Dog The Bounty Hunter followed larger-than-life personality Duane Chapman and his family, running between 2004 and 2012
Dog the Bounty Hunter was a smash-hit American reality show that followed Duane “The Dog ” Chapman, a notorious bounty hunter based in Honolulu, Hawaii, and his family as they chased wanted fugitives and navigated family dynamics.
A viewer favourite, the show ran for eight seasons and almost 10 years between 2004 to 2012. Over Dog’s career, he captured more than 6,000 criminals – as well as the heart of a nation.
However, in the years since his flagship show’s cancellation, both Dog and his family have been haunted by tragedy, including arrests and even accidental killings.
Duane “The Dog” Chapman
Over two decades ago, the world fell in love with Duane “The Dog” Chapman, the rough-and-tumble, mullet-and-mustachioed bounty hunter who starred with his family in the reality smash, Dog the Bounty Hunter.
Known for his distinct look and no-nonsense attitude, the business mogul has recently made headlines for far more tragic reasons. In June 2025, Chapman’s stepson, Gregory Zecca, 38, accidentally shot and killed his son, 13-year-old Anthony Zecca.
The incident was described as an isolated and non-criminal event by authorities.
Meanwhile, sources have said that Gregory, who made occasional appearances on his stepfather’s show, is now in psychological hold, unable to cope with the trauma of his son’s death.
Dog and his wife, Francie Chapman, told TMZ through a representative: “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.”
Beth’s Death
Francie is Dog’s sixth wife, who he married in 2022 after the death of his fifth wife and television favourite, Beth.
Beth Chapman passed away in June 2019. She had been diagnosed with throat cancer in 2017, well after the end of Dog the Bounty Hunter. However, she also starred in spinoffs Dog and Beth: On the Hunt and Dog’s Most Wanted.
Her diagnosis came during the filming and production of Dog’s Most Wanted, with the series covering the news, her hospitalisation, and her tragic passing at the age of 51. Its final episode was dedicated to her memory.
“It’s 5:32 in Hawaii, this is the time she would wake up to go hike Koko Head mountain,” wrote Dog on X the day after her passing. “Only today, she hiked the stairway to heaven. We all love you, Beth. See you on the other side.”
In a subsequent interview Dog candidly shared that he had discussed the possibility of dating again with Beth before she passed, but the two agreed that he would never remove the tattoo of her name from his chest.
Dog and Francie had met over the phone in 2019 when Dog was attempting to reach Francie’s late husband, Bob. Bob himself had passed from lung cancer six months before Beth’s and the two bonded over their shared experiences of grief, quickly forming a close bond and getting engaged the following year.
Dog’s Children
Leland Chapman, Dog’s son with Beth, was another member of Dog and the Bounty Hunter’s cast before he left the show to start his own business, Kama’aina Bail Bonds.
In 2016, he married his wife Jamie and he appears to remain close with his family.
Lyssa “Baby Lyssa” Chapman is Dog and Beth’s daughter and also appeared in the show. Following its success, she released her own clothing line and tanning salon, wrote a book, and then was arrested in 2020 for harassment and resisting arrest.
She married her wife, Leiana Everson, in 2022. Based on social media, the couple remain happily together and recently celebrated their ninth anniversary in August.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
