Dateline NBC
Cases to watch in 2026: Pam Hupp and Kouri Richins. Plus, home burglars going high-tech
01 Jan 2026
Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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Hey everyone, it's Andrea Canning. Happy New Year. You are listening to Dateline True Crime Weekly.
A lot going on all of a sudden.
It's January 1st, 2026, the start of a new year in courtrooms across the country. So this week, we're going to tell you about some cases we'll be paying close attention to this year.
There's another trial too, right?
Is this going to throw a wrench in the whole trial? Is it going to be delayed?
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Chapter 2: What is the upcoming trial of Pam Hupp about?
You may also have seen the NBC miniseries, The Thing About Pam, starring Renee Zellweger, which was based on our reporting. You know when people want you to admit to something you didn't do?
I can't do that. I'm not that kind of person.
But believe it or not, the Pam Hupp saga isn't done yet. The case revolves around the 2011 stabbing death of Hupp's friend, Betsy Faria. Even though he had an alibi, Betsy's husband, Russ, was charged with her murder. And in 2013, a jury convicted him, thanks in large part to Hupp's testimony against him.
But Russ, who always maintained his innocence, was granted a new trial in 2015 and acquitted. While Russ rebuilt his life, Pam's began to unravel. In 2016, she fatally shot a man by the name of Louis Gumpenberger. She claimed it was in self-defense that the man tried to kidnap her and made it look like he'd been hired by none other than Russ Faria. But investigators didn't buy it.
They uncovered evidence that Pam had lured the victim to her home by posing as a Dateline producer and then murdered him. Why would she do that? Well, like most things involving Pam Hupp, it's complicated. We'll get into that in a minute. Pam Hupp ended up taking an Alford plea for Gumpenberger's murder and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Then in 2021, I'm here to announce that we have filed murder charges in the first degree against Pamela Hupp in the stabbing death of Betsy Faria. We will be seeking the death penalty in this case.
She has pleaded not guilty. Her trial is expected to start in August. And Keith is here to make sure we're ready for it. Keith, thanks for joining us.
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Chapter 3: What are the details surrounding Kouri Richins' murder trial?
Thank you for having me. Yes, this is quite an epic story.
So, Keith, why did it take 14 years to get Pam on trial for Betsy's murder? You know, what changed?
Well, the wheels of justice run slow, and it just took a long time to put everything together.
So what are prosecutors saying is the motive? Why do they allege Pam killed Betsy?
Money. Pam became aware that Betsy had some life insurance policies. And so Pam arranged for Betsy to name Pam as her beneficiary. And they went to a library and got a librarian who had nothing to do with insurance or law or anything else to sign the paperwork. The cover story was that Betsy didn't trust her husband to make sure it was distributed properly. if she died.
She was going to die because she had cancer. But I think Pam saw the opportunity.
So, Keith, what evidence do prosecutors say they have?
There wasn't a lot of forensic evidence found at the scene, or at least evidence that could be used against Pam. But they do have electronic evidence, and I think that'll probably be the backbone of their case.
She made some phone calls, suspicious phone calls, which indicated that she was either at the house or right beside the house when the murder occurred, and not, you know, 30 minutes away, as she claimed. That'll be key.
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Chapter 4: What high-tech methods are burglars using today?
They are particularly interested in the knife that was used to kill Betsy. According to the defense, the crime lab found the DNA of an unknown male and the victim, but not Pam Hopp.
Yes, that makes sense. Actually, they would do that. Assuming she did kill Betsy Faria, she was very careful not to leave any evidence of herself behind in the crime scene.
Do you think that we'll ever hear Pam testify?
I'd love to hear her testify. Just like I'd love to interview her. She's an interesting woman. I don't know what prison has done to her, though. That may have changed her in some way.
In the end, you know, this boils down to justice for Betsy Faria. You spoke with one of Betsy's daughters, Keith, for one of your Dateline episodes on the case. And she has said she will be at the trial this summer.
I think so.
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Chapter 5: How did Pam Hupp's actions lead to her arrest?
I'd be very surprised if she wasn't. Betsy's whole family went through such an emotional ringer in this story. I felt so badly for them. You know, I'll never forget the one interview I had with Betsy's mother where I presented her with the evidence that Russ did not commit this crime. And she said, I'll believe Russ did it no matter what kind of evidence they presented.
She really had come to believe that her son-in-law did this. But, you know, since then, obviously... A lot of water is under that bridge. And the changes that that family must have gone through, the emotional wrenching changes, have to be very difficult for them.
