The price of fame: A Hollywood dream turned dark | Forensic Files

[Music] our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents if you feel at
anytime you need support please contact your local crisis center for suggested phone numbers for confidential support
please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website in nineteen eighty six young actress
Rebecca Schaeffer landed her dream job beating out thousands of Hollywood hopefuls Rebecca was offered the second
lead in a new Hollywood sitcom which was the air weekly on the CBS television network in a primetime slot to the
outside world Rebecca was a complete unknown thrust into sudden stardom but even though she
was barely an adult she had packed a lot into her 18 years of life so far born November 6 1967 - father Benson a
psychologist and mother Dana a writer and teacher Rebecca Schaeffer was a much-loved only child she grew up in new
Jean Oregon enjoying a comfortable childhood her formative years were filled with horses poetry books the
outdoors and the unconditional love of her parents when Rebecca was age 13 her family moved
100 miles north to Laurelhurst an affluent suburb of vintage homes and winding tree-lined streets in Portland
Oregon there Rebecca enrolled in the elite Lincoln High School the same school Simpsons
creator Matt Groening had attended a decade earlier she excelled at school where she joined the talented and gifted
program and was elected a student officer by age 14 Rebecca was often complimented for her wholesome
girl-next-door natural beauty she strove to do well at school and was deeply committed to her Jewish faith
Rebecca considered pursuing a career as a rabbi when she was older she also contemplated careers as either a doctor
or a lawyer but it was a changed conversation with her hometown hairdresser who tended to her thick mop
of dark coals that landed her first break seeing the potential in Rebecca's perfect features the hairdresser
facilitated a meeting with another of his clients local talent agent Nanette trailmen Nanette wasted no time in
signing Rebecca ran as a client of the treatment agency and soon rebecca schaeffer sweet smile radiated from
department store catalogs and TV commercials convincing parents to spend up big on back-to-school items although
she had taken part in an occasional school play Rebecca hadn't given any consideration to a career in acting but
her agent found her some extra work on some local TV shows suddenly a whole new world was opening up to her into the
idea of becoming a doctor lawyer or rabbi was losing its Aloha when compared to the glamorous world of
modeling and performing in 1984 16-year old Rebecca landed a summer internship at Elite Model
Management which meant traveling to the other side of the country to spend three
months in New York City she welcomed all the challenges the Big Apple threw at her and soon felt at home so at home in
fact that she decided she wanted to stay to see if she could make it there as a model
Rebecca's parents weren't convinced of the idea despite Rebecca promising she would say out her final year of high
school at an academy for aspiring actors while she was working she made impassioned pleas and wore them
down with sound arguments supported by the agency which wanted the fresh young Rebecca on their books Dana and Benson
had to admit their daughter had inherited their own adventurous spirits and the risk-taking attitude that had
seen her father put his career on hold some years earlier to study adesh Theatre in New York not wanting to stand
in the way of her dreams the Schafer's relented and gave their daughter their blessing Rebecca wasted no time and by
August 1984 she was sharing a two-bedroom apartment in Manhattan with five other aspiring models she called
her parents regularly to let them know how she was doing one day not long after she had turned to seventeen years old
Rebecca was in the subway heading to an audition as she sat on a bench on the platform she noticed a man pacing back
and forth slapping a sharpened screwdriver against his hand Rebecca was wary but she noticed another
young woman in front of the man who was clearly terrified she marched over to the young woman a total stranger and
said oh it's nice to see you come on let's go get a coffee Rebecca took the woman by the hand and
pulled her up the stairs away from the troubled man upon hearing this story Rebecca's mother Donna felt proud of her
daughter's bravery and quick thinking she felt that a boated wou for survival in this crazy world
[Music] in New York competition in the modeling industry was fierce Rebecca Schaeffer
was one among an oversupply of young women struggling to find jobs at far foot seven inches she was at
least 2 inches below the minimum height to model high fashion as clothes sung so
much better on the girls who were taller she also began obsessing over her perfectly normal weight
comparing herself to the girls that graced of the pages of the fashion magazines
at anytime Rebecca could have cut her losses packed her bags and returned to the loving embrace of her parents but
Rebecca's youthful optimism saw her determined to make the most of the opportunities she had
she took up acting class five hours a day three days a week in a class of twenty students and found a theatrical
agent willing to take on a fresh young face with a strong work ethic aiming for work in film or theatrical
productions perhaps eventually getting to Broadway Rebecca audition for a small part in
sci-fi movie the Manhattan Project but didn't get the role instead she landed a small but ongoing role as any Barnes on
the long-running ABC daytime soap opera One Life to Live Rebecca was grateful for the work but never took data on soap
seriously as a career choice seeing the six-month role as a way to earn money while looking for modeling jobs she
wanted to join the ranks at the bright young models on teen magazine Madonna on the cover of Tiger Beat or when she was
really dreaming Brooke Shields on the cover of seventeen when her agency suggested that there might be a stronger
market for someone of her heart in Tokyo where her pale skin and Breann curls would be considered episodic once again
the ambitious teen didn't hesitate her parents couldn't believe that their only daughter was traveling even further away
to foreign lands but Rebecca reassured them that she would be alright Rebecca told them no matter where we are
in the world we are like a three-legged stool the Seine became her family's mantra' Rebecca made the move to Japan
in 1985 but still she struggled to find work within a year she returned to the United States and once back in New York
her agent gave her the tough truth that she was unlikely to make it big as a model in America
however she had earned herself a good reputation as reliable and hardworking on One Life to Live so her agent advised
Rebecca to pursue acting instead Rebecca began the grueling job of auditioning and facing rejection after
rejection as she entered a world that was arguably even more competitive and difficult to crack than modeling she
never let the rejections get her down believing that it was a numbers game and she would eventually pick up some work
her optimism was rewarded when a casting director remembered her from the audition for the Manhattan Project and
it was impressed enough to ask her to audition for Woody Allen's new film Radio days Rebecca got the part which
was to mourn her for her character to be given a name other than simply communists daughter
work on the sharp satirical film was fun and rewarding and soon after Rebecca landed another small part on the Steven
Spielberg Twilight Zone esque television series Amazing Stories her role was as a
magazine model come to life in the episode miscalculation despite these minor successes Rebekah
