Where is Leah Askey now? Still haunted by the Betsy Faria case
NBC’s The Thing About Pam dives into the chilling murder of Betsy Faria and the wrongful conviction of her husband, Russ Faria. After returning home from a night out, Russ discovered Betsy stabbed 55 times, a knife still lodged in her neck. Despite having a rock-solid alibi, prosecutor Leah Askey cast him as a furious husband who snapped after Betsy replaced him with Pam Hupp as her life insurance policy beneficiary.
Askey even accused Russ’ friends, who vouched for his alibi, of being co-conspirators—but stopped short of charging them.
Leah Askey now: Working in private law and battling her portrayal in The Thing About Pam
In a recent interview with KSDK, Leah Askey opened up about her life post-trial and how she’s been depicted in The Thing About Pam. “This case has been my life for almost ten years,” Leah shared. “It’s tough. I’m always concerned about my family.”
Leah became visibly emotional as she defended herself against how she’s been portrayed, not only in the NBC series but also in podcasts, Dateline episodes, and social media. “It’s not at all me, and it’s not what happened,” she insisted.
The miniseries implies a connection between Leah and Pam Hupp, the convicted murderer widely believed to have killed Betsy. Leah firmly denies any such relationship, stating that she only interacted with Pam after Russ’ trial.
Though Leah met with the show’s producers via Zoom, she never spoke with Judy Greer, the actress who plays her. Leah believes the show leaned heavily on the defense’s perspective: “100% of all the information is derived from the defense and the defense attorney.”
Judy Greer admitted that meeting Leah might have influenced how she portrayed the character but emphasized that the series isn’t a documentary. “We’re interpreting a true story, which gives us room to bring our characters to life in our way,” Greer explained.
For Leah Askey, the case and its aftermath remain a heavy shadow. As audiences continue to dissect The Thing About Pam, she’s left navigating the ongoing fallout of one of the decade’s most infamous trials.
Leah Chaney’s Fall from County Prosecutor—The Betsy Faria Case That Changed Everything
Leah Chaney’s career as Lincoln County prosecutor came crashing down, largely due to her controversial handling of the Betsy Faria murder case. Her successor, Mike Wood, campaigned on a promise to revisit the case, vowing to hold those involved accountable. After taking office, he didn’t hold back in his criticism:
“This was the poorest example of investigative work I or my team have ever seen,” Wood stated. “It was driven by ego and a prosecutor pursuing an agenda rather than the truth.”
Leah, then a fresh-faced law graduate running against a 20-year incumbent, never expected to win the election. But in a surprise upset, she did—and less than a year into her tenure, Betsy Faria was murdered.
Leah zeroed in on Betsy’s husband, Russ, convinced he was guilty. She even brought in seasoned prosecutors from the Attorney General’s Office to strengthen her case. Despite admitting the evidence was largely circumstantial, Leah was shocked when the jury returned a guilty verdict in the first trial.
But the victory didn’t last. Russ successfully appealed for a new trial, and this time, he was acquitted. The fallout was devastating for Leah:
“My grandfather always said the only thing worse than a guilty person walking free is an innocent person going to prison,” she shared.
Russ later filed a civil suit against Leah, the police, and Lincoln County, claiming misconduct. While a judge dismissed Leah from the lawsuit, citing “prosecutorial immunity,” it wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement of her actions. The judge noted Leah had worked closely with reckless investigators, raising further questions about her role in the wrongful conviction.
Leah Battles Scandal and Accusations—From Embezzlement to Sex Trafficking
Legal controversies didn’t just define Leah’s time in office. She faced a storm of accusations, ranging from embezzling funds to involvement in a child sex-trafficking operation. Despite the gravity of these claims, Leah took an unusual approach—she asked the county commissioners to investigate her.
“I told them, ‘If any of this is true, you should remove me,’” Leah recalled.
Ultimately, only the sex-trafficking allegation was investigated. The claim, which originated on social media, alleged that Leah had conspired with the family court system to take children from their parents. Special prosecutor Joe McCulloch found no evidence to support the claims, dismissing them as baseless hearsay.
“The information on social media couldn’t be corroborated by anyone, including the person who supposedly posted it,” McCulloch stated.
Leah believed the smear campaign was orchestrated by her ex-husband, his partner, and a man named Roman Buddemeyer. Investigators tried to meet with Roman, but he refused, citing advice from his lawyer. By the time investigators considered tracking the source of the social media posts, Leah was already out of office:
“The damage was done, and I wasn’t in office anymore, so it felt pointless,” she said.
Life After the Scandals—Leah Stands Strong
Today, Leah has moved on. She’s remarried, succeeding in private practice, and remains unapologetic about her past actions. Despite numerous attempts to disbar her, Leah claims she’s been cleared every time:
“They’ve accused me of despicable things, but I’ve been vindicated every single time.”
Leah Chaney’s story is one of rise, fall, and resilience—a cautionary tale about the complexities of justice, power, and public perception.