I mean, the family, there's so many layers to this and what the family has been through. You know, it's hard enough with one trial, one suspect, you know, one defendant. I mean, it's just so unfair to them. Keith, thank you for joining us. And, you know, we look forward to talking to you about this case that keeps on giving.
We'll be there. Thanks.
When we come back, the countdown is on for Corey Richen's murder trial. Could a last-minute switch-up from a key witness shake up the case against the Utah mom?
Just search Dateline en Español wherever you get your podcasts and start listening. Once upon a time in an icy winter world, a wicked woman stole a child. Only the power of love can save him and defeat her, the Snow Queen. New to Morrison Mysteries. Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts. My name is Andrew Goldman.
No story I've encountered in my 30 years as a journalist has gripped me by the throat, quite like the murder of Martha Moxley and conviction of Michael Skakel. I thought I understood the case. It was a decades-long story about the powerful and the privileged seemingly getting away with murder. But I discovered a much darker, more shocking tale than I ever could have guessed.
They put a sign around my neck that said, Hi, my name is Michael Skakel, and I'm a murderer.
He's been talked about a lot, but he's never spoken up until now.
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Chapter 6: How can homeowners protect themselves from high-tech burglaries?
According to the information filed by the prosecution, Corey got fentanyl from her housekeeper and somehow gave it to Eric. Corey's also charged with one count of attempted murder. Prosecutors say she tried to poison her husband by lacing a sandwich just a couple of weeks before his death. They, prosecutors... allege that Corey killed her husband for financial gain.
They say that Corey was deeply in debt after failed real estate deals from her realtor business. And she was counting on payouts she received should Eric die, life insurance policies, there was a prenup, and more from his estate. There's also evidence that she had a new love. The And apparently they were texting the night of Eric's death. They were sending I love you messages and kiss emojis.
So it's been over two and a half years since Corey's arrest. And as we mentioned off the top, her case has taken a long time to make its way through the court system to this impending trial.
Yes, it has. Mostly due to pre-drial motions filed by both the prosecution and the defense department. The prosecutor's motions mostly have to do with what evidence they'd like admitted or excluded from trial. For the defense, their motions are far more expansive, including one about moving the case to another county because of pretrial publicity.
But the defense motion that really got headlines recently was when they accused the prosecution of withholding critical information favorable to the defendant. what's known as a Brady violation. They say that a key prosecution witness had recanted or changed their story. And defense attorneys didn't learn about the change in testimony for nearly six months. Fascinating. Who is this witness?
So this is a man by the name of Robert Crozier. And according to prosecutors, he told detectives that he sold fentanyl to Corey's housekeeper around the time of Eric's death. But in a recent sworn affidavit, Crozier said he was detoxing from drugs when he spoke to detectives and now can't remember giving that interview. What's more, he denies selling fentanyl to the housekeeper.
The defense says without this testimony, the prosecution can't prove Corey ever got her hands on any fentanyl to poison her husband.
So how did the prosecution respond to this allegation about the key witness?
Well, they fired back that Crozier's new story is not credible and doesn't change anything.
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Chapter 7: What evidence do prosecutors have against Pam Hupp?
They found Christine dead in her bedroom with multiple stab wounds and Joseph Ryan shot to death nearby. Christine's husband, Brendan, and the couple's live-in au pair, Juliana Perez-Migales, told investigators they'd walked into the home and found Ryan attacking Christine. So they both grabbed guns and shot him dead to try and save Christine. But they said they were too late.
Christine was already dead.
Then investigators quickly got suspicious of the story after they learned that Banfield and the au pair were having an affair.
That's right. Eight months after the murders, the au pair was arrested and charged with second-degree murder for shooting Joseph Ryan. Nearly a year later, Banfield was arrested, too. He was charged with murdering Christine and Joseph Ryan.
At various pretrial hearings, prosecutors have presented their theory about what happened inside that house, and they're calling it the catfish theory. This is where things get complicated, Sue.
They do. They certainly do. This may be one of the more outlandish murder plots we've heard from prosecutors in a while. Prosecutors say that Banfield created a fake profile for his wife on a fetish website, and when Joseph Ryan, a complete stranger, responded to it, Banfield, who was still posing as his wife, invited Ryan to the house for what Ryan thought was a consensual sexual encounter.
Prosecutors say Ryan arrived at the home thinking he'd been invited there, of course, and he went to the bedroom and he held Christine down. And that's when they say Juliana and Banfield shot him and Banfield stabbed Christine. The whole thing was an attempt to try and frame Ryan for Christine's death.
What are prosecutors saying they believe the motive was?
Well, they say Banfield wanted Christine out of the picture so he and the au pair could be together. The au pair, Andrea, ended up pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter.
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