Duane Chapman

Duane "Dog" Chapman is a bounty hunter who lives in Hawaii. He lists numerous captures on his website, but independent verification of such captures can be difficult.

Related Topics:
Bounty hunter - Hawaii

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He was raised in Denver, Colorado, by his father, a Navy welder, who, by Chapman's account, was verbally and physically abusive, and his mother, a missionary and minister for the Assemblies of God. Chapman subsequently joined a motorcycle gang that reportedly had a distaste for blacks, although Chapman himself claims not to be a racist and has recently appeared on the Montel Williams Show. According to Chapman, another gang member, Donny Kirkandall, murdered pimp and drug dealer Jerry Lee Oliver, a crime for which Chapman and his entire gang were found guilty by a Texas judge.

Related Topics:
Denver, Colorado - Assemblies of God - Motorcycle gang - Montel Williams Show - Texas

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In 1977, Chapman was sentenced to five years of hard labor and served two of those years before being paroled in 1979. Before his sentencing, Chapman had married, sired at least one child, and divorced a woman named LaFonda. Because of this fact, Chapman owed money for child support. The judge in charge of handling the child support case asked Chapman to catch a fugitive for $200, thus launching his bounty-hunting career. He moved to Hawaii, where he opened a bail bonding company named Da Kine Bail Bonds.

Related Topics:
Parole - Bail bonding

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On June 18, 2003, Chapman made news with his hunt and capture of cosmetics heir Andrew Luster, who had been convicted in absentia of poisoning and rape after fleeing to Mexico. However, Chapman, his brother and a son were charged themselves by Mexican authorities for not handing over Luster to them.

Related Topics:
June 18 - 2003 - Andrew Luster - In absentia - Mexico

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On July 3, 2003, they were declared "fugitives" by a spokesman for the Mexican Government, after not obtaining permission from the presiding judge to leave the country. Mexican authorities are currently working in conjunction with officials from the United States to have Mr. Chapman and his 2 other family members extradited to Mexico for sentencing.

Related Topics:
July 3 - 2003 - Fugitive - Extradite

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He has said that, if given permission from the United States government, he would attempt to collect a bounty on terrorist Osama Bin Laden.

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As of 2004, Chapman has a weekly reality television program broadcast Tuesdays on A&E Network, entitled Dog The Bounty Hunter.

Related Topics:
2004 - Reality television - Tuesdays - A&E Network - Dog The Bounty Hunter

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He keeps a framed picture of George W. Bush and Tony Robbins displayed on his office wall.

Related Topics:
George W. Bush - Tony Robbins

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The theme song of his TV show is sung by Ozzy Osbourne.

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In the episode "It's Good to Be Home" Duane Chapman reveals that he is 5'7" and uses customized boots to enhance his stature to 5'10".

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