Dog Ties The Knot Amid Tragedy

Mon., May. 22, 2006 1:30 PM PDT by Josh Grossberg

Every dog has his day, but for this Dog, it was bittersweet.

Duane "Dog" Chapman, the star of A&E's hit reality series Dog the Bounty Hunter, exchanged vows Saturday with his longtime girlfriend Beth Smith in Hawaii. Sadly, the occasion was also used to pay heartfelt tribute to his daughter, who died unexpectedly the day before.

Reps for the cable network said 23-year-old Barbara Katy Chapman was killed in a car crash on Friday night, not far from her home in Fairbanks, Alaska.

According to Alaska state troopers, the accident occurred when the stolen SUV she was riding in rolled over, crashed into some trees, and landed upside down. The car's driver, Scott Standefer II, was also killed. Investigators suspect drugs or alcohol might have played a role in the crash and have ordered toxicology tests. The vehicle was reported stolen Thursday and the couple allegedly used a stolen credit card at the Chena Hot Springs resort on Friday.

Barbara was one of 11 in the bounty hunter's brood and had not been expected to attend the wedding.

Upon learning of her death, Chapman and the surviving kids conferred with a priest and decided to go ahead with the nuptials as planned, with an added celebration of Barbara's life.

"They all decided unanimously they should celebrate the wedding and her life," Michael Feeney, A&E's senior vice president, said in a statement.

According to the Associated Press, the wedding took place at the lush Hilton Waikoloa Village on Hawaii's Big Island. Chapman and Smith have been together for 16 years and have two children of their own.

In a ceremony fit for a bounty hunter, the mullet-sporting Dog decked himself out in white jeans and matching leather vest along with white boots and native American jewelry to honor his heritage while Smith wore on off-white lace gown with an open backing.

Reported to be among the party favors were dog tags with the inscription: "Dog and Beth. Captured. May 20, 2006."

Dog's best man was also the show's co-executive producer, Boris Krutonog. Cameras were reportedly on hand capturing footage of the wedding and the reception, which will be featured on Dog's Aug. 14 episode.

Network reps said the couple was considering postponing their honeymoon in Fiji in the wake of the younger Chapman's passing.

Barbara Chapman is also survived by her mother, Lyssa Greene, and her 4-year-old son, Travis Drake-Lee Chapman.