Bonnie Lee Bakley (June 7, 1956 – May 4, 2001)

I can’t believe I almost missed this one! On May 4, 2001, actor Robert Blake takes his wife, Bonnie Lee Bakley, to dinner at Vitello's Italian Restaurant on Tujunga Ave. in Studio City, CA. Afterward, Bakley is killed by a gunshot to the head while sitting in the car, which is parked on a side street, around the corner from the restaurant. Blake claims that he returned to the restaurant to collect a gun which he had left there, and was not present when the shooting occurred. The gun that Blake claimed he had left in the restaurant was later determined not to have fired the shots that killed Bakley. That’s has to be the strangest alibi ever, right? 

At 16, Bakley is a high school drop out. She goes to NYC to pursue a career in modeling and acting at the Barbizon School of Modeling - my mom went to Barbizon when I was a kid! In an effort to support herself, Bakley begins a mail-order business sending nude photos of women, including herself, to men. She also runs "lonely hearts" ads in magazines advertising for a "male companion." After communicating with the men who answer her ads, she then asks them for money for rent or travel expenses. Bakley's business and scams eventually afford her enough money to buy several houses in Memphis and a house outside L.A. Her checkered past leads many to blame the victim. 

Bonnie Lee Bakley has a history of pursuing celebrities. Her friends and relatives describe her as "celebrity-obsessed." Tapes of Bakley's phone conversations reveal that she was starstruck and determined to marry someone famous. She once says, ”Being around celebrities makes you feel better than other people.” In 1990, she moves to Memphis and begins pursuing singer Jerry Lee Lewis. Bakley eventually meets Lewis and becomes close friends with Lewis' sister. In 1993, Bakley claims that the daughter she gave birth to, Jeri Lee, was Lewis' child. However, DNA tests later disprove her claim. After Jeri Lee's birth, Bakley decides to relocate to Cali. She leaves Jeri Lee with her ex-husband to raise, but continues to financially support the child.

While in California, Bakley pursues other celebrities, including Dean Martin, Frankie Valli (Bakley claims they dated when she was a teenager. Valli denies the claim), and Gary Busey. In 1991, Bakley becomes interested in Christian Brando. Christian, the eldest son of Academy Award-winning actor Marlon Brando becomes a media fixture when he is tried for the murder of his half sister's boyfriend, Dag Drollet. Brando pleads guilty to the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter and is sentenced to ten years in prison. While he is in prison, Bakley begins writing him and sending photos. After his release in 1996, Brando and Bakley begin a romantic relationship. In 1999, Bakley discovers she was pregnant and initially thinks that Brando is the child's father. In June 2000, she gives birth to her fourth child, a daughter she names Christian Shannon Brando.

While dating Brando, Bakley is also dating Robert Blake whom she meets at a jazz club in 1999. After the birth of daughter, Bakley informs Blake that she is unsure of the child's paternity and that he might be the father of the child. Blake insists on a paternity test which later determines that Blake - not Brando - is the father. After paternity is established, the child's name is legally changed to Rose Lenore Sophia Blake. Blake agrees to marry Bakley under the condition that she sign a temporary custody agreement. Under the agreement, Bakley agrees to monitor visits with Rose and to get written permission for her friends and family to visit Blake's property. The agreement also stipulated that if either spouse decides to end the marriage, the other spouse will retain custody of Rose. Bakley's attorney advise her not to sign the document because he thinks the agreement is “lopsided.”Eager to marry Blake, she ignores her attorney's advice and signs the agreement. Bakley and Blake are married in November 2000. Although married, the couple never live together. Bakley and Rose live in a small guest house beside Blake's house in Studio City of the San Fernando Valley. The relationship is fucking rocky to say the least; Blake is distrustful of Bakley and hires a private investigator to find more information about her. Blake finds out that Bakley has continued to operate her "lonely hearts" ad scam while they are marriage.

