Why The Death Of Dog The Bounty Hunter's 23-Year-Old Daughter Makes Gabby's Petito's Death Personal For Him
He can relate to what her family are going through.
YouTube / Facebook Dog The Bounty Hunter is joining the manhunt for Brian Laundrie, the boyfriend of Gabby Petito who was found dead in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
The reality TV star and legendary bounty hunter, whose real name is Duane Chapman, has been spotted knocking on the doors of Brian Laundrie’s family home in North Port, Florida.
Laundrie’s parents say he disappeared from the home on September 14 but Dog wants more answers. And for Dog, involvement in the high-profile case is more than just a career move, it's personal.
Dog also lost a daughter at Gabby Petito’s age and can empathize with her grieving family.
How did Dog The Bounty’s daughter die?
Dog’s eldest daughter, Barbara Katy Chapman, died in a car accident in 2006 when she was just 23 years old.
The crash occurred in Fairbanks, Alaska on May 19, 2006.
Barbara died while driving in a stolen car.
Chapman died when the stolen SUV she was in rolled and crashed into trees. She was killed alongside the car's driver, her boyfriend, Scott Standefer II.
At the time, Troopers suspect drugs or alcohol may have played a role in the crash.
Barbara was a mother of a young son.
Chapman left behind her 4-year-old son, Travis Drake-Lee Chapman.
Chapman was Dog’s eldest child with his third wife, Lyssa Greene, with whom he shares two other children.
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Dog also had 6 sons from previous relationships prior to Chapman’s birth and went on to have two more children, as well as adopting Beth Chapman’s daughter.
Barbara died a day before Dog and Beth’s wedding.
Dog was due to marry his longtime partner, and fellow bounty hunter, Beth a day after Barbara’s death.
Barbara was not expected to attend the Hawaii wedding and Dog decided with his children to go ahead with his marital plans in order to honor his daughter.
“They all decided unanimously they should celebrate the wedding and her life,” Michael Feeney, senior vice president of A&E television network, revealed in a statement at the time.
Dog’s daughter revealed they had a difficult upbringing.
Chapman’s sister, Lyssa Chapman, claimed their household was full of trauma and hardship during their upbringing.
She claimed that in her early childhood, the siblings had to deal with her mother's alcohol abuse, her father's drug addiction, and several incidents of sexual abuse by undisclosed people.
At the time of her death, Chapman’s mother explained that her daughter had been on the wrong path but was trying to change her life before her untimely passing.
"[Barbara] had gotten herself into a terrible mess," she said. "She was trying as hard as she could to put her life back together."
Alice Kelly is a senior news and entertainment editor for YourTango. Based out of Brooklyn, New York, her work covers all things social justice, pop culture, and human interest. Keep up with her Twitter for more.