Who is Francie Frane? All about Dog the Bounty Hunter’s wife as the family mourns her grandson’s tragic death

American TV personality, reality star, producer, actor, bounty hunter, and former bail bondsman Dog the Bounty Hunter, whose real name is Duane Chapman, is currently trending after his teenage step-grandson passed away in a shooting accident.

On Saturday night, Chapman’s stepson, Gregory Zecca, reportedly fired a gun and killed his 13-year-old son, Anthony, in what was described as a “tragic accident” in the family’s statement to TMZ. The incident occurred at Gregory’s home in Naples, Florida.

Dog the Bounty Hunter’s wife, Francie Frane, is the mother of Gregory Zecca. She is a former Colorado-based rancher and hunter, currently based in Florida, according to Entertainment Now. In the wake of the tragedy, the family has issued a statement to TMZ mourning the death of Anthony.

“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,” representatives for Chapman and his family told the outlet.

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office is overseeing the case and informed local media house Naples Daily News that they were investigating an “isolated incident,” aka a fatal shooting. However, the department did not provide further details.

According to TMZ, Gregory Zecca is part of Dog the Bounty Hunter’s bounty team and has a passion for firearms. Zecca’s Instagram revealed that he and his now-deceased son, Anthony, visited a gun range and a gun store in 2021.

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Everything you need to know about Dog the Bounty Hunter’s wife, Francie Frane

According to Entertainment Now, Francie Frane, 56, is a former rancher, hunter, and entrepreneur who owns the company Erosion Solutions Inc. in Colorado. It was previously owned by her first husband and now-late rancher, Robert William Frane. Francie lost Robert to cancer in December 2018 at the age of 64.

Frane, whose maiden name was Riley, later got engaged to Dog the Bounty Hunter, 72, in May 2020 after six months of courtship, and announced the news during an interview with The US Sun. Back then, Francie revealed that Duane got down on his knees at their home during a random candle-lit dinner and that they wanted a big, fancy wedding.

"There will never be another Mrs Dog, but it looks like there will be a final Mrs Chapman,” the bounty hunter told the outlet, adding he and Francie had a “very real love” for each other.

Duane Chapman went on:

“I know that when I start to feel bad about Beth and it's overwhelming, Francie seems to show up and that helps the kids. And I feel that Beth expects her to show up to take care of me. And Bob, Francie's late husband, expects me to be a man and a gentleman, and so I am.”

Robert previously did yard work for the bounty hunter. Following his death, when he tried to reach out for more work, he was informed by Frane that Bob, who owned Frane Enterprises Inc. in Parker, Colorado, had died.

Notably, Chapman, who had been married multiple times before, lost his fifth wife, Beth Chapman, in June 2019 to cancer, aged 51. Beth was a producer and actress and was married to the bail bondsman for 13 years.

Three months before announcing their engagement, Dog the Bounty Hunter and Francie Frane went public with their relationship and spent the COVID-19 lockdown together at his home in Colorado.

More than a year later, Chapman appeared on an episode of the Two Guys from Hollywood podcast in August 2021 and shared he was tying the knot with Francie the next month (September 2, 2021).

“We went to the venue yesterday, picked it out. Man, it costs a lot to get married,” Dog the Bounty Hunter shared at the time.

He also explained that he and Francie Frane grew closer through shared grieving.

"Francie's husband passed away over three years ago, Beth passed away over two years ago, and I felt very bad about even wanting to have someone else after Beth," Chapman continued.

Dog the Bounty Hunter added that he realized God didn’t want him to be “alone” and sent a “companion” his way. Meanwhile, during a September 2020 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Francie Frane, too, shared that her family and Chapman’s united by their shared grief.

“We understood the pain that the other one was feeling, and [in] those tough days and moments, we helped each other stand up. We could cry with each other and talk about what we were feeling. We were able to walk alongside each other through the pain and heartbreak, and it brought us together in this amazing way,” Francie noted.

During a 2021 appearance on the podcast Past to Power with Amy Elaine & Latan, Frane also shared that her Christian faith helped her heal from childhood traumas. She also attends regilion-based conferences, conventions, and female-centric events.

Additionally, Dog the Bounty Hunter appeared on The Dr. Oz Show in 2020 and shared that Francie and her two sons “just fit right in” in his life due to their hunting background.

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Duane Chapman has 13 children with six different women, four of whom were married to him. Frane has two sons, including Gregory Zecca. The couple now lives in Florida.

Edited by Ahana Mukhopadhyay