Barbara Katie Chapman: Who are Dog the Bounty Hunter’s Family?
69-year-old Duane Lee Chapman is better known as Dog the Bounty Hunter and is one of our favourite reality stars. His show, Dog the Bounty Hunter, chronicled his outrageous career as a bounty hunter and bail bondsman.
But not only did we get to see the details of Duane’s unusual occupation, but also learned about his large family. Duane and his then-wife Beth Chapman weren’t shy about delving into the details of their relationship and family life, and we loved seeing both sides of Duane’s life.
However, Duane’s life is not without tragedy. In diving into his family life, we’ll also uncover some heartbreaking stories, including about his late daughter Barbara Katie Chapman…
Who is Barbara Katie Chapman?
Barbara Katie Chapman was Duane’s eldest daughter.
She was born in 1983, and her mother is Duane’s third ex-wife, Lyssa Rae Brittain (in total, Dog the Bounty Hunter has been married seven times). Barbara also has two siblings: Tucker Dee and Lyssa Rae.
Sadly though, Barbara’s story isn’t a happy one. In May 2006, when Barbara was just 23 years old, she died in a car accident in Fairbanks, Alaska.
(Image/ Source: hawaiinewsnow.com)
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On the day in question, Barbara and a friend were driving in a stolen SUV. Earlier in the day, they had attempted to buy a hotel room using a stolen credit card.
As they were driving in the vicinity of Fairbanks later, the driver of the card, her friend Scott Standefer II came off the road. They hit an embankment, rolling the SUV, and both driver and passenger died.
Police at the scene said: “There is no clue as to why they left the roadway. There are absolutely no skid marks on the road. They just went off the road, hit an embankment and launched.”
Even more tragically, the accident happened the day before Duane was set to marry his long-term partner Beth Smith. He was notified of his daughter’s death the morning of the wedding.
However, both Duane and Beth decided to go ahead with their celebration, making it a place where they could also celebrate Duane’s daughter’s life.
The Tragedy of Beth Chapman
But Barbara Katie Chapman isn’t the only person from Duane’s family who has tragically died. Beth Chapman, Duane’s long-term partner and another bounty hunter, died in 2019.
Beth was a prominent figure in many reality shows including Dog the Bounty Hunter, Dog and Beth: On the Hunt, and Dog’s Most Wanted. Viewers got to see her family life with Duane as well as her work as Dog’s partner in bounty hunting.
She was actually the youngest person to receive a bail license in Colorado and worked in bail bond for all her life.
In 2017, though, as Dog’s Most Wanted was in production, Beth got devastating news: she had throat cancer.
(Image/ Source: Instagram @duanedogchapman)
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Not long after, Beth revealed that she had gone into remission. However, in 2018, her cancer returned. It was so bad this time that in June 2019 she was admitted to the hospital and placed in a medically-indued coma.
Days later, Beth died from complications of her cancer.
Dog confirmed the news on his Twitter, saying: “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.”
Dog’s New Wife
Two years after his beloved wife Beth died, Duane has now found a new love. She is Francie Frane, a 52-year-old rancher from Colorado.
The two apparently first met when Dog asked Francie’s wife Bob to do some work at his house. Sadly, though, Bob had died not long before Duane’s own wife Beth.
After that, the two struck up a friendship that rapidly developed into something more. Duane made his love official in May 2020 when he proposed to Francie at their Colorado home.
(Image/ Source: Instagram @duanedogchapman)
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Speaking about the surprise engagement, Francie said: “I wasn’t expecting it at all. I think I had gone to pick up some food and then when I came back he had all the lights turned down with just a few lights on and a bunch of candles lit.”
On September 16th 2021, Dog confirmed on Instagram that the two had finally had their wedding, with the simple message: “Yes knot is tied!!”