge hands' and a 'tiny bit of stubble'. In other assessments 'arrogance' was used as a sign that a migrant was an adult. Advertisement Most read in The Sun One Iranian national presented with some grey hairs and black stubble on his face and claimed to be 17. Despite being assessed as actually 22 years old, he was 'given the benefit of the doubt' and treated as a child pending further assessment. Man believed to be running meet and greet service arrested in dawn raid as part of Channel crackdown It is acknowledged by the report that it is not always possible to assess the age of a young person through their physical appearance or demeanour, because different life experiences can stunt growth or change behaviours. David Bolt made eight key recommendations to the Home Office on the age assessment process, including reviewing the training given to officers by the end of year. Advertisement In response, the Government accepted all recommendations and pointed out that they are rolling out Facial Age Estimation technology next year pending a trial. It has been trained on millions of images where an individual's age is known. 'In a situation where those involved in the age assessment process are unsure whether an individual is aged over or under 18, or do not accept the age an individual is claiming to be, Facial Age Estimation offers a potentially rapid and simple means to test their judgements against the estimates produced by the technology.' Advertisement A procurement process is currently underway with the new tech set to be integrated into the current system 'over the course of 2026'. 2 More than half of Channel crossing migrants claiming to be children are turning out to be adults (stock picture)
