Last summer, we reported that the stepson of Duane “Dog The Bounty Hunter” Chapman had accidentally shot his own 13 year-old son dead. Now, Dog’s stepson has been arrested in connection to this tragic and disturbing incident.
Dog’s Stepson Arrested
Gregory Zecca, who is the 39 year-old son of Dog’s wife Francie, was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly killing his 13-year-old son, Anthony. He has since been charged with aggravated manslaughter.
This comes after police determined that Gregory had been drinking for several hours and was also under the influence of marijuana when he accidentally shot Anthony at a UFC watch party at a friend’s apartment in Naples, Florida on July 19.
Officers with the Collier County Sheriff’s Office took Gregory into custody early Tuesday morning. They had spent the last six months investigating this case thoroughly. Gregory is now facing the prospect of spending the rest of his life in prison.
“This was a heartbreaking and preventable tragedy,” Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said in a statement obtained by Daily Mail.
Sheriff Rambosk went on to say that investigators “conducted an exhaustive and thorough investigation, examining every element of what happened through witness statements, forensic testing, subpoenas, search warrants and more.”
“I commend their hard work and professionalism in uncovering the facts in an incredibly difficult case,” he concluded.
Disturbing Shooting Details
According to police, Gregory had been drinking at a local establishment for several hours on the day of the incident. He then purchased more alcohol and headed to a friend’s house to watch a UFC game with his 13 year-old son Anthony. There, Gregory continued to drink and eventually ingested marijuana.
While watching the game, Gregory “repeatedly handled a firearm in the child’s presence, practicing drawing it from his waistband and dry-firing,” according to a warrant obtained by TMZ.
“The firearm had initially been rendered safe by removing the magazine and clearing a live round from the chamber,” the warrant continued.
However, police say that at a certain point, “the magazine was reinserted and a round chambered. And Gregory discharged a single shot, fatally striking the child.”
When police rushed to the scene, they noticed immediately that Gregory smelled of both alcohol and marijuana. It was later determined that during the shooting, Gregory’s blood alcohol level was approximately 0.116. This is nearly twice the legal limit to drive a car.
“This case underscores that devastating tragedy that can result from mixing firearms, alcohol and drugs,” Sheriff Rambosk lamented. “Our hearts are with everyone affected by this loss.”
Gregory was placed on a psychiatric hold after the shooting. This was because his family feared that he might take his own life. At the time, a rep for the family said that Gregory was “overcome with grief.” However, the rep stressed that Gregory’s guilt stemmed from the loss of his son, not from guilt over a crime. It’s unclear at this time when he may have been released from psychiatric care.
Dog Responds
Dog, 73, has since responded through his attorney Joseph Lesniak. He said that Anthony’s death “remains a devastating family tragedy.”
“We believe Greg loved his son deeply and that this was a tragic accident – one that has left many lives permanently changes, especially Anthony’s and Greg’s,” Dog’s lawyer continued.
Dog has been married to Gregory’s mother Francie since 2021. They bonded over their shared grief of losing their respective spouses to cancer. Dog had lost his beloved wife Beth Chapman to lung cancer in 2019. Meanwhile, Francie’s husband Bob had died of cancer six months before in December of 2018.
“[Dog and I] understood the pain that the other one was feeling, and [in] those tough days and moments, we helped each other stand up,” Francie told ET in 2020.
“We could cry with each other and talk about what we were feeling,” she added. “We were able to walk alongside each other through the pain and heartbreak, and it brought us together in this amazing way.”
Watch Dog talk about his love for Francie in the video below.
Zecca’s arraignment has been scheduled for March 2. If convicted, he’s facing potentially spending the rest of his life in prison.