[11] After six weeks, Green broke off the relationship, although Barbara was still obsessed with him. The Irish Garda declined to comment for this story, but Bonifas suspects it has taken some action in freezing Williams bank account and line of credit.. He claims the travel group was only on Palmyra for a few hours, but says he was charged $12,500 for the trip, and that Baekeland implored him and others to make a $10,000 donation to the Nature Conservancy, a non-profit that conducts scientific research on the atoll, as a gesture of goodwill. Baekeland had a complex and allegedly incestuous relationship with her gay son, Anthony. Given all his eccentricities and expertise, how could he not have grown up with a bottomless family coffer to finance his jet-setting lifestyle? On September 28, 1921, Barbara Baekeland was welcomed into the world as Barbara Daly to an ordinary American family. The now-thirty-three-year-old was accompanied on the plane by a total stranger his grandmothers friend who happened to live near Broadmoor. Although the Metropolitan Police arrested Anthony for attempted murder, Barbara refused to press charges. Barbara and Brooks were getting hot and heavy in the 1940s, but that wasnt enough for the beautiful socialite. Barbara Daly Baekeland (1922 - November 17, 1972) was a wealthy American socialite who was murdered by her son, Antony "Tony" Baekeland. The 33-year-old came to terms with the fact he would be in the slammer for life; unfortunately for Tony, that wouldnt be as long as he thought. Baekeland was the wealthy grandson of the man who invented Bakelite, the world's first plastic. The size of the traversable world varies according to different travel societies. By the time he was about ten years old, his parents had decided to lead a nomadic life and travel the world with an apartment in Paris, where the relationship problems began. 2023 Rolling Stone, LLC. He was prone to violent outbursts and aggression. Brooks was sick of his wifes emotional issues and started sleeping with a young girl named Sylvie. Theres pictures of first class cabins, a helicopter ride over the Swiss Alps and a luxurious hotel in Havana even trotting horses with a caption saying they were in Nova Scotia. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Surprise, surprise, a baby didnt fix their marital issues; it just brought new problems. Its unclear if the admission had more to do with Tonys unstable mind than his mothers actual behavior toward him. Antony and Cooper also allegedly began an affair at this time, though this is denied by Cooper. The elder Baekelands invention, Bakelite a chemical compound made of carbolic acid and formaldehyde unwittingly paved the way for the birth of Twentieth-century consumerism and, in many ways, the modern world. His grandmother brought him into her home with the genuine intention of helping him get his life back on track. Radcliffe also says hes offered to carry out some of Baekelands canceled trips, but all travelers have declined. Insufficient conditions were made for the release as it appeared no one in the U.K. or the U.S. understood the extent of Tonys instability. Sadly, the material trappings of great fortune masked the outside world from the dark reality. I want to send you a message, he wrote. When William Baekeland appeared on the Ortelius in March 2015, hed already cultivated a persuasive backstory one that made sense for a peripatetic aristocrat who didnt say much about his family. But Brooks had left her for a. On November 17, 1972, Barbara Daly Baekeland was stabbed to death in her luxurious London apartment; she was only 52 years old. His wife, Barbara, an occasional artist, has no money but is a nimble social climber who maintains salons in their homes in Manhattan, then Paris, where such guests as the James Joneses and the. As a young woman living in New York City, Barbara became a prominent socialite. She was dealing with a progressively out-of-control child who threatened her with knives, choked her, and even pushed her in front of cars outside of the familys penthouse. After eight months of assessment by the psychiatric team at Rikers Island, he was expecting to be released on bail at a court hearing on March 20, 1981. At the time of the marriage, Barbara listed her profession as painter, while Brooks listed his as a writer. When Barbara was barely an adult, she gained much attention from rich, powerful men. My main purpose is I dont want to see anybody else scammed by this sonofabitch, Bob Bonifas says over the phone, his voice growing testy as he recounts his experiences with Baekeland. After Leo Baekelands invention helped spur the growth of countless consumer products, the family lived as nomadic gentry in New York, London, Spain and France. By 1946, Barbara was expecting a baby for real this time. They dont have so much spare time but they have plenty of cash. . In a sense, using the Baekeland name was genius. Brooks decided that he had had