Dog the Bounty Hunter looked upset and emotional as he sat with his wife, Francie, in a Florida courtroom. Their son, Gregory Zecca, was appearing before a judge regarding the death of his 13-year-old son, who had been fatally shot.
On Tuesday, February 10, 2026, 39-year-old Michael Zecca was in court for a hearing regarding his detention before trial. The judge set his bond at $500,000 after he was charged with manslaughter.
He is the stepson of Dog the Bounty Hunter and the biological son of his wife, Francie Chapman.
In court, Zecca looked sad and wore an orange uniform typically worn by inmates.
Dog the Bounty Hunter and Chapman listened quietly as the hearing unfolded.
Zecca appeared in court one week after his arrest in Florida. He’s accused of fatally shooting his teenage son, Anthony, in Naples earlier this summer.
Investigators say Zecca reportedly spent several hours drinking on July 19th while also handling a gun in front of his son.
He’s been charged with manslaughter involving a child and the unlawful use of a firearm while intoxicated.
Authorities have said Zecca could face the rest of his life in prison if convicted.
Sheriff Kevin Rambosk called the incident a devastating and avoidable tragedy when announcing the criminal charges, according to a released statement.
He explained that detectives completed a very detailed investigation, looking at every part of what occurred. They gathered information from witnesses, used forensic science, and obtained legal documents like subpoenas and search warrants.
Rambosk praised the team’s dedication and skill in solving a very challenging case.
The investigation showed that Zecca had been drinking at a bar for several hours before buying more alcohol.
According to the Naples Daily News, after the initial incident, he reportedly continued to drink alcohol and use marijuana while watching a UFC fight with his son at a friend’s home.
According to a police warrant obtained by TMZ, Zecca was seen multiple times handling a gun in front of the child, including practicing pulling it out of his pants and pretending to shoot it.
According to the warrant, officers first made the gun safe by taking out the ammunition magazine and removing a loaded bullet from the firing chamber.
Investigators claim that the magazine was put back into the gun, a bullet loaded into the chamber, and Gregory then fired the gun once, tragically killing the child.
Around 8 p.m., when deputies arrived, they detected an odor of alcohol on Zecca and found marijuana at the location. They then secured warrants to review his medical history and obtain a blood sample.
An independent toxicology analysis determined that Zecca’s blood alcohol content around the time of the shooting was about 0.116, almost double the legal limit for driving.
Honestly, this whole thing just breaks my heart. Sheriff Rambosk said it best – it’s a terrible reminder of what happens when guns, alcohol, and drugs are all mixed together. It’s just… devastating. I can’t stop thinking about everyone involved and sending them all my love and support. It’s just awful, absolutely awful.
Even with the accusations against him, Joseph Lesniak, Chapman’s lawyer, called the situation a heartbreaking family tragedy.
Lesniak stated that Greg clearly loved his son very much, and his death was a terrible accident. This event has profoundly impacted many people, particularly Anthony and Greg’s family.
Records and social media indicate Zecca had previously given his son firearms training.
In 2021, Zecca posted pictures online from Franktown Firearms Shooting Center in Colorado, when Anthony was nine years old.
Zecca shared on Instagram that they were practicing shooting with friends from Franktown Firearms.
Anthony was also remembered by family members for his strong faith.
In 2023, he recounted experiencing what he believed was the presence of the Holy Spirit while at the hospital with his grandmother, ‘Meemaw,’ after she hurt her ankle.
Anthony recalled feeling a sudden rush of cold wind despite the warm, rainy weather.
He described feeling a force on his chest initially, then again on his back. He wondered what it was, especially since the doors hadn’t opened as expected. He realized it must be the Holy Spirit.
The tragedy has cast a shadow over the Chapman family, who bonded years earlier over shared loss.
After his fifth wife, Beth Smith, passed away from throat cancer in 2019, Chapman began a relationship with Francie in 2020. Francie was also grieving a loss, having lost her husband, Bob Frane, in 2018.
Francie shared with Entertainment Tonight that they empathized with each other’s struggles and supported one another through difficult times.
We supported each other through difficult times, sharing our feelings and helping each other heal. Going through that pain together actually strengthened our bond.
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2026-02-10 22:51