Blake is found NOT guilty of the murder of Bonnie Lee Bakley, and of one of the two counts of soliciting a former stuntman to murder her. The other count of solicitation is dropped after it is revealed that the jury is deadlocked 11-1 in favor of acquittal. L.A. District Attorney comments on this ruling, calling Blake a "miserable human being" and the jurors "incredibly stupid.”

On November 18, 2005, Blake is found liable for the wrongful death of his wife in a civil trial. He is ordered to pay $30 million to Bakley’s family. 

"Victim blaming occurs when the victim of a crime or any wrongful act is held entirely or partially at fault for the harm that befell them. The study of victimology seeks to mitigate the perception of victims as responsible. There is a greater tendency to blame victims of rape than victims of robbery if victims and perpetrators know each other."

Antony Hamilton (May 4, 1952 – March 29, 1995)

Speaking of Jon-Erik Hexum… English-born Australian actor, Antony Hamilton, begins his career as a ballet dancer with the Australian Ballet. He stops dancing at 20 to pursue a career as a model. Hamilton later says: "Dancing was too confining and regimented for me. I became a model not because I was interested in fashion or styles, but because I knew it was a good way to see the world. It gave me independence. The money was good too.” After signing with a London modeling agency, he works extensively as a model in Europe, America, Asia and Africa, becoming a favorite subject of world-famous photographers such as Richard Avedon and Bruce Weber, often working with designers such as Gianni Versace, and frequently appearing in magazines such as Vogue and GQ. Hamilton begins taking acting classes in an effort to expand his career. Later that same year, he is offered the lead in the TV show “Cover Up” after the series' previous star, Jon-Erik Hexum, dies after an on-set accident in October 1984. Hamilton had known Hexum having previously met him at an acting class when they both lived in New York. They shared the same acting coach and also competed for the same roles. Hamilton initially has misgivings about taking the role but ultimately accepts. Hamilton's first episode airs on November 24, 1984. After Hexum's death, the series struggles in the ratings and CBS cancels “Cover Up” the following year. After the cancellation, Hamilton is in talks to replace Roger Moore as the new James Bond in the 007 film series. Bond producer Albert R. Broccoli is reportedly hesitant to cast Hamilton as the womanizing James Bond because, in real life, Hamilton is gay - Timothy Dalton is ultimately cast as 1980’s Bond. In 1988, Hamilton lands a role in the ’88 revival of “Mission: Impossible.” On March 29, 1995, Hamilton dies from AIDS-related pneumonia in Los Angeles. Today would’ve been Hamilton’s 66th birthday.

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Jon-Erik Hexum (November 5, 1957 – October 18, 1984)

Jon-Erik Hexum is apparently unaware that his actions with the on-set gun are dangerous. Blanks use paper or plastic wadding. If the blank is fired within a few feet of the body should it strike at a particularly vulnerable spot, such as the temple or the eye - at a close enough range - the effect of the powder gasses is a small explosion can be deadly. So although the paper wadding in the blank that Hexum discharged did not penetrate his skull, there was enough blunt force trauma to shatter a quarter-sized piece of his skull and propel the pieces into his brain, causing massive hemorrhaging. Hexum is rushed to Beverly Hills Medical Center, where he undergoes five hours of surgery to repair his wounds. Hexum dies six days later on October 18.

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John Bardo's Prison Drawings

John Bardo’s family has a history of mental illness, and Bardo himself is diagnosed with manic depression. At 15, Bardo is institutionalized for “emotional problems.” He drops out of high school in the 9th grade and begins work as a janitor at a Jack in Box. On the cusp of manhood and going nowhere, Bardo writes letter after letter to actress Rebecca Schaeffer - “beneath a corona of curls, Schaeffer projects a kid sister's helplessness.” What stalker can resist that shit?!?! In these letters, Bardo details his chaste devotion to the fresh-faced Schaeffer. He quotes John Lennon lyrics, telling her that he is "a sensitive guy." In one passage, he explains: "I'm harmless. You could hurt me.” Bardo kills Schaeffer on her doorstep with a single gunshot to the chest. 