enough of Barbara's behavior and again, pursued a divorce. Despite Baekelands removal, Bonifas is sure Atlas Travel is nothing but a conduit for more of the same. Dominique Laurent, a French national who spent the majority of his career working in the oil industry, met Baekeland on the Bouvet expedition and went on a trip organized by the young man to the Central African Republic. If you bought into the story, Baekeland was going to make history as one of the worlds most accomplished explorers, bringing everyone he knew along for the ride. Everything you think you know about William Baekeland is bullshit, he wrote. She introduced Barbara to her younger brother Brooks, a trainee pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force. As Bonifas walks me through his dealings with Baekeland, it becomes clear just how angry some of the young mans alleged victims are. Tony began hitting his mother before she ran into the kitchen. [4], An invitation to Hollywood for a screen test with the actor Dana Andrews[5] did not lead to film stardom, but did lead to a friendship with fellow aspiring actress Cornelia "Dickie" Baekeland. [2] She was the ex-wife of Brooks Baekeland, who was the grandson of Leo Baekeland, inventor of Bakelite plastic. I felt Id been a bit of an internet troll against a kid who just wanted a little bit of anonymity, Kendall says. Some friends described the tense environment of arguments. Brooks married the model Barbara Daly in 1942, and the couple quickly became prominent socialites who, up until the 1960s, hosted Manhattan soirees and traveled extensively. Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. The gruesome murder was the violent end to an emotional rollercoaster for the gorgeous socialite who was related (by marriage) to the Bakelite empire which introduced plastic to the world. She and Tony spent the night in the slammer. Tony didnt seem to understand the severity of his actions; he was in such denial that he started ordering Chinese takeaway on the phone. William was clever enough and shrewd enough to tap into that market., A post shared by William Baekeland (@williambaekeland) on Feb 10, 2017 at 4:57pm PST. Anthony was born in August 1947 and was an only child. After the film opened, Barbara Baekeland's former lover Samuel Adams Green wrote an article pointing out elements in the film, which were potentially misleading for those trying to read back to the reality inspiring it. Ex-wife of George Middleton Baekeland Brooks was certain Tony was evil, but he never tried to help. After the marriage the couple set up home in a luxury apartment in the Upper East Side of New York, where they held extravagant dinner parties for their friends, who included Greta Garbo, Tennessee Williams, William Styron, and Yasmin Aga Khan. On September 28, 1921, Barbara Baekeland was welcomed into the world as Barbara Daly to an ordinary American family. Gazarian, for his part, says he has no way of knowing whether Baekelands dispatches contained falsehoods, or if they portrayed his experiences accurately. The familys ultimate undoing occurred in 1972, when Tony murdered his mother with a kitchen knife in their London apartment. There is no denying that Barbara Baekeland was self-absorbed, but she must have noticed that there was something off about her son that needed professional help. Cooper introduced Anthony to various hallucinogenic drugs, for which they travelled to Morocco. Bonifas is a world traveler and corporate CEO who says hes owed roughly $40,000 for trips arranged by Baekeland that never materialized. According to Mitsidis, public records showed Jesse Gordons birthdate matched the one on Baekelands passport, which he had seen while organizing trips. Her possessiveness and controlling behavior ultimately ruined the lives of one of the most privileged, wealthy American families. When Mrs. Baekeland was informed of this by her friend Barbara Curteis, she travelled by car to Spain to bring her son back to Switzerland. Up in the Air: Meet the Man Who Flies Around the World for Free She was a driving force in acquiring powerful family allies, including Hugo Money-Coutts (linked to the famous bank family), to help launch her campaign to get Tony back in the U.S. Nini loved her grandson and thought he could live a normal happy life with her help and supervision. Murdered at her London home, her son Anthony stabbed her with a kitchen knife, killing her almost instantly. Brooks Baekeland has had a successful career in the field of finance, working as a managing director at Bear Stearns and co-founding . She was the ex-wife of Brooks Baekeland, who was the grandson of Leo Baekeland, inventor of Bakelite plastic. Barbara Daly Baekeland (September 28, 1921 - November 17, 1972) was a wealthy American socialite who was murdered by her son, Antony "Tony" Baekeland. [citation needed] She also had mental health problems like her mother, and was a private patient of psychiatrist Foster Kennedy. She