Family tragedy strikes ‘Dog the Bounty Hunter’ star in Florida. Here’s what we know
Duane Chapman has released a statement following a family tragedy over the weekend in Southwest Florida.
The “Dog the Bounty Hunter” star’s stepson reportedly shot and killed his 13-year-old son Saturday night in Naples, Fla.
“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,” Chapman and his wife Francie Frane told TMZ.
The gossip outlet was the first to report that Gregory Zecca, Frane’s son from a previous relationship, shot the boy in an apartment in Naples. The circumstances are unclear, but it is said to be a freak accident.
Deputies from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene shortly after 8 p.m. They called it an isolated incident, and no arrests were made by Monday morning.
Chapman, 72, and his fifth wife Frane, 56, married in 2021, and relocated from Colorado to Naples, and then Sarasota. The reality star was spotted at a Wawa gas station in the area back in 2023.
In a few joint Instagram videos earlier this month the spiritually-minded couple told fans that they decided to leave the Sunshine State to do ministry work in Georgia.
They cited various reasons, including the heat, which was “a whole different animal,” and bugs, “which didn’t exactly roll out the welcome mat.”
“From the city lights of Naples to 4 acres in Sarasota — we were ready for some space,” said the caption in the most recent video. “But this past year wasn’t about slowing down. It was about stepping up. Traveling for ministry, walking through marriage, and following God’s lead.”
This story was originally published July 21, 2025 at 11:51 AM.
