Thursday, September 17, 2026 - Rebecca Schaeffer, who appeared on the soap opera One Life to Live, was shot and killed outside her Los Angeles apartment in 1989 at just 21 years old.
Her attacker, Robert John Bardo, had stalked her before the murder and was later convicted of first-degree murder.
The case became a defining example of the dangers faced by public figures whose personal information can be obtained by obsessive fans.
It also prompted intense public concern about stalking, privacy, and the responsibility of institutions to protect people from escalating threats.
Schaeffer’s death helped drive the introduction of America’s first anti-stalking legislation in 1990. Decades later, her case remains a powerful reminder of how persistent harassment can escalate into violence and why early intervention and privacy protections are essential.
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