The tragedy of Beth Chapman

Every so often I'd watch Dog the Bounty Hunter on television as a diversion. It was about a man whose business was apprehending individuals in legal trouble who had skipped bail and were at large and wanted.

It starred Duane Chapman who is quite the colorful character and featured various employees including his wife, Alice Elizabeth Smith Chapman. Mrs Chapman was a striking lady who typically handled back end duties for the company and I simply cannot imaging conducting my business affairs before the camera ... but this was what they did.

There were a total of three iterations of this programming on television:

Dog the Bounty Hunter,
Dog and Beth: On the Hunt, and
Dog's Most Wanted

I caught a few episodes but never tracked which one of those programs it was referring to and I would just get lost in whatever was going down at the moment.

Mrs Chapman was born in Denver, Colorado on October 29, 1967. She was one of five children and trained as a a gymnast and ice skater. She was a nightclub singer, did waitress and clerical work, and spent much of her early life in Colorado prior to moving to Honolulu to be with her future husband Duane 'Dog' Chapman. They were married in 2006.

She starred in these reality television shows alongside her husband 'Dog the bounty hunter' and most notable of these was the eponymous Dog the Bounty Hunter — which originally was released in late 2004 and lasted 8 seasons through 2012. I think I was enthralled by her magnificent bosom which first caught my eye then held me spellbound.

You may certainly call me sexist if you're so inclined, but I thought they were wonderful.

Beth Chapman's final series was Dog's Most Wanted which was being filmed in 2019. She died while the show was being produced. Dog's Most Wanted included the news of terminal cancer for the family and Beth's battle with it over time prior to her death.

The final episode is dedicated to her memory.

Beth Chapman was diagnosed with stage 2 pharyngeal cancer in September 2017. She initially went into remission. However, the disease later went metastatic to her lungs.

She continued working until her condition required admission; at which time she was placed in a medically induced coma at The Queens Medical Center in Honolulu. She passed in the hospital from complications from the cancer on June 26, 2019 and her final disposition was a scattering of her cremains at sea. An ending I could respect for myself.

I always thought that her ending was very tragic to be at the pinnacle of that more than fickle media success only to fall victim to insurmountable health issues. Alas, this was her tragic fate.

Rest in peace.