Bardo is found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. As of 2018, Bardo is serving his life sentence at the Ironwood State Prison in Blythe, California where he spends his days drawing pictures of Schaeffer along with a who's who of pop and movie stars. They sell for $25 to $100.

 

David Rappaport (November 23, 1951 – May 2, 1990)

“David Rappaport was as determined to die as he had been to live.” -L.A. Times, March 9, 1990

English actor, David Rappaport, is the first dwarf to star in his own television series,"The Wizard.” His first bit of success is in the 1979 children’s BBC show “Jigsaw” - alongside Sylvester McCoy who is best known for playing the 7th incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction television series "Doctor Who" from 1987 to 1989. Rappaport also appears alongside McCoy in the "Secret Policeman's Ball" where McCoy introduces him as: “Not the smallest man in the world, but fucking close.” Rappaport's most popular role is as Randall, the leader of the gang of dwarves in the Terry Gilliam film “Time Bandits” in 1981.

Rappaport struggles with depression. Just before his death, he is cast and begins filming for the darkly comic role of Zibalian trader Kivas Fajo on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode “The Most Toys.” During filming, Rappaport attempts suicide, and the scenes he completed are discarded when actor Saul Rubinek is hurriedly brought in by producers to replace him - Rappaport’s scenes are eventually included on the Season 3 DVD release of "Star Trek: The Next Generation." This isn’t the first time he tries to commit suicide. He tries two weeks before his wedding day in March 1989 - he parked his car on a hidden stretch of road and ran a garden hose from the exhaust pipe to the interior. He passed out, but somebody finds him.

According to the L.A. Times article, "A Life and Death in Hollywood : Acting: David Rappaport was Trapped by his Mind," on May 2, 1990, the day of his son’s 14th birthday, Rappaport slips out of the house and drives to Laurel Canyon Park - a favorite spot of his in the San Fernando Valley. He says hello to people on the path and passes the man and his dog who will later find his body. Deep in the park, Rappaport chooses a bramble-covered spot on the hillside, lays down on his back and stares up at the tree tops. He pulls out a pistol, points it downward at his chest, and shoots himself through the heart.  

His cousin considered, then rejected, theory after theory: "Perhaps his thoughts were telling him--falsely--that the woman he was about to marry might one day leave, unable to love a dwarf who might not always be the toast of Hollywood. Perhaps they told him that despite enormous success, he was still trapped--as trapped as the dwarf he had seen years earlier, caged in an English asylum for mentally retarded children. Or possibly, in the way that mind-records have, they exaggerated recent stops and starts in his career until it seemed that all he had worked for, all he had done to escape invisibility, was gone or going.”

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The Tragic Death of Bebe aka Flipper the Dolphin (1956 - 1997)

It wasn't tragic at all. Bebe the dolphin dies at the ripe old dolphin age of 40. Like most retirees, she dies in Miami, Florida. Bebe's home is the Miami Seaquarium where she is born in 1956 - Atlantic bottlenose dolphins typically live 25 to 35 years. The TV show "Flipper," aires on NBC from 1964 to 1967, with the dolphin playing alongside actors Brian Kelly, Tommy Norden and Luke Halpin. Seven dolphins play Flipper, Bebe is the last one. She passes away on May 1, 1997. A year before her death she gives birth to Echo, her eighth calf. RIP FLIP.

 

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Inger Stevens (October 18, 1934 - April 30, 1970)

Inger Stevens is born in Stockholm, Sweden. As a child, she is often ill. When she is nine, her parents abandon her,  leaving Inger and her sister in the custody of the family maid. At the age of 11, Inger moves to America to live with her father and his new wife in NYC. At age 16, she runs away from home to Kansas City, Missouri, and works in burlesque shows. At 18, she leaves Kansas to return to New York City, where she works as a chorus girl. 