also drank heavily, and both she and her husband participated in extramarital affairs. And He Had to Figure Out What it Was, 40 Facts About Elon Musk You Probably Dont Know, The McConspiracy: How One Man Cheated the McDonalds Monopoly Contest to Make 24 Million Dollars. Astonishingly, he also claimed to have studied at Kim Il-Sung University in North Korea, which would have made him one of the only westerners to ever study in the rogue, authoritarian state. Upon his release, Antony, now aged 33, flew directly to New York City to stay with his 87-year-old maternal grandmother, Nini Daly. Referencing negative posts Dominique Laurent wrote on TripAdvisor, Radcliffe calls him a particularly irascible and unreasonable Frenchman. He disputes many of Laurents claims of being ripped off, arguing that he only paid deposits for trips and not the full amount. In an epitaph written by Brooks Baekeland, he called his son "an enormous failure of intelligence.". At the time of the marriage, Barbara listed her profession as painter, while Brooks listed his as writer.[7]. After the marriage the couple set up home in a luxury apartment in the Upper East Side of New York, where they held extravagant dinner parties for their friends who included: Greta Garbo; Tennessee Williams; William Styron; Yasmin Aga Khan. Its the insult., The only place Bonifas did reach via Baekeland was Palmyra Atoll, a pristine and unvarnished research station located in the remote Northern Line Islands, about 1,000 miles south of Hawaii. Fellow traveler Harry Mitsidis had a similar impression onboard the ship. Baekeland was making friends with as many people as he possibly could in the travel community, Kendall tells me over a washy Skype connection. Anthony Baekeland. Tonys defense lawyer at the Old Bailey was the legendary John Mortimer author of Rumpole and the Bailey books. She pursued Green relentlessly; when she returned to the United States that fall, she walked barefoot across Central Park in the snow wearing nothing but a Lynx fur coat to demand entry to his apartment. Searching further, he found public records for one of Jesse Gordons prior companies, which was registered to an address in Birmingham. Referring in particular to the menage-a-trois scene of Barbara, Antony, and Sam in bed together having sex, he wrote: It is true that almost 40 years ago I did have an affair with Barbara, but I certainly never slept with her sonNor am I bisexual. However, at the French border, Anthony was found not to have his passport. Just days after landing in New York and moving into his grandmothers apartment, Tonys bizarre behavior turned chilling. In 1969, Barbara met noted pop art curator Samuel Adams Green, with whom she started an affair. Barbara Baekeland was brought into the world with exceptionally good looks. They had one child, a boy named Tony, who grew up surrounded by opulence, but always in close proximity to his parents toxic marriage. She was 51 years of age at the time, and Antony was 25. Mother of Anthony Baekeland, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Daly_Baekeland. When later introduced to her son Antony, Green was very unimpressed by his artistic capabilities. Brooks married the model Barbara Daly in 1942, and the couple quickly became prominent socialites who, up until the 1960s, hosted Manhattan soirees and traveled extensively. Barbara gave birth to Anthony in August 1946. In addition to shedding light on the familys grandiose lifestyle, Savage Grace chronicles how Brooks cheated on his wife, and eventually left the family for a much younger woman. Kiss Paul Stanley Has 'Thoughts' About Parents Who Support Kids Gender Identities Despite being a relative newcomer to the insular world of extreme travel a competitive subculture of people who journey to some of the most obscure and treacherous corners of the globe, often at great monetary cost Baekeland earned an astonishing amount of trust from the group in a matter of days. According to one source, she was so desperate to get him to marry her that she even faked a pregnancy to push him into a quicky wedding. Within minutes, the impulsive Tony lost control and stabbed her a total of eight times! The entire caper was predicated upon simple wire transfers, he says, all of which were willfully forked over to Baekelands checking account under the assumption that he could engineer trips to isolated hinterlands like Rockall and Johnston Atoll. Barbara Daly Baekeland was a wealthy American socialite who was murdered by her son, Antony "Tony" Baekeland.She was the ex-wife of Brooks Baekeland, who was the grandson of Leo Baekeland, inventor of Bakelite plastic. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time The vitriol isnt entirely the result of missing money Bonifas is a wealthy man, and tells me that the cash isnt necessarily whats keeping him up at night. Well jump back into this and all the juicy drama shortly. Editors picks In 2013, he began interning remotely at The Best Traveled, a website founded by Harry Mitsidis. It became an irreversible cycle of tension, suppressed anger, and grievances that eventually erupted into a deadly stabbing of a mother who doted on her only son too passionately. In a sinister act of unintentional irony, his ultimate end was brought on by the same material that made his family wealthy decades before. And with her strong determination, the socialite stopped at nothing to get him. But not long after, their marriage began to show some obvious cracks, and thats when the trouble started. At this point, with no assistance, it seemed as though the mentally disturbed former inmate was on an inevitable path of violence. I will probably never really understand why [Baekeland] did this, why he took a skill and viable business organizing trips and ruined it for the sake of ego and greed., Landing with a small airplane, Dne Insel, Helgoland, A post shared by William Baekeland (@williambaekeland) on Feb 10, 2017 at 5:11pm PST. Nobodys ever going to see five cents out of this, says Bonifas. I think she simply enjoyed shocking people. Radcliffe says that the 2014 name change occurred after Jesse Gordon experienced a particularly bitter and unusual family estrangement. He claims his friend chose the Baekeland name because he is, in fact, a distant, collateral relation of a Baekeland. Karraker, for his part, says he has never heard of a William Baekaland or a Jesse Gordon. Researching the book was like putting the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle together. Leo was born in 1863. When he asked for a divorce, Barbara. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. If that wasnt chilling enough, get a load of this. She married into wealth and lived a dream life of fortune, glamour, and status. But faking a pregnancy should have been the first red flag. There will be no pained shots of Will Levis on the second night of the 2023 NFL Draft. However, at the French border, Antony was found not to have his passport. Barbara Daly Baekeland (September 28, 1921 - November 17, 1972) [1] was a wealthy American socialite who was murdered by her son, Antony "Tony" Baekeland. Barbara managed to track down Tony when she got to Morocco and stuffed him into the car to take him home. Celine was born in 1868. Eight months after the psychiatric assessments, Tonys attempts for bail were delayed since they were waiting to receive medical records from Broadmoor back in the U.K. From the summer of 1954 onwards, with Anthony aged eight, the couple led a nomadic seasonal existence, maintaining their home in New York while being mainly based in Europe. Murdered at her London home, her son Anthony stabbed her with a kitchen knife, killing her almost instantly. Barbara, uncomfortable with her sons forays into homosexual relationships, attempted to save him through her own seduction. On November 17, 1972 a 25 year old Antony Baekeland grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed 51 year old Barbara Baekeland. It was like he had no sense of reality. The social climber became a high society socialite in her own right. Mitsidis wrote about it in his Nomad Mania newsletter, saying the other passengers on the ship, including some of his closest friends from the traveler community, try to comfort him as best they can in this hour of crisis., When the news broke, everyone rallied around Baekeland. Despite the tragedy, Baekeland was pressing on. Its unclear whether Brooks had tried reaching out to Tony in the past, but he started viewing his first son, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia, as strange and peculiar. According to his resume he gave the site, Baekeland had studied at an array of prestigious schools, including the Harrodian in London, Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland and the International School of Monaco. Still, the headlines and news stories couldnt stop talking about the murder of a rich, beautiful, American socialite associated with one of the wealthiest and most powerful dynasties. Only six days after his release, on July 27, he attacked her with a kitchen knife, stabbing her eight times and breaking several bones. He got out on the condition that he would live in New York under the care of his 87-year-old grandmother, Nini. [2] She was the ex-wife of Brooks Baekeland, who was the grandson of Leo Baekeland, inventor of Bakelite plastic. It was this flamboyant glamour that had ensnared her husband, Brooks Baekeland, wealthy grandson of the man who invented Bakelite, the world's first plastic. Kendall declined the overtures, but became curious about this unknown traveler, and began researching Gordons travels. Baekelands single cabin made us believe his story, he said during an interview on the podcast Counting Countries. He also inherited his grandfathers bright mind, starting a Ph.D. in physics before switching to writing. The Baekeland family drama was chronicled in the 1985 book