Rebecca Schaeffer was a talented and promising young actress who began her modeling career at the age of 16. With a strong determination and ambition, she left her hometown to pursue her dreams in New York City. Just four months later, she found herself in Japan, modeling and gaining valuable experience.
As her career began to take off, Rebecca landed a co-starring role on the popular television show "My Sister Sam" in 1986, which would become her most notable and enduring role. In addition to her acting career, Rebecca was also passionate about giving back to her community and was a spokesperson for Thursday's Child, a charity that supported at-risk teenagers.
Rebecca's compassion and kindness extended beyond her professional life, and she was known for her generosity and willingness to help others. In April 1989, she visited a girls' shelter, where she reluctantly signed autographs, despite initially thinking that no one would recognize her. To her surprise, the girls were thrilled to meet her, and she ended up spending the day with them, even accepting an invitation to attend the Renaissance Fair in May.
Tragically, Rebecca's life was cut short just two months later, on July 18, 1989. She was shot to death by a deranged fan, Robert John Bardo, who had become obsessed with her. Despite her attempts to help him and spend time with him, he became increasingly unstable and violent, ultimately shooting her once in the chest, causing her to fall backward into her doorway, where she was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai hospital.
The killer, Robert John Bardo, was arrested and subsequently convicted of murder, pleading insanity at his trial. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, with a young assistant district attorney named Marcia Clark, who would later become famous for her work on the O.J. Simpson case.