Stevens receives her big break in the Bing Crosby film "Man on Fire." Roles in major films follow, but she achieves her greatest success in the ABC television series "The Farmer's Daughter."  Stevens also appears in episodes of "Bonanza," "Route 66," "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour," and "The Twilight Zone." Stevens is attempting to revive her television career with the detective drama series "The Most Deadly Game" when she dies.

On the morning of April 30, 1970, Stevens' roommate and companion, Lola McNally, finds her on the kitchen floor of her Hollywood Hills home. According to McNally, when she calls Stevens' name, she opens her eyes, lifts her head, and tries to speak, but is unable to make any sound. McNally tells police that she spoke to Stevens the previous night and saw no sign of trouble. Stevens dies in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. On arrival, medics remove a small bandage from her chin, revealing a small amount of fresh blood oozing from a cut which appeared to have been a few hours old. Famed Los Angeles County Coroner Dr. Thomas Noguchi attributes Stevens's death to "acute barbiturate poisoning."

After her death, black actor Ike Jones claims that he is secretly married to Stevens since 1961. Some doubt this due to the lack of a marriage license, the maintaining of separate homes and the filing of tax documents as single people. However, at the time Stevens' estate is being settled, the actress's brother, Carl O. Stensland, confirms in court that his sister had hidden her marriage to Jones "out of fear for her career." Los Angeles Superior Court rules in Jones's favor and makes him administrator of Steven's estate.

Only one photo exists of the two attending a banquet together in 1968. 

 

Dominique Dunne (November 23, 1959 – November 4, 1982)

On October 30, 1982, actress Dominique Dunne - daughter to crime writer Dominick Dunne, sister to actor Griffin Dunne, and niece to writer/God Joan Didion - is strangled by her ex-boyfriend, John Thomas Sweeney, in the driveway of her West Hollywood home and goes into a coma. She never regains consciousness and dies five days later. In a controversial court case, Sweeney is convicted of voluntary manslaughter in Dunne's death and serves three and a half years in prison. Dunne is 22 years old when she dies. Her killer roams free to this day under an alias.

Check out Dunne's story in Dead in Hollywood: Stalked (Issue #7).   

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John Bardo's 'Exit'

John Bardo shoots 23-year-old actress, Rebecca Schaeffer, at point-blank range when she opens the door to her apartment building . Bardo escapes down an alley, throwing his bloody yellow shirt on the roof of a dry cleaners. He then tosses a red paperback copy of the novel, "The Catcher in the Rye,” on the roof of a rehabilitation center - the same book John Lennon’s assassin, Mark David Chapman, carries to the scene of his horrific crime. 

The following video is of the same route Bardo used to escape. He evades police until the following day when he is finally captured in Tucson, AZ. 

Rebecca Schaeffer (120 N. Sweetzer Ave. #4 - West Hollywood, CA)

Rebecca Schaeffer isn’t prepared for the buzzer to ring. She's getting ready for a meeting with director Francis Ford Coppola in hopes of being cast in “The Godfather III” - a role that ultimately goes to his daughter, director Sophia Coppola (Virgin Suicides, Lost in Translation). The intercom to her building doesn’t work, so Schaeffer exits her apartment in a bathrobe and descends the flight of stairs leading to the glass front door. She opens the door and talks to her stalker, John Bardo, politely, but says that she is really busy and to please leave her alone. Bardo walks away, seething. He can’t believe she would talk to fans like that. He sits down at a nearby diner, Jan’s - now a Chipotle - and orders onion rings and slice of cheesecake. He returns to Schaeffer’s building an hour later. Still in her bathrobe, Schaeffer answers the door again. This time she says that he’s wasting her time and to please leave her alone. Bardo responds by saying, “I forgot to give you this.” He pulls a gun out of a plastic bag and shoots Schaeffer at point-blank range in the chest.

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