Savage Grace, a scrupulously reported expos that drew on interviews with the familys closest friends. Thats an immense amount of tragedy for someone to live through in such a short period of time.. This decision infuriated Tonys father, Brooks, who believed Tony was capable of killing again. But she quickly went from bombshell to scandal-maker. Later introduced to her son, noted pop art curator Green was very unimpressed by his artistic capabilities. The reason for these extreme conflicts was because Barbara encouraged and pushed Tony to sleep with prostitutes in an attempt to cure his homosexuality. From there, he found Gordons parents, and used their names to find the birth records of Gordons two sisters. After six weeks, Green broke off the relationship, although Barbara was still obsessed by Green. Over the years, Anthony and his mother had several violent arguments involving knives. People soon found out that Barbara had a very ugly side as well. Although he was an adult, Tony didnt grow out of his childhood creepiness in fact, his problems got worse. William is absolutely legit, he wrote. Yes, that same Sylvie. But what we do know is that minutes after a terrified Barbara ran into the kitchen, Tony followed her, grabbed a knife, and stabbed her with no hesitation. Indeed, many of the people closest to the couple hoped they would never have kids and risk passing their dysfunction on to poor, innocent children. The 2007 film Savage Grace is based on the life of Barbara and Antony Baekeland, beginning with Antony's birth and following the family to the time of Antony's arrest for the murder of his mother. His Instagram account, active from January to May 2017, depicts a prolific world explorers life. His affinity for digital bragging was documented on other platforms; on Twitter, he was posting as @SimonBaekeland as early as 2013, conversing frequently with other users about travel. Confused by Baekelands sudden disappearance, Mitsidis started to take Mike Kendall seriously. On March 20, 1981, Tony returned to his cell. Despite all the hype surrounding Baekeland, one man had long harbored suspicions that the young heir was actually Jesse Gordon, the kid supposedly from Birmingham. In a stroke of luck, one of Gordons sisters had a public Facebook profile, complete with a photo of her family, including her brother. The violent attack ended a turbulent, toxic, and combative mother-son connection. Before that could happen, though, future travel plans booked through Baekeland began to fall apart. It only made her love him more. Gordon Lightfoot, Canadian Folk-Rock Troubadour, Dead at 84 The Travelers Century Club counts 327 countries and territories worldwide, whereas the Most Traveled People lists a prodigious 871 landmasses scattered throughout the planet. Sadly, Barbara couldnt flirt her way out of this one. Less than a month after arriving, he attempted to murder her, again with a knife. Although Anthony displayed increasingly regular signs of schizophrenia with paranoid tendencies, his father refused to allow him to be treated by psychiatrists, a profession he believed to be "amoral". Even while he was in custody in Brixton prison, he asked visitors how his mother was doing and if she was still alive. Green then embarked on legal action against the film makers, which was still unresolved at the time of his death. When the cops responded to the scene, they reportedly found Tony placing an order for Chinese food. He asserted himself as a travel fixer, the kind of guru who could coordinate trips to the most far-flung countries, territories, islands and atolls that seemingly no one could access. Consumed by emotional issues and affairs on both sides, Barbara tried to kill herself on more than one occasion. Photo by Lambert/Getty Images On the surface, Barbara had everything she could ever want: good looks, money, and status. It is based on the appalling true story and murder of socialite Barbara Baekeland, the wife of Brooks Baekeland, the affluent heir of the Bakelite plastics fortune. Brooks and Barbara were cycling through depressions and cheating on each other. Antony was found at the scene of the crime, and later confessed to and was charged with her murder. Mitsidis was shocked to hear the accusation that someone was using an alias on his website, especially because Baekeland was still interning remotely for TBT at the time. She was never a big fan of his sexual partners, so she was absolutely thrilled when he started dating a girl named Sylvie. The family owes its fame to the creation of Bakelite, but also a litany of scandals, from infidelity and incest to murder. Hours after she got home, it was her own son who killed her in the kitchen. Becoming a young socialite, Barbara was hailed as one of New York's ten most beautiful girls, gaining her regular modelling contracts with Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, and resultant invitations to high society parties, allowing her to date