Further reading for the murder of Rebecca Schaefer/Charlie Brandt
The Murder of Rebecca Schaeffer & Other Stories: Tales of True Crime In the Entertainment Industry
Invisible Killer: The Monster Behind the Mask
Rebecca Schaeffer was a teenage model turned actress of the mid 80’s, landing roles on well known soap opera One Life To Live but it’s was her role in the tv comedy My Sister Sam that she was best known for even though the show was cancelled halfway through its second season.
On July 18, 1989, a 19 year old fan of Schaeffer’s, Robert Bardo, shot and killed the young actress at her home in West Hollywood. Bardo had been obsessed with Schaefer and had been stalking her for three years. In the past he had shown up at her work at the Warner Brothers studios only to be turned away by security.
But it was after watching a movie in which she appeared in bed with another actor, Bardo became enraged and out of jealousy, hired a private detective to procure Schaefer’s address. He then purchased a gun and began roaming the neighborhood to ensure she intact lived there and then he rang her doorbell. After a short conversation she sent him away asking him to never return, he left but did return a few hours later and when she opened the door, he shot her point blank in the chest.
Schaeffer’s death helped lead to the Nation’s first anti-stalking law.
And back to the serial killers…
Charlie Brandt started out young and brutal, at the age of 13 he shot both his parents, wounding his father but killing his pregnant mother. He spent a total on one year in a psychiatric hospital before being released, he was never criminally charged for the act.
Fast forward 33 years to September 13, 2004, Brandt stabbed his wife and niece to death and the banged himself in the garage. As police investigated they believed that the efficiency Brandt used in these murders coupled with hidden obsessions they discovered there was a possibility that Brandt had committed more murders throughout the years.
From there police linked Brandt to at least two other homicides.
Episode 83
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