missed out on the vast majority of the parts she auditioned for and her modelling work was sporadic at best she
tried to remain upbeat and hopeful but the bills were mounting and her phone was cut off she was just starting to
contemplate waitressing when in the winter of 1986 she came home to a note stuck on her door it was from her agent
asking her to urgently get in touch about testing for a new Warner Brothers television series called my sister Sam
the series was the best starring vehicle for Pam Dawber an actress who weren't Hollywood stardom thanks to her
long-running role as Mindy to Robin Williams Mork in the cult series Mork and Mindy in my
sister Sam Pam Dawber would be playing the title role of Sam and the studio was on the hunt for someone to be given
second billing to the more established actress playing Sam's assignee little sister Patty the television producers
had seen some of Rebecca Schafer's auditions and thought she would fit the bill as patty perfectly Rebecca jumped
on a plane and was tested for the part the next day Rebecca certainly looked the part of the
flawed eating character she easily passed for a 16 year old even though it was nearly three years younger than her
actual age the studio executives loved her and to the chemistry she had with Pam Dawber and so it came to be that
serious hard-working indian vicious rebecca was cast to play flaky impulsive patty on my sister Sam Robert John Bardo
liked to write letters he would scroll them in a ballpoint pen on pages ripped from notebooks sitting
in whichever corner of his parents house allowed him some respite from the scorching Arizona Heat
sometimes he would send the letters other times the raw emotion was too personal and he would file them away
instead the youngest of seven children Robert Bardo had a tough upbringing the family would move frequently sometimes
due to his father's job as a noncommissioned officer in the United States Air Force but other times because
trouble seemed to follow the dysfunctional family eventually in 1983 the Bardo settled into a single-story
house in Tucson Arizona when Robert was 13 Tucson had a high crime rate but low cost of living and was hot all year
round temperatures soared over 100 degrees fahrenheit in summer and stayed there for months on end
hunting and fishing were the most popular pastimes with plenty of nearby places to do so in high school
Robert was a bright student but he was also a loner with no friends although he had no trouble achieving high marks
sometimes he would write disturbing and threatening letters to his teachers in junior high he wrote one teacher up to
three letters a day in which he spoke about ending his own life and hinted at killing the teacher he saw into the
letters with the names of tough-guy movie characters Scarface Dirty Harry or James Bond the school contacted his
parents but they refused to enroll him in counseling claiming there was nothing wrong with him although generally
well-spoken and polite there was something odd about Robert Bardo that made him incapable of
maintaining a relationship with anyone neighbors often saw him hanging from the eaves of his parents single-story house
swinging into the windows sometimes they saw him charging into a concrete wall in
his backyard over and over as if help bent on self-destruction other times he seemed
to be playing hide-and-seek with imaginary friends with nobody to play with Robert spent much of his time
watching television and movies where he could escape into a fantasy world he was
fascinated by actors musicians and anyone else who lived their lives in the spotlight desperately unhappy in school
and at home Robert yearned to be one of the rich and famous the type of boy that the girls in
the magazines and on the TV screen would fall in love with sometimes he would practice guitar in the hopes of
furthering his dream of becoming a rock star when he was 13 years old a new type
of girl celebrity appeared on Roberts TV screen this time in the news and on talk
shows instead of acting or singing the young girl by the name of Samantha Reed Smith seemed to be everywhere the media
was calling her America's youngest ambassador the precocious Samantha had written to Soviet leader Yuri and drop
off to implore him not to let Russia go to war with the United States she asked him to reconsider hostilities because
quote God made the world for us to live together in peace and not to fight the letter was published in a Soviet
newspaper into the sweet simple words of a little girl resonated with the public
in both countries Samantha received a response from Andrew of inviting her and her family to visit in Russia and from
there the little girl became a celebrity who everyone wanted to win a view Robert
became infatuated with Samantha Reed Smith and decided to do what he did best he write her a letter the letter was
polite and heartfelt praising her work and telling her how much he admired her Robert was thrilled to receive a
postcard from Samantha in response the Smith family's phone number was still listed in directories Robert soon found
it and began calling to speak to his new crush one time he got lucky when Samantha answered the phone and they had
a chat mostly on Roberts side as he rambled trying to keep the conversation going after that Samantha's relatives
always answered the phone and when they realized that was Robert on the line they asked him to stop calling they
recalled the boy to be persistent but never rude just difficult to get off the phone as Samantha star continued to rise
Robert felt that the two of them had a real connection he understood that she was busier than ever as she had parlayed
her fame into hosting her own Disney shows and writing a book but he still tried his luck by calling again and
again Samantha's family denied him from speaking with her every time the more Robert was blocked from contacting
Samantha the more obsessed he became in Roberts mind he and Samantha had a relationship that other people were
trying to spoil frustrated by his inability to get in contact with her 14 year-old Robert stole one hundred and
forty dollars from his mother's purse and set off on the 2800 mile journey to Maine the trip took several days and by
the time he arrived his parents had figured out what he planned to do they contacted the Maine authorities and
Robert was taken into custody about two blocks from Samantha's home noting that he carried no weapons and if there was
no indication he planned to harm the girl the police wrote him off as just another lovesick teen and returned him
home to his parents Robert was later diagnosed with depression following what he claimed was a sustained period of
abuse by one of his siblings Robert threatened to end his life and was subsequently placed in foster care
for a month then in August 1995 Samantha Reed Smith died in a light plane crash at age 13
Robert was overcome with grief at the loss of his celebrity crush and spiraled further into depression believing he had
somehow been responsible for her death at age 15 he was briefly institutionalized due to his emotional
problems this led Robert to drop out of high school in the ninth grade despite achieving consistently good marks he
began working as a janitor at a fast-food joint jack-in-the-box the work was boring and
even more isolating with its 5:00 a.m. starts and a little contact with people his retreat into the fantasy world where
he could pretend to be part of the glamorous lives of the people he saw on the television screen became even more
intense in the summer of 1986 Roberts saw a commercial for a new television series which was due to starred in the
fall he watched the cute curly-haired teenage girl talking cheekily to the actress he
recognized there's Mindy from Mork and Mindy as the teenage girl spoke to the audience from the glowing television
screen Robert felt she was speaking directly to him he was instantly infatuated by her
