Barbara Daly Baekeland

Infobox Person
name = Barbara Daly Baekeland


caption =
birth_date = 1922
birth_place =
death_date = 1972-11-17
death_place = London
other_names = Barbara Daly
known_for = Murder by her son
occupation =
nationality = flag|United States of America|name = American

Barbara Daly Baekeland was a wealthy socialite who was murdered by her son, Antony Baekeland on November 17, 1972. [cite book |author=Aronson S; Robins N |title=Savage Grace |publisher=Morrow |location=New York |year=1985 |pages= 3-6 |isbn=0-688-04373-9 |oclc= |doi= |accessdate=] She was the wife of Brooks Baekeland, grandson of Leo Baekeland, founder of Bakelite plastic.

Her murder took place at her London home, where Antony stabbed her with a kitchen knife. Antony was 25 at the time. She died almost instantly. When police arrived they found Antony ordering Chinese food over the phone. [Robins & Aronson 6.] He later confessed and was charged with murder.

Before meeting Brooks Baekeland, Barbara was a model and would-be Hollywood starlet; she had a screen test in Hollywood with the actor Dana Andrews. [Robins & Aronson 129] During their marriage she was known for her unstable personality, rude outbursts and bouts of severe depression. She led a decadent lifestyle of drinking and risqué sexual encounters. In time her husband Brooks left her for a younger woman, Sylvie (who some said had been his son's girlfriend first), which was followed by divorce. [Robins & Aronson 285.] This led to severe depression and a suicide attempt (her friend Gloria Jones, wife of James Jones, saved her). [Robins & Aronson 288]

Relationship with son

Baekeland had an enmeshed, co-dependent and allegedly incestuous relationship with her homosexual son, Anthony. Baekeland attempted to "fix" her son using prostitutes take him to bed; after this failed, Bakeland was alleged to have convinced or coerced her son into sexual intercourse. Though Anthony displayed signs of schizophrenia with paranoid tendencies, his father refused to allow him to be treated by psychiatrists, whom he believed were "professionally amoral". [Robins & Aronson 81.] Her son's erratic behavior caused concern among the family's friends and over the years the two had several threatening arguments involving knives. After the murder, Anthony was institutionalized at Broadmoor Hospital until, after much urging by a group of his friends, he was released in July 21, 1980. [Robins & Aronson 409] He relocated to New York City to live with his grandmother, stabbing but not killing her less than a week later. He was sent to Rikers Island and was suffocated with a plastic bag on March 20, 1981; [Robins & Aronson 469.] it is not known if his death was a suicide or murder. [cite news | last = Leafe | first = D | date = 2008-06-30 | accessdate = 2008-08-20 | title = How a society beauty was finally murdered by the gay son she had seduced | url = http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1030330/How-society-beauty-finally-murdered-gay-son-tried-cure-homosexuality.html | publisher = Daily Mail ]

"Savage Grace"

The Baekeland murder was made into the film "Savage Grace" in 2007, starring Julianne Moore, Stephen Dillane, Eddie Redmayne and Elena Anaya, based on the book of the same name.

After the film appeared, Barbara Baekeland's former lover, Sam Green, wrote an article pointing out elements in the film possibly misleading for those trying to read back to the reality inspiring it. Referring in particular to the scene of Barbara, her son Antony, and Sam in bed together making love, he wrote, "it is true that almost 40 years ago I did have an affair with Barbara, but I certainly never slept with her son...Nor am I bisexual." He went on to give his opinion that "she started telling people she had had an incestuous relationship with her son as a way of 'curing' him of homosexuality...But I don't believe she had sex with Tony. I think she simply enjoyed shocking people." [cite news | url = http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1034556/I-wasnt-blame-heiress-murder-says-art-expert-depicted-screen-incest-threesome.html | title = I wasn't to blame for heiress murder, says art expert depicted on screen in 'incest threesome' | last = Green | first = S | publisher = Daily Mail | date = 2008-07-12]

References