Duane “Dog” Chapman has been a bounty hunter for the past 27 years. In these 27 years, Duane has captured more than 6,000 fugitives. Those are pretty impressive numbers for a Bounty Hunter.

Duane is highly intense, in your face sort of guy who is an ex-con who served time in Texas and a born-again Christian. What a combination that makes and it shows in the show, just how tough he can be and how he can always see there is something better out there for those he captures rather then their criminal lives.

It is amazing the life path that Duane “Dog”Chapman has made in his life to stay on the right side of the law. He finds the criminals and encourages them to make the right choices and turn their lives around. That’s probably why I watch the show - I can’t wait to see what words of wisdom and encouragement he lays down on those he captures. Always sees a light at the end of the very dark tunnel that some of these criminals live.

In the 27 years of Bounty Hunting, Duane Chapman has brought in many criminals including the Max Factor heir Andrew Luster the high-profile rapist. With this conviction Dog and is crew now face criminal charges in Mexico where Bounty Hunting is illegal. If you have a few dollars to spare in helping Dog and his crew in their court battle please visit the Dog Defence Fund and find out how you can help.

Duane “Dog” Chapman was raised in Denver, Colorado by his parents Wesley and Barbara Chapman. He is the oldest of 4 children. His father was a welder in the U.S. Navy and his mother was a minister who often went out to work on the Native American reserves to teach the gospel.

Dog currently lives and works in Hawaii with his wife and bail bonds partner Beth and three of his children.

Duane “Dog” Chapman’s Family

If you follow the show you’ll know that Duane has quite a few children.  I’ve always been curious to know who they were, and to know where in the order Leland and Duane Lee were.

Chapman has been married five times. He has twelve children and eight grandchildren.^  His oldest son, Christopher Chapman, was born in 1969. Duane Chapman was not married to the mother and Christopher was put up for adoption.

Chapman married La Fonda Sue Honeycutt April 1, 1972 in Texas; they divorced in 1977 while he was in prison.

They had two children, Duane Lee Chapman and Leland Chapman. Duane Lee II was born January 21, 1973 and was a financial and retirement counselor before going back to his first job, bounty hunting. He lived in Colorado Springs, Colorado, until moving to OÊ»ahu to work with his father and brother. His wife and four children — Jodi, Jasmine, Jennifer and Dylan — still live in Colorado, but will be following Duane Lee to Hawaii soon. Leland was born December 14, 1976 in Groom, Texas. He also works with his father and trains in mixed martial arts. He has two sons, Dakota, born March 24, 1995, and Cobie, born December 7, 2000. He is divorced from their mother.

Chapman married Anne M. Tegnell August 22, 1979 in Colorado. This marriage also ended in divorce. They had two children, one, Zebediah Duane Chapman, died as an infant on January 31, 1980 at home. Zebediah Duane was born prematurely on January 1, 1980 in University, Colorado. His next son, Wesley Chapman was born c.1980/1981.

Chapman married Lyssa Rae Brittain June 22, 1982. They were divorced November 20, 1991^. They had three children, one being Barbara-Katie “B.K.” Chapman, born June 8, 1982 in Denver, Colorado. The day before Duane’s wedding to Beth Smith, she died at age 23 in Fairbanks, Alaska on May 19, 2006, during a high speed car accident involving drugs. She had been in and out of drug rehab and reportedly used money her father gave her to buy cocaine on a regular basis. Barbara was survived by her son, Travis Drake-Lee Chapman, born 2002. Travis lives with Dog and his wife Beth. Tucker Dee Chapman, born September 8, 1984, was serving a 20-year prison term on a kidnaping charge in 2002 and was released spring 2006; he now lives in Hawaii.  “Baby” Lyssa Chapman, born June 10, 1987, currently works as a bounty hunter with her dad, step-mom and half-brothers. She has one daughter, Abbie Mae Chapman, born 2002.

Chapman married Tawny Marie. This marriage also ended in divorce. Chapman has two other children, James and Nicholas.

Chapman married his fifth wife Beth Smith on May 20, 2006 at the Hilton Waikoloa Village in Hawaii. They have two children together, Bonnie Jo Chapman and Garry Chapman. Beth was previously married to Keith A. Barmore and they had one daughter, Cecily Barmore, whom Chapman has adopted.

Sources: DogtheBountyHunter.com | Dog the Bounty Hunter on Wikipedia