quirkiness and beauty and he couldn't wait for the new show my sister Sam to start as soon as she had confirmation
that she had landed the role in my sister Sam 19 year old Rebecca Schaeffer once again packed her bags and moved
across the country this time to Hollywood Rebecca's grandfather lived in West Los
Angeles so her parents were relieved as she had family nearby and she was now closer to home to make visiting much
easier Rebecca and the show star Pam Dawber hit it off immediately once they started filming p.m. invited Rebecca to
come and live with her or interact her husband Mark Harmon an invitation Rebecca gratefully accepted Rebecca had
not fallen in love with Los Angeles as instantly as she had with New York in New York everything she needed had been
on her doorstep but she felt that LA was too spread out Rebecca lamented to her mother that she
missed being able to order Chinese food at 3:00 a.m. however her new job kept her busy and everyone on set took being
experienced a teenager under their wing the cast became Rebecca's second family and she
would fall out crew around the set when she wasn't required asking intelligent questions curious to know what they were
doing she liked to know how everyone fit in and who wanted to understand all the
jobs that went into making a television show the pilot of my sister Sam went to air on October 6 1986 in the plum
timeslot of Monday's at 8:30 p.m. scheduled between two of the most popular shows on the CBS liner Kate now
had eight and a new heart at 9:00 the show was typical sitcom Fair p.m. dauber played an ambitious uptight photographer
who was living an orderly life in San Francisco when out of the blue her free-spirited tie-dye wearing youngest
sister Patty landed on her doorstep patty had been living with her aunt and uncle in Oregon since the death of her
parents but when they tried to make her trade her electric guitar for a clarinet
and some Benny Goodman records she tracked to be on her sister in the big city navigating this new relationship
the chalk and cheese duo proceeded to turn each other's lives upside down whilst giving each other valuable life
lessons the sisters were joined by the usual cast of wacky and stereotypical sitcom sidekicks
despite lukewarm reviews in the press the cheesy sweet-natured sitcom of generation gap humor struck a chord with
the American viewing public Rebecca and Pam had great chemistry and Rebecca played her character with such charm and
infectious sweet-natured goofiness the many viewers assumed that the actress was much the same way
Rebecca's Patty was a wannabe rock star with good intentions but who was always getting into scrapes much to the
annoyance of the uptight and sensible Sam by the end of each half-hour episode everything would get resolved and bring
the sisters closer together it was a quintessential 80s sitcom full of big poems choice fashion
and wisecracking characters the popularity of the show revived PM daubers career and shot rebecca
schaeffer in to be less celebrity Fame she was interviewed for stories about my sister Sam and her pitcher would pop up
in a different celebrity magazine every week CBS put Rebecca to work across promoting
and in November she rubbed up and braved the Toronto winter to co-host the Canadian part of the 1986 all-american
Thanksgiving Parade she charmed her co-hosts and proved her versatility and ability to ad-lib whilst dutifully
promoting the various sponsors of the network once my sister Sam had been on air for a few weeks
Rebecca discovered another aspect of stardom fan mail started trickling in passed on to her by Warner Brothers or
her agent the letters were sweet and gushing mostly from young girls who aspired to be like her Rebecca was
determined to read and respond to every single one sixteen-year-old Robert Bardo waited
eagerly for my sister Sam to start and to his ready with his video tape recorder firts debut on October 6 1996
entranced by Rebecca Schafer's sweet smile into the same personality of her character Robert was immediately smitten
by the youngest star Rebecca was beautiful wholesome modest and in Roberts mind attainable after he watched
the premiere episode life he watched it again on tape he then looked up the TV Guide to find out when repeats were
scheduled and he watched those two with interviewing Robertson chairman with Rebecca Schaeffer grew he went to the
store and flipped through magazines looking for articles about her and took in every detail he decided he would
write Rebecca a letter and let her know how he felt about her nothing too intense just telling her how pretty and
nice she was and how happy it made him to watch her Robert wrote one letter then another and another there were long
rambling letters in blue ball point where he poured his heart out to her he loved how she was so fresh and
innocent a sweet girl next door type rather than one of the starlets that used to sex appeal to get attention he
believed her they could be friends he family they could meet Robert felt that Rebecca's character paddy was somebody
who would really understand him paddy was 16 the same age as him and played guitar just like he did he was sure that
Rebecca was much the same as the character she played as he wrote to Rebecca Robert felt himself beginning to fall in
love with her he was careful not to overstep the line in his letters though because he didn't want to scare her off
his letters were gushing and adoring designed to make her feel good the ones that went a bit too far he put to one
side without sending keeping them for himself to read when he was lonely after the success of my sister Sam Los
Angeles had suddenly become a far more exciting place for Rebecca Schaeffer her star status meant she was invited to
premieres and parties snapped by paparazzi and showered with gifts by brands who hoped she would be
photographed wearing their clothes or using their products most of Rebecca's time was spent at the Burbank studios
where her co-stars and the crew on the set became her closest friends in between takes she would stretch out on a
Warner the Warner Brothers a lot known as the ranch she treated everyone with the same warmth EEMA and respect from
the head of the studio to the latest production assistant when it came to her work she was the ultimate professional
although she loved living with her co-star Pam Dawber Rebecca's independent spirit led her to
crave a home of her own she moved into a small apartment in the Hollywood Hills where she was free to dance around the
kitchen and practice yoga any time of day or night and began to expand her social circle in early 1987 a friend set
her up on a blind date with an emerging young screenwriter and director it was Brad Silberling is very last day of film
school and he was distracted when he agreed to go on a date with the actress for years his junior for the date Brad
escorted Rebecca to a screening of his student thesis he was berating himself her agreeing to the set up at a time
when things were so hectic but that all dissolved away when he opened at the door to the beautiful brunette Brad it
was immediately smitten with Rebecca and soon fell for the wicked sense of humor
that tempered her serious saw it he understood and supported Rebecca's commitment to her work and her maturity
meant that the 4-year age gap was barely noticeable Brad it was Rebecca's first real boyfriend but she
wouldn't allow out the new romance to get in the way of her work as she spent so much time on set Brad would often
visit and sit with Pam Dawber husband mark where the two would watch the women perform in March 1987 a long-held dream
of Rebecca's was realized when she was chosen to be the cover girl for Seventeen magazine the leading magazine
for teenage girls in America it was one of the most coveted modeling gigs in the
