33 Years Since Tragic Death of Actress Rebecca Schaeffer
On July 18, 1989, rising star Rebecca Schaeffer was shot and killed in her home by a mentally ill fan, leading to the implication of the first anti-stalking laws in the United States in the wake of her death. In 2019, 20/20 released a documentary discussing her life, career, and death named Your Biggest Fan.
The 21-year-old star was just beginning her career at the time, taking part in smaller roles on shows across television. She received her big break on My Sister Sam, where she played across from Pam Dawber according to History.com. The show became a big hit and propelled her further to stardom and notoriety. As she was getting closer to her unknowing death, she was looking forward to having an even bigger role in The Godfather III.
With her fame came new fans: enter Robert John Bardo. Bardo's extreme interest in Schaeffer began to show while she was on Sam, sending large amounts of letters to the actress and attempting to gain access to the set to see her. According to Good Housekeeping, however, his innocent fascination turned to jealous rage after she did a sex scene for Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills, asserting that she was supposed to be clean and innocent for him. After that moment, he crafted a plan to take revenge.
Through a detective agency, he got her home address and went there on the day of the murder. At first, he met her and got an autograph before leaving, but later in the day, he returned, knocking once more, and shooting her when the door opened. He was arrested by police the next day, and in 1991 he was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
From this tragic death, the state of California passed two laws. One in 1994, the Drivers Privacy Protection Act that prevents the Department of Motor Vehicles from releasing private information, such as one’s address, to members of the public. The second was passed in 1990, the first anti-stalking law that criminalizes making anyone experience reasonable discomfort or feel unsafe. According to Good Housekeeping, by 2019 this law was recognized in all 50 states to protect everyone.