various wealthy admirers. Barbara Daly Baekeland (1922 - November 17, 1972) was a wealthy socialite who was murdered by her son, Anthony Baekeland. When the young socialite was introduced to the charming Brooks Baekeland, a trainee pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force, they quickly earned the status of a celebrity couple who had it all: good looks, wealth, and in Brookss case, a member of the Bakelite empire lineage (as the grandchild of the person who invented plastic, Leo Baekeland). [7] Over time, Barbara became well known to many for her unstable personality, rude outbursts, and bouts of severe depression. After walking down the aisle in California, the newlyweds moved into a stunning, extravagant apartment on New Yorks Upper East Side. His financial travails werent part of a planned grifting, but rather borne of a fledgling business hitting hard times, he says. From 1960 onward, the family's main base was an apartment in Paris, where during one party, Brooks met an English diplomat's daughter who was 15 years his junior. Connect to the World Family Tree to find out, Cause of death: Murder - Nov 17 1972 - Chelsea, Hess did hearing next Mondav. So, to sum it up, the dashing, intelligent, wealthy Brooks checked off everything Barbara wanted in a man. 1. To make matters worse, his father encouraged his psychopathic tendencies and praised his scientific talent.. [13][14], During his young adulthood, Antony displayed increasingly regular signs of schizophrenia with paranoid tendencies, and his erratic behavior caused concern among family friends. They confirm that legal action is being pursued in multiple countries, but many victims arent hopeful of ever getting their money back. Her beautiful face certainly helped her climb the social ladder, but a pretty face isnt everything. No one wanted to defend his right to freedom after this cold-blooded crime, and he was incarcerated for life at Rikers Island, New Yorks main prison, where his family money gave him access to a string of sexual partners and protectors and possible enemies. Antony was subsequently admitted to The Priory private psychiatric hospital, but was released soon afterwards. The ruse was again bolstered by his incredible knack for creating a storyline: Mitsidis later said that Baekeland claimed his mother flew a teddy bear first class to one of his sisters funerals. George passed away in 1966, at age 71. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. After the film opened, Baekeland's former lover Samuel Adams Green, wrote an article pointing out elements in the film possibly misleading for those trying to read back to the reality inspiring it. According to Last, part of Baekelands ploy was marking up the cost for journeys. He built a macabre shine to his dead mother and uttered satanic phrases over her ashes. Growing up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, she seemed destined for a well-adjusted upper-middle-class life. Sadly, her erratic behavior started to surface even before the wedding. She was recognized for her beauty, posing for painters and modeling with Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. One of the only people to have a more compassionate view of Tonys troubles was his paternal grandmother. In 1932 when she was aged 10, her father Frank committed suicide from carbon monoxide poisoning from the exhaust of his car in the garage. In late July 1972, Anthony tried to throw his mother under the traffic outside her penthouse on Cadogan Square in Chelsea, London. Although his abnormal tendencies were evident, Barbara refused to acknowledge that he may have a problem. Barbara dismissed the doctor's assertion. Barbara dismissed the doctor's assertion. He was closing in on his goal of visiting all 193 countries (as defined by the United Nations), and planned to visit his final targetSerbiaalong with his mother, Lady Violette Baekeland, in October 2017 for an elite extreme traveler conference where they were set to become the first mother-son team to have visited every country in the world. She was the wife of Brooks Baekeland. The Baekeland name was assumedly the source of that excess, as a cursory Google search revealed an association with great wealth stretching back generations. After that, Barbaras life really went off the deep end. We went on safaris quite a lot, we went to east Africa, Namibia, Ethiopiawe also went to the Congo, he said. The 29-day journey was long and arduous: Considered by some measurements the remotest landmass on the planet, the Norwegian territory lies in the middle of the south Atlantic Ocean, a forlorn speck between Antarctica and the bottom tip of South Africa. All rights reserved. Extreme travelers are often vying against each other for various accolades, trying to chart more of the Earths yardage faster than their counterparts. People couldnt get enough of her big dark eyes and thick, shiny hair.
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