country and meant recognition that Rebecca was somebody to watch although she was now a television star
Rebecca was not one for the stereotypical Hollywood lifestyle she maintained her adherence to her Jewish
faith and there was never snapped by the paparazzi in compromising photographs preferring quiet nights at home and
simpler outdoor trips on the weekends or visits home to Oregon my sister Sam continued to rate well into the cast
were elated to be told that the show had been need for a second season Robert barro
videotaped the Thanksgiving Day Parade in which Rebecca Schaeffer gets presented along with every episode of my
sister Sam he also tracked her down Rebecca's appearance in the television series Amazing Stories and added that to
his video collection he scoured magazines and newspapers for any mention of Rebecca and if he couldn't steal them
he would use his make a paycheck to buy them and cut out the articles and pitches he even got a copy of Seventeen
magazine which was targeted to girls because Rebecca was on the cover he read so much about Rebecca that he
felt like he knew her too Robert Rebecca was not a stranger and he felt it in his
soul that one day that would be together unsure of the best address to reach her
Robert sent letters to the studio a lot of Warner Brothers and to Rebecca's agents in New York and to Los Angeles he
did receive responses glossy photos of the starlet sometimes with her signature on them then he received a photograph of
Rebecca with a peace symbol and a heart that said with love from Rebecca the photo became Robert's most treasured
possession proved to him that their attraction was mutual the day he received it he wrote in his diary quote
I would like to become famous to impress her Robert taped Rebecca's photographs to
the walls of his room along with pictures of her he carefully cut from magazines he kept the articles neatly
tucked away in paper folders that he stored safely in a drawer soon his room became a shrine to Rebecca with barely a
spot on his wall left uncovered in his heartfelt letters Robert would quote John Lennon and also write song
lyrics of his own he told Rebecca how sensitive he was assuring her in one letter quote on harmless you could hurt
me he told her how one episode of my sister Sam in which her character yearned for the life of a celebrity
particularly resonated with him I know what you mean he wrote to her his letters were filled with hope of a
friendship and hinted that he was interested in more Robert waited patiently for Rebecca to respond to him
after a brief vacation when the first season of my sister Sam wrote rebecca schaeffer returned to the studio and
continued to spend all of her time on set her work remained her top priority and her relationship with boyfriend Brad
Silberling suffered as a result eventually the pair decided to split though things between the two remained
amicable Rebecca's fan mail was now delivered to her in Saks forwarded to her after the
office weeded out any that were rude or offensive Rebecca still wanted to respond personally to h1 but it was
becoming difficult and she had to enlist the help of a Hollywood fan mail service
to ensure that each letter got some sort of reply usually a mass produced photo with her printed autograph Rebecca still
received every piece and would try to respond to personally whenever she could she had a number of stock phrases that
she would scroll across the post card sized publicity shots and sometimes she would draw hearts or peace symbols she
responded to one rambling letter with quote yours is one of the nicest letters I've received a standard response she
wrote to fans who took the time to write long letters even though she didn't have
time to read them properly Rebecca had become used to people recognizing her and occasionally
stopping her in the street for a chat or an autograph sometimes fans would try and visit her on the set but the
security guards nearly always turned to them away and the studio usually didn't bother her with the details
although Rebecca dated occasionally she was mostly a loner who would just as soon sit at home practicing yoga or
writing poetry then attend a nightclub opening or film premiere that year she moved from Hollywood Hills to North
Sweetzer of Anu a street of 1940s era spacious apartments and sunny courtyards in a quiet neighborhood near the Fairfax
District in West Hollywood the area had a cool slightly edgy vibe and a mix of hip and trendy restaurants and quirky
shops it was popular with the industry's up and comers who were comfortable but didn't have the a-list incomes required
to live in neighboring Beverly Hills one of Rebecca's neighbors was a handsome chiseled jaw wannabe actor whose credits
so far only amounted to a feature spotting at pringles TV commercial and a substandard slasher horror flick a young
man named a Brad Pitt Rebecca's new apartment was in a small Tudor style apartment block the entrance was a glass
security door on the ground floor where visitors would press the button of the apartment they wanted and announced
themselves via intercom before being buzzed in Rebecca's parents were happy with the move to an area they considered
safer than the one she had lived in previously when Robert Bardo received a new photo
of Rebecca in the mail this one was truly special she had taken the time to personally write to let him know that
she treasured his letters she had written quote yours is one of the nicest letters I've received Robert wondered
which letter it had been that elicited the personal response as he had written so many he was excited that their
relationship had gone to another level that Rebecca acknowledged for their connection and that maybe she was
falling in love with him as he had with her everyone who came into contact with Robert got an earful about how amazing
Rebecca was and they all knew the boy he had a celebrity crush that bordered on obsessive in the summer of 1987 Robert
decided to visit Rebecca so that he could tell her how he felt in person he founded the cheapest Greyhound bus
ticket for the 10 hour journey to California and spent the money he had saved from his janitor job on a huge
teddy bear and the largest bouquet of flowers he could afford On June 2 Robert made his way to the Warner Brothers
Studios in Burbank security guards were used to fans arriving at the gates hoping to meet with their idols and many
of them came bearing gifts still there was an unusual sight to see a teenage boy bustle up to the gate clutching a
ridiculous five foot high teddy bear and a huge bunch of flowers when Robert asked to see rebecca
schaeffer he was like a lovesick puppy nervous but full of hope although the security guards felt sorry
for him rules were rules fans were not allowed on the lot while actors were working and
Robert was turned away desperate to be led in Robert showed the security guards the handwritten no he'd received from
Rebecca and assured them that she would want to see him but they stayed firm bewildered and upset Robert loitered
outside the studio in the shadow of the iconic Warner Brothers water tower trying to catch a glimpse of Rebecca
only to be told he had missed her when he walked across the street to buy something to drink later he went on a
mission to the Hollywood Hills wandering the winding streets on the lookout for any apartments that matched the
description Rebecca had given in an interview with Seventeen magazine unable to find her out of money and needing to
return to work Robert reluctantly went back home to Arizona he bombarded the studio with telephone calls insisting he
be allowed to speak to Rebecca but they never put him through Robert wondered if Rebecca was becoming
arrogant too important to speak to her fans or if the studio was simply not passing on his messages
a month later Robert returned to the Warner Brothers Studios with a knife concealed in a bag
