20 Facts about America's Beloved Bounty Hunter Beth Chapman

It didn't take long before Beth and Duane became household names after "Dog the Bounty Hunter" premiered in 2004. Since then, Beth remained open to fans regarding her personal life including her battle with cancer, and in memory of Beth Chapman, we compiled 20 lesser-known facts about the late and beloved bounty hunter.

• While fans got to know her as Beth, the bounty hunter's given name is actually Alice Elizabeth Smith.
• Garry Smith, Beth's father, played in the Professional Baseball League for Kansas City Athletics.
• Duane Chapman and the then-Beth Smith initially met after she turned 19-years-old in 1986, with Duane aged 35.
• Beth and Duane's meeting happened after she got arrested for allegedly shoplifting. Carrying an unlicensed gun while also being wanted for unpaid parking tickets didn't help, so Beth's father hired Duane to bail her out.

• When Duane and Beth got married, they both had children from previous relationships along with the two children they had together, Gary and Bonnie.
• Duane's daughter died in a car accident the day before he and Beth got married. While it may not seem like the ideal time to get hitched, the commitment and support probably helped Duane through the sad time.
• While Beth used to help Duane bring in bounties, she also ran the bail bonds office, and one often saw her buried in a pile of paperwork on the show.
• At the age of 29, Beth became the youngest woman in Colorado to start a bail bonds business; however, her step-daughter Lyssa broke the record again when she became a bail bondsman at nineteen years of age.

• While Duane got married a total of five times, his marriage to Beth lasted the longest, from 2006 until her death in 2019.
• The episode "The Santa Hunt" of "Dog the Bounty Hunter" is Beth's all-time favorite episode of the show because it features her son, Gary.
• Because Beth and Duane didn't approve of his daughter's lifestyle choices, Beth and Duane took physical custody of his grandson, Travis Chapman.
• While Beth had a passion for being an ice skater and gymnast, she worked as a waitress, clerk, and as a nightclub singer for some time.

• Despite the rugged-looking exterior of black leather and weaponry, Beth had a love for animals and often posted pictures of herself with them on social media.
• A Denver native, Beth, and Duane filmed several episodes of "Dog and Beth on the Hunt" and "Dog the Bounty Hunter" at the couple adopted home in Hawaii.
• In the spirit of transparency, Beth and Duane filmed a two-hour special called "Dog & Beth: Fight of Their Lives" after Beth got diagnosed with cancer. "You know, we’ve just shared everything, and it’s a mistake to try and hide things from your fans," Beth told KTLA-TV.

• When Beth's cancer returned, she chose not to receive chemotherapy treatment and explained her decision during a live-streamed speech from The Source Church in Bradenton. "Chemotherapy is not my bag, people. That is not for me,” she said. "For me, this is the ultimate test of faith. This is my ultimate lesson. And it’ll either be taught to you or me."
• Beth and Duane Chapman welcomed their first great-grandchild in January 2019.
• The two bounty hunters captured one of America's most-wanted fugitives, Leonard Trujillo Jr. on May 2019. Wanted for various offenses that include armed robbery, Duane felt happy about the capture. “This guy’s record is horrendous,” Duane said. “He has terrorized this peaceful town enough. He tried to run – but you can’t hide from me! We are making America safe again, one city at a time.”

• Early in 2019, Duane and Beth started filming their new show "Dog's Most Wanted," but during production on June 22, Beth got hospitalized and placed in a medically induced coma.
• Due to complications from her cancer, Beth passed away four days after hospitalization on June 26, 2019.

After Beth's funeral held in Colorado on July 13, a mourning Duane Chapman revealed the last days and his last moments with his beloved wife before she passed.