On the surface, Barbara had everything she could ever want: good looks, money, and status. While the UN slices the globe into 193 member nations that form its legislative body, independent travel organizations make their own rules. Incest and Illness Instigates Ire for an Ill-fated Beauty [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. Tony began hitting his mother before she ran into the kitchen. 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. 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. An invitation to Hollywood for a screen test with the actor Dana Andrews didn't lead to film stardom but did lead to a friendship with fellow aspiring actress Cornelia "Dickie" Baekeland. 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.. However, Tony was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to Broadmore, one of the highest security hospitals in the U.K., where the rich and famous came to visit him due to his mothers celebrity status as a member of the Baekeland dynasty. Baekeland was making friends with as many people as he possibly could in the travel community, Kendall tells me over a washy Skype connection. 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. The Curious Case of William S. Baekeland: Billionaire Adventurer or 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. 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. When Tony was a toddler, the youngest Baekeland heir started to show some disturbing signs. He built a macabre shine to his dead mother and uttered satanic phrases over her ashes. He had known Barbara Baekeland, the victim, and her son, Tony, who was convicted of stabbing his mother to death in their Cadogan Square flat in London and who later committed suicide. By the time the journey to Bouvet ended in a circumnavigation of the island, the adventurers were wooed by the young mans prowess and charm. 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. [citation needed] She also had mental health problems like her mother, and was a private patient of psychiatrist Foster Kennedy. She was the wife of Brooks Baekeland. Tony was sent to Rikers Island, where he died by suicide, suffocating himself with a plastic bag. After this failed, and the pair were living in Majorca, Mrs. Baekeland was alleged to have manipulated or coerced her son into having sex with her. The other explorers onboard the ship seasoned members of the Travelers Century Club, the Most Traveled People, and other exclusive societies perked up in the company of the curious stranger. Nobodys ever going to see five cents out of this, says Bonifas. He was born on January 12, 1957, and has an estimated net worth of $100 million. 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. When the police arrived, they found Anthony, who was 25 years old at the time, ordering Chinese food over the phone. According to people onboard the ship, he later said that his great-grandfather was Leo Hendrik Baekeland, a Belgian immigrant and chemist famous for inventing the precursor to modern plastic in 1907. By 1967, the family was living in Switzerland, and twenty-year-old Tony began an intimate relationship with a bisexual Australian man while he was in Morocco. Brooks was certain Tony was evil, but he never tried to help. 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. They claim theyre owed money by Baekeland for these trips. Growing up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, she seemed destined for a well-adjusted upper-middle-class life. Brooks Baekeland (Stephen Dillane), too wealthy to work, tries to sweep boredom away with archaeological digs, safaris and sexual affairs. Only now his reputation is far different. After spearheading an amateur investigation, in which he spoke with a number of travelers whove done business with Baekeland, Mitsidis estimates the young man pocketed around $835,000 from roughly 20 people. [2] She was the ex-wife of Brooks Baekeland, who was the grandson of Leo Baekeland, inventor of Bakelite plastic. The family owes its fame to the creation of Bakelite, but also a litany of scandals, from infidelity and incest to murder. However, it hasnt been verified whether Tony Baekelands brutal death was a suicide or a murder; it remains a mystery. 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. On the day of his court appearance, Tony Baekeland, son of the glamorous socialite Barbara Day Baekeland, was found in his prison cell with a plastic bag over his head. After the ensuing fracas, both Anthony and Barbara were arrested and placed in jail. Returning to Spain, Barbara accepted the extent of her son's relationship with Cooper, but preferred his developing relationship with a young Spanish girl, Sylvie. But Brooks had left her for a. Brooks started sleeping with his sons girlfriend. His financial travails werent part of a planned grifting, but rather borne of a fledgling business hitting hard times, he says. But he claims hes owed $60,000 for trips to Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and other journeys that have been canceled. He got out on the condition that he would live in New York under the care of his 87-year-old grandmother, Nini. Anthony was diagnosed with schizophrenia. [William] learned very quickly thats what a lot of travelers are like; They just pay up to get it out of the way to visit the place, says Last. Radcliffe maintains that Atlas Travel is a credible organization, and that Baekeland is no longer involved at all. I think she simply enjoyed shocking people. Yes, that same Sylvie. And who helped Tony deal with his escalating, disturbing behavior? One of the only people to have a more compassionate view of Tonys troubles was his paternal grandmother. All rights reserved. At the time this incident seemed of minor importance, Mitsidis tells me. I think she simply enjoyed shocking people., Green then embarked on legal action against the film makers, which was still unresolved at the time of his death.[11][12]. Mitsidis remembers Baekeland well three years after their encounter on the Ortelius. Theyve set this second company up to be bulletproof in what Bonifas calls a scam. Atlas Travels website, which promises scheduled tours and bespoke travel to distant hinterlands across the globe, comes riddled with byzantine fine print and a long-winded terms and conditions section hammered out over 17 bullet points. They often entertained famous faces, from Hollywood starlet Greta Garbo to tortured playwright Tennessee Williams. He also thought psychiatrists were a waste of time and called his son evil after he sent his young stepbrother morbid gifts that he made while at Broadmoor. [citation needed], In 1967, at which time the family was based in both Switzerland and the Spanish resort of Cadaques, the 20-year-old Antony met Jake Cooper, a bisexual Australian man. In an email to Bonifas, Baekeland claimed his family were regular donors to the charity, who had giving arrangements with the owners of the island, for ongoing conservation work., Bonifas was quick to indulge the offer, replying back: I have no problem with the $10,000 donation or the cost of the tripGet me confirmed., Though the trip went through, the $10,000 donation never made it to the Conservancy, a source from the organization tells Rolling Stone. The familys ultimate undoing occurred in 1972, when Tony murdered his mother with a kitchen knife in their London apartment. 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. The young explorer was in some respects too peculiar not to be authentic. Since she was a little girl, she knew she wanted the good life with big cities, vacations, parties, and a whole lot of cash, and she knew she had the looks to make it happen. Kendall, who had been following the young traveler for years, said he couldnt reconcile [Baekelands] willingness to organize and arrange tours with his lack of a social media profile and the use of aliases and nom de plumes., In their exchange, Mitsidis defended Baekeland. 1941 CE) was a former U.S. Marine who in 1966 was responsible for the massacre at The University of Texas at Austin, becoming known as the " Texas Tower Sniper ". Just before Barbaras brutal death, she was out