the security guards recognized him as the annoying fan who was fixated on Rebecca Schaeffer and again they refused
to let him in Robert was so persistent that the guards escorted him to the office of their boss John F Eggar
the security chief of Warner Brothers Eggar demanded an explanation Robert launched into details about how
much he loved Rebecca Schaeffer and that he just wanted to give her the teddy bear and flowers of the security guards
had stood in his way he told the security chief how far he had come to see her Edgar's heart went out to the
lovesick fan who struck him as intelligent and polite but also overly intense he thought the teen needed a bit
of tough love but also needed to be far away from Rebecca the security chief escorted robert off the premises and
personally drove him back to his run-down Hollywood motel in the car they had a heart-to-heart talk in which
Egger firmly told Robert that it was time he returned to Arizona edgar advised Robert to forget about the
actress go home and work towards his own goals Eggar felt he had done the right thing
thinking the kid just needed someone to talk to later Robert call [ __ ] from a payphone at the bus station on his way
out of town thanking him for the chat and telling him he would take his advice however the incident was unsettling
enough that the head of security informed the show's production company that Rebecca Schaeffer had a fan who
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that's your first refill pack free at GE t qu yp.com slash case file if the production company told rebecca
schaeffer about robber Bardot it didn't make much of an impact on her she may have told friends in passing
about an overly persistent fan but it wasn't something that the actor seemed to dwell upon she was too busy dealing
with a sudden change of fortune in her working life the second half of 1997 was not as great
for Rebecca as the first half had been the Woody Allen film she had worked on radio days came out and Rebecca's scenes
had been cut they remained only the briefest glimpse of her in the background an even greater blow came
with the announcement of a scheduling change for my sister Sam rather than the Prime Monday evening
timeslot the second season of the sitcom would play on Saturday evenings up against the facts of life a well
entrenched and hugely popular show aimed at a similar demographic the new season
started on October 3 in 1987 opening to a much smaller audience than the first season had enjoyed over the next few
weeks ratings fell to a level so dismal that by November the network put the show on hiatus while they decided what
to do with it the cast and crew of my sister Sam were deeply disappointed but the show remained in production while
decisions were made about its future during this time Rebecca maintained her trademark optimism and work ethic giving
the role of patty her full attention she still enjoyed personal popularity and recognition and was invited back to
co-host the CBS Thanksgiving Parade for the second year running this time from Detroit Michigan the acts came down in
early 1988 and my sister Sam was officially canceled by CBS after episode 10 of season 2 leaving 12 remaining
episodes unaired rebecca schaeffer was officially out of a job deflated by his encounter with the security guards at
the Warner Brothers lot brother Bardot tried to forget about Rebecca Schaeffer he removed the photographs that had
donned his bedroom walls but didn't throw them away forgetting about Rebecca didn't stop Robert from yearning for the
celebrity lifestyle or he's burning wish to have a famous and beautiful girlfriend
Robert turned his attention to pop singers who we thought it might be more receptive to him as he was an aspiring
musician himself eighties pop sensations Debbie Gibson and Tiffany were soon on Roberts radar he considered Madonna but
then deemed her to be too old he started writing letters to the pop stars but none wrote back
he went to a Tiffany concert but noted the heavy security and it knew there was no chance of getting anywhere near her
in 1988 Robert made the track to New York City in the hope of meeting Debbie Gibson he was again rebuffed by security
guards and unsuccessful in his attempts to meet with his new crush while he was there
Robert visited the spot where Mark David Chapman had gunned down to one of Roberts heroes
former Beatle band member John Lennon Robert had read a book about the murder and to learn too that Chapman was the
son of an Air Force servicemen just like him and felt lost in the world also just
like him Robert found himself relating to a guy he had previously despised for killing one of his music heroes Mark
Chapman had been obsessed with the book Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger and had repeatedly said afterwards that the
book inspired him to carry out the assassination Robert bought a copy of the book for himself trying to determine
how it had motivated Chapman to kill Lennon he read it twice but still couldn't figure it out back home Robert
barro his erratic behavior led to some brushes with the law over the next year he was arrested three times on domestic
violence and disorderly conduct charges in one of the incidents his brother called 9-1-1 after he and Robert had a
dispute over the living room TV which escalated into violence both were arrested and his brother maintained that
Robert had gone crazy Robert was never formally convicted for any charges but after pleading no
contest after the third arrest Robert was sentenced to an unsupervised counseling program
but he never enrolled and nobody ever followed up on it rebecca schaeffer had captivated millions playing the euro
pressable paddy in my sister sam and unlike the rest of the cast she was still very young whilst the cancellation
of her TV show is disappointing it had certainly not put an end to her career rebecca recommends to the rounds of
auditions for film television and theater she talked friends that she still harbored dreams of being in a
Shakespearean play or making the leap from TV star to serious film actress as always
auditions more often than not ended in disappointment but at least Rebecca's name was on the radar with casting
agents the roles she auditioned for were in big films from top Hollywood producers however she was never quite
right for the part or someone else was just that bit more suited to it Rebecca was briefly considered for the
lead role of Vivian Ward in romantic comedy pretty woman but was deemed to college with too much youthful sweetness
to be taken seriously for the character Julia Roberts who eventually landed the role was only nine days older than
Rebecca but came across as more worldly Rebecca knew that one of the biggest risks for an actor who appeared every
week on a popular TV show was that people could not see that act there is anyone but the character they play in an
attempt to shed the padi association and avoid being typecast she began to make subtle changes to her appearance that
made her look more sophisticated she picked up roles in a couple of made-for-tv movies sci-fi thriller out
of time and a drama voyage of terror the Achille Lauro affair she was able to satisfy some of her
wanderlust with a voyage of terror in which she worked with Hollywood legend Burt Lancaster and Eva Marie st. and got
to travel to Egypt for the filming Rebecca's break into a major motion movie picture came when she was cast to
play Sandra a spoiled daughter in Paul Bartel satire scenes from the class struggle in Beverly Hills the part was
small but those who work with her were impressed by Rebecca's acting skills and she was considered a sweetheart to work
with there was a buzz around Rebecca Schaeffer and her name was on the lips of some of Hollywood's most prominent
executives the 20 year old was an up-and-coming actress in Hollywood and one to watch although Robert Bardo had
