Robert John Bardo first saw Rebecca Schaeffer in a commercial for "My Sister Sam" and, according to E!, "felt like they were kindred spirits." He started sending her letters and gifts and initially, Schaeffer "thought it was sweet that a fan was sending her stuffed animals and other little gifts at the studio lot."
According to "Blind-sided," Bardo "videotaped every episode of 'My Sister Sam'" and began to believe that he had an entire relationship with her. And when Schaeffer responded to one of Bardo's letters, he decided that was a sign that their relationship was real and started visiting Los Angeles, trying to meet Schaeffer. But once he got to Burbank Studio looking to Schaeffer, teddy bear and flowers in hand, Bardo was unable to make it past security. Reel Reviews writes that one month later Bardo tried again, this time armed with a knife, but he was still unable to gain entrance into Burbank Studio. In response, Bardo wrote in his diary "I don't lose. Period."
This wasn't the first time that Bardo had stalked someone. At one point in the 1980s, Bardo had become obsessed with Samantha Smith, a young peace activist, and had attempted to go to Maine looking for her. However, he was arrested on the way and sent home. After Smith tragically died in a plane crash in 1985, Bardo turned his sights onto Debbie Gibson, a pop star, and went to New York in pursuit of her.
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