ST. CHARLES, Mo- Pam Hupp was scheduled to make her case to get out of prison today. She’s filed a motion to vacate claiming she was pressured by her attorneys to take her 2019 plea. She’s currently serving a life sentence for killing a man with disabilities in a premeditated plot to frame someone else. Fox Files investigator Chris Hayes was the only reporter in the courtroom today for the surprising development in her fight for freedom.
Hupp’s victims showed up along with five representatives of the Saint Charles County Prosecutor’s office only to find something in court no one expected.
Victim Russ Faria said he didn’t see it coming today. Victim Carol McAfee said, “I think it’s ridiculous. I think her time’s up and she should be done.”
Faria’s Cousin Mary Anderson added, “Anything’s possible with her.”
Hupp was arrested August 2016. Only Fox 2 captured it on camera. Hupp shot and killed a man with disabilities in her home. O’Fallon MO police detectives found she lured the man, in a plot to frame Russ Faria.
Faria served years in prison for the 2011 murder of his wife, while Fox 2 reported on evidence Pam Hupp could have been the killer. Faria was exonerated in a second trial after a judge heard about Hupp.
Hupp had a Friday morning hearing scheduled for her public defender to argue that her 2019 conviction be thrown out. Nearly a dozen people waited half an hour in anticipation – only to learn Hupp’s attorney is no longer a public defender.
Faria said in frustration, “It seems like the public defender’s office didn’t know or even care that this was going on today and neglected the fact that the attorney assigned to the case was not even working for them anymore.”
When a public defender supervisor finally entered the courtroom, she acknowledged – Pam Hupp appears to be out of time to make this type of claim, but asked for another court date to be sure.
Carol McAfee said, “I think it’s bull&%$*. They continue to give Pam Hupp whatever Pam Hupp wants.”
The judge said that despite the fact Hupp does appear to be out of time to file her motion to vacate, he added he does not want any loose ends and said we will be back in court next month to look at her case again.