tried to forget Rebecca Schaeffer and replace her with other famous women none of his new celebrity crushers ever quite
lived up to the sweet innocent Rebecca she was no longer on TV but there was still occasional TV appearances on talk
shows and interviews in magazines in them she would talk about the roles that she had in forthcoming films and Robert
noted them carefully in his diary so he could be sure to see them as soon as they came in he was one of the first to
buy a ticket to scenes from the class struggle in Beverly Hills when it was released in May 1989 it was billed as a
comedy and he looked forward to Rebecca reprising her role as a wacky but sweet wholesome teenager what he saw shook him
to the core the film was edgier than he expected a dark satire and parody of soap operas in
the film Rebecca had a love scene in which she appeared in bed with her co-star Ray Sharkey the scene was mild
but sex was clearly implied Roberts innocent image of Rebecca was shattered he felt she was just like all the others
a quote Hollywood [ __ ] prepared to sleep her way to the top deeply disturbed Robert went home and wrote to
Rebecca again his letters took on a more menacing tone in one he called her quote
mist nudity two-shoes by 1989 Rebecca was working steadily but had yet to land a role that put her in the
spotlight like my sister Sam she rekindled her relationship with Brad Silberling in the early part of the year
and the two who were soon exclusive the couple celebrated the release of scenes from the class struggle in Beverly Hills
which was popular with both critics and the public and Brad would sometimes visit Rebecca on the set of the new film
she was working on the end of innocence when they weren't working they spent their dates with simple home-cooked
meals or cuddled up on the couch with Rebecca's cat Katherine named after Katherine Hepburn the couple started
discussing the possibility of getting engaged Rebecca had been brought up to have a
social conscience when still at school she helped her father child psychologist dr. Benson Schafer teach a class for
developmentally disabled youngsters in 1989 her chosen cause was Thursday's child a charity for at-risk teens and
young adults she donated her time and her high-profile becoming a spokesperson for the organization and helping out
when she could when she missed the signing event for the charity because of filming commitments
she made a personal appearance at a girl shelter where the girls excitedly crowded around her as she graciously
signed autographs for all of them Rebecca's popularity had not waned despite no longer being a regular
fixture on people's television sets two sacks of unanswered female sat on her laundry room for waiting for Rebecca to
have a long enough break in her schedule to get around to them Robert Bardo his obsession with Rebecca
Schaeffer was reignited but it was different now he still loved her but he believed in new photographs Rebecca had
lost some of her youthful sweetness and was looking older and harder he presumed
that it was because she was sleeping around and he believed she should be punished for her immorality frustrated
that he had failed on his many attempts to meet or speak to Rebecca Robert turned to stories of other
celebrity stalkers for hints about how they managed to get close to their targets a People magazine article
provided inspiration it told the story of Raging Bull actress - Reza Saldana who had nearly been killed in a frenzied
stabbing attack by Scottish drifter Arthur Jackson in 1982 Jackson had hired a private investigator to get the phone
number of the actresses mother whom he then tricked into giving up so Donna's address Robert Bardo pulled out the
Yellow Pages and called the first private investigator listed for Tucson AAA investigators they told him they
could find anyone but it would cost at least 250 dollars Robert rifled through his meager possessions looking for
things he could pawn or sell the next day he sold two guitars about 20 compact discs and an amplifier which provided
him with enough money to pay the private investigator and have enough left over for a Greyhound bus ticket to Los
Angeles On June 1 1989 Robert Bardo entered the door of a a investigators clutching a
folder containing several letters and a glossy photograph of smiling Rebecca Schaeffer he explained to the
investigator that Rebecca was an old friend with whom he had corresponded in the past but they had lost touch when
she moved house he wanted her new address so he could send her a gift Robert presented as an ordinary teenager
who held down a job and had delivered with these parents in the same address in the area for several years more
importantly he had two hundred and fifty dollars in cash ready to pay for a job that would take a few phone calls and to
cost a couple of bucks the investigator happily accepted Robert as a client and promised him the information as soon as
possible what Robert didn't know was that anyone in California could ring the Department of Motor Vehicles interferin
nominal fee get someone's driver's license details including their address he could have done it himself and saved
the 250 dollars if he had known as soon as he left the office the investigator put in a call to a contact in Los
Angeles who weaselly got Rebecca Schafer's current address pee investigators provided their new
client with the information into the simple business transaction was settled at the beginning of July Rebecca
Schafer's agent called with news that could once again change the young woman's life legendary Hollywood
director Francis Ford Coppola when had heard of audition for the third installment of the Godfather trilogy the
part was Mary Corleone favorite daughter of the head of a mafia family and a pivotal role in The Godfather Part three
Ford Coppola had considered multiple actresses including Julia Roberts and Madonna but he believed Rebecca
Schaeffer was the one who was right for the part there was the sort of role that could
catapult the 21 year old out of the bay list and writing her a list celebrity fame working with one of the most famous
Directors in the world would open up endless possibilities for a young actress after he received - Rebecca
Schafer's address from the private investigator Robert Bardo had another stop to make at 19 he was too young to
legally purchase a firearm in Arizona where the legal age limit was 21 so Robert enlisted the help of his older
brother Edgar the two young men entered Jensen's firearms and browsed the guns on display Robert pointed out a 357
magnum and told the salesman it was the one he wanted although it should have been obvious the hamp film was being
purchased for the underage Robert ended us and illegal purchase the salesman allowed Edgar to Boyett with no
questions asked Robert wrote a letter to his sister in Tennessee in whom he sometimes confided and told her of his
love for Rebecca Schaeffer adding quote if I can't have her no one can on July 15 Robert Bardo was disturbed by
the noise of a party across the street his neighbors were holding a 15th birthday party for their daughter
Robert marched over the road screaming and swearing telling the partygoers to go back to Mexico when they failed to
respond he screamed if you don't shut up I'm going to get my 357 Magnum and shoot
you that night Robert drew a diagram of Rebecca Schafer's body and two marked spots where he planned to shoot her he
listened to music by Irish rock band u2 specifically the song exit the second-to-last song on the band's 1997
album the Joshua tree he listened to the lyrics that sang of heavy pistols and beating love and he became convinced you
too was telling him what he needed to do Robert Rowe Rebecca another letter before booking a ticket on an overnight
Greyhound bus before he left Robert apologized to his neighbor for his threatening outburst he packed these
copy of Catcher in the Rye and his gun and a left aboard the bus on the evening of Monday July 17 Rebecca
Schaeffer hosted a gathering for her grandfather's 71st birthday it was not going to be a late finish as her
grandfather was rarely up for a big night but even more importantly Rebecca had to be fresh for an 11 o'clock
audition the following morning for the Godfather Part 3 Rebecca's parents called from Oregon to ensure she passed
on their birthday wishes and to wish her luck for the audition they ended the call as they always did
each telling the other I love you at 7 p.m. Robert Bardo boarded an overnight Greyhound bus in Tucson bound for Los
Angeles after a restless night the bus arrived to Union Station in LA in the early hours of Tuesday morning July 18
Robert didn't pack a change of clothes so when the bus arrived to LA his yellow shirt was creased and his hair
disheveled the terminal was some way from the address the investigator had given him and he couldn't afford a cab
but Robert was adept at public transport and had been to LA enough times to know
the bus routes he jumped on a city bus headed west Robert arrived at north Switzer Avenue and made his way along
the sunny tree-lined street to Rebecca's address the white building looked like a
Tudor mansion and Robert wasn't sure he had the right place he reached into the manila folder he was carrying and pulled
out the photograph that Rebecca had signed to him Robert began accosting passers-by thrusting the photograph of
Rebecca under their noses and asking if they knew where the woman in the picture
lived after being ignored Robert trusted he had the right address after all and pressed on the buzzer -
Rebecca Schafer's apartment rebecca schaeffer whoa burly on the morning of tuesday july 18 it was the
day of the biggest audition of her career so far the script for The Godfather Part three would be delivered
to her apartment sometime that morning couriered over by the studio shortly before her audition as was customary for
major films as luck would have it the intercom to Rebecca's apartment building was broken and she would have to go
downstairs to answer the door that led out to the street while she waited she called her boyfriend Brad to ask him
about the new screenplay he had been hired to write Brad didn't pick up so she left a message on his answering
machine when Robert Bardo sounded the buzzer to Rebecca's apartment he didn't know the
machine was busted and that Rebecca would appear in person at the glass security door to greet him when she
appeared the starstruck teen blurted out that he was her number one fan whilst holding up the sign to photograph he out
of her Rebecca's small record Lee and commented that it was clever of him to find out where she lived but it wasn't
appropriate for him to come to her house I appreciate you coming but please don't
return she requested as she shook his hand please take care she said before closing the door Rebecca returned to her
apartment to shower and get ready the phone rang and she spoke briefly to Brad who had
returned her call and wanted to wish her luck for the audition knowing how important it was to her Rebecca's
audition outfit was neatly laid out on the bed ready for her to change into just before going to her meeting
Robert Bardo walked away from Rebecca Schafer's apartment block shaken and disarmed with how lovely she had been to
him realizing he had neden since boarding the bus the night before he retreated to a nearby diner Chan's
restaurant on Beverly Boulevard where he ordered onion rings and a cheesecake he
pulled out the copy of Catcher in the Rye and wondered again about Chapman calmly reading it at a cafe table just
like the one he was at after shooting John Lennon he rang his sister in Tennessee and when she answered he said
quote on the block and a half away from Rebecca Schafer's house he told her he was on a mission to stop Rebecca
forsaking her innocent image and becoming a quote fornicating screen [ __ ] but he didn't say what that
mission would entail as he finished his meal Robert felt the cassette tape in the folder that he had meant to give to
Rebecca it contains samples of his music songs that he had written about her into which
he had meant to give her along with the last letter he had written he had been too flustered by the encounter and had
forgotten to do it Rebecca had told Robert not to come back but he needed her to hear his lyrics and read his
words Robert decided to return to Rebecca's apartment at 10:15 a.m. he rang the buzzer to
Rebecca's apartment for the second time moments later Rebecca appeared at the door in her bathrobe upon realizing it
was Robert disturbing her once again she gritted her teeth and glared at him she said you came to my door again
you're wasting my time reaching into the manila folder robert replied I forgot to
give you this but instead of pulling out his cassette tape he pulled out the 357
magnum stepping forward Robert grabbed Rebecca's forearm so she couldn't slam the door shut or move away
Rebecca's eyes widened as rubber pointed the hand gun at her chest his finger was
already squeezing the trigger as she screamed why why as Rebecca crumpled to the ground on the
doorstep Robert briefly considered turning the gun on himself and falling on top of her instead he ran discarding
the gun his yellow shirt and his copy of Catcher in the Rye nearby Rebecca's neighbors startled by the screams in the
sound of gunfire found Rebecca lying on her back in the doorway the patch of blood spreading across her chest
neighbors called emergency services and as they waited for the ambulance one neighbor Presta tears into her wound
hoping to stop the bleeding an ambulance rushed to Rebecca to hospital but within
30 minutes of her arrival Rebecca Schaeffer had passed away when news of Rebecca's slaying hit the
press Robert Bardo sister contacted a friend in the Tennessee Highway Patrol to tell them she was sure that her
little brother was the culprit her friend contacted Los Angeles Police and by 2:00 a.m. authorities had a name of a
prime suspect but no idea where he might be believing he may have returned home the
LAPD notified police in Arizona later that morning Tucson TV news reporter James weiner overheard a report on his
police scanner that a dirty and disheveled man was running into freeway traffic in what looked like a suicidal
game of chicken grabbing his cameraman wieder attended the scene and saw a young man behaving erratically
perhaps drunk or stoned but definitely disorientated when police apprehended the man we described his manner and the
look on his face as reminiscent of Vincent d'Onofrio's portrayal of the tortured and unstable character private
Leonard Lawrence in the film Full Metal Jacket with his head held low and his eyes locked up would in a blank
terrifying stare upon his arrest Robert Bardo was passive and polite to everyone
he told police he thought he deserved to die because Rebecca was dead he told them where they could find his gun shirt
and his copy of Catcher in the Rye tossed onto a roof of a rehab center in an alleyway right near Rebecca's home
Robert Bardo was charged with the murder of Rebecca Schaeffer he was 19 years old
Robert Bardo had no hope of posting the million-dollar bail and so was remanded in custody in the sensitive needs unit
to wait for his trial he agreed to waive his right to be heard by a jury and opted for a bench trial before a judge
alone in return for the state not seeking the death penalty Roberts attorney employed many pretrial
tactics to have the case thrown here and was nearly successful in having his extradition to California declared
unlawful but ultimately failed such antics delayed the commencement of the trial until October 1991 more than two
years after the murder that trial Roberts attorney argued that he was not guilty by reason of insanity the defense
had arranged Robert to be interviewed by a psychiatrist who specialized in celebrity stalkers and to that doctor
declared Robert a schizophrenic whose illness led him to shoot Rebecca Schaeffer the defense painted a picture
of a mentally ill child who had been neglected by his parents the mental-health system and the courts
when his lawyer played the video recording of his own account of the shooting Robert hung his head and pressed his
clenched fists over his ears on the tape Robert Bardo said quote she had this kid
voice sounded like a little brat or something said I was wasting her time wasting her time no matter what I
thought that was a very callous thing to say to a fan you know I grabbed at the door gun still in the bag I grab it by
the trigger I come around and cappell and she's like screaming screaming why and it's like Oh God
Robert sat motionless through most of the trial but sprang to life when new to song exit was played in court as part of
the defense case Robert claimed the lyrics had told him that he should shoot Rebecca as the song played through the
loudspeakers he grinned bobbed to the music rocking his chair drummed his hands on his leg and smiling mouth the
words pistol weighing heavy the defense argued that there was no doubt that Robert barro had killed Rebecca
Schaeffer but that he should only be found a guilty of second-degree murder which would mean a sentence of around 8
years the attorney said that Robert had returned to Rebecca's apartment in order
to give her the cassette tape and a letter entered only shot her on impulse when she had been rude to him several
witnesses including studio security chief John Yeager and to the private investigator who sold Robert the
actress's address testified that Robert presented as intelligent and too lucid after three weeks of listening to
testimony on both sides the Superior Court judge rejected the defense argument the Robert was too mentally ill
to premeditate murder Robert Bardo was convicted of first degree murder with the special circumstance of lying in
wait which meant a mandatory sentence of life with no chance of parole as Bardo was being escorted out of the courtroom
Rebecca's mother Dana hissed at him quote have a wonderful time in jail Rebecca's boyfriend Brad Silberling
added quote your cowardice is going to haunt you for the rest of your life [Music]
hundreds of mourners attended the funeral for Rebecca Schaeffer held at a cemetery in Portland Oregon her casket
was adorned with white blue and purple flowers boyfriend Brad Silberling broke down in tears
calling Rebecca a sparkling soul whom he had hoped to marry her father Benson said of his only child Oh Rebecca were
always thinking of you we will always think of you Rebecca Schafer's death reverberating
around Hollywood until then entertainers in the spotlight were told that the occasional unhinged
fan was to be expected in their line of work and - there was little that they could do about it
after the death of the young rising star Hollywood was determined that something
had to be done about it Rebecca's murder became the catalyst for creation of the LAPD's threat management
unit which was the United States first law enforcement unit specifically specializing in stalking cases
soon after in 1990 California passed America's first anti-stalking law making certain patterns of threatening behavior
a criminal offense a law was also passed that restricted the Department of Motor
Vehicles from releasing the home address of individuals on its database the law has since provided recourse for
celebrities such as Madonna Michael J Fox Jeri Ryan and David Letterman Hollywood Studios began engaging threat
management experts and scrutinized the fan mail directed at their stars more carefully any deemed unusually obsessive
were passed on to the police experts agreed that obsessive declarations of love were usually more dangerous than
threatening communications the role destined for Rebecca or of Mary Corleone in The Godfather Part three seemed to be
cursed after Rebecca's death Winona Ryder was cast her had to pull out on doctor's orders after suffering from
exhaustion and a respiratory infection having just finished making three films back-to-back frantic for a last-minute
replacement Francis Ford Coppola cast his own daughter Sofia the film never reached the success or
admiration of its record-breaking award-winning predecessors with Sophia's acting performance criticized by some
Rebecca Schafer's parents became active and vocal advocates for gun control becoming leaders in Oregon's gun control
movement they worked hard on the gun bills lobbying for the brady bill an act of Congress that mandated federal
background checks on people wishing to buy a firearm and imposed a five-day waiting period on purchases Benson
Schaffer said quote getting involved with the gun control issue helped us to focus our anger in 2017 Dana Shafer aged
74 premiered a one-woman show dedicated to her daughter caught you in midair elegy for a daughter in a dinner held
nothing back she walked the audience through the painful ordeal of losing her only child including getting the news
rushing to Los Angeles visiting the morgue attending the high-profile trial and to later seeking therapy the show
also featured tender moments of light-hearted humor very much a reflection of the joy and spirit of
Rebecca herself and the positivity she radiated on the day after Rebecca Schafer's murder her grieving parents
sat on the floor of her Los Angeles apartment and began sifting through the two sacks of unread fan mail that their
daughter had previously moved to one saw it hoping to get around to it later they
found two letters one sent in 1986 and the other in 1987 both signed with the name Robert Bardo pale and shaking
Benson and Dennis Schaeffer read both letters searching for anything that would give them answers but the teenage
authors messy handwriting contained only vague rambling prose that detailed his adoration and work
if their daughter Rebecca [Music] you

Case 97: Rebecca Schaeffer

In 1986, young actress Rebecca Schaeffer landed her dream job. Beating out thousands of Hollywood hopefuls, Rebecca was offered the second lead in a new Hollywood sitcom...

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Episode researched and written by Eileen Ormsby, author of ‘The Darkest Web – Drugs, Death and Destroyed Lives: The inside story of the internet’s evil twin’ Production, scoring – Mike Migas Additional scoring – Andrew Joslyn

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RESOURCES

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Brief Summary

Rebecca Schaeffer's rise to fame and tragic murder by obsessed fan Robert Bardo highlight the dangers of celebrity culture and stalking.

Key points

Rebecca Schaeffer's Rise to Fame. In 1986, young actress Rebecca Schaeffer lands her dream job in Hollywood, becoming a star.
A Dangerous Encounter. At just 17, Rebecca bravely intervenes in a threatening situation on the subway.
The Impact of My Sister Sam. Rebecca's role in the sitcom My Sister Sam catapults her into the spotlight.
Rebecca's Rise to Stardom. Rebecca Schaeffer charms audiences and begins receiving fan mail, including heartfelt letters from Robert Bardo.
Robert's Obsession Grows. Robert Bardo becomes infatuated with Rebecca, writing her numerous letters and creating a shrine in his room.
A Disturbing Visit. Robert attempts to visit Rebecca at Warner Brothers Studios, but is turned away by security.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

Oh, it's nice to see you! Come on, let's go get a coffee.

Rebecca's bravery in a tense situation.

5:21WatchNov 20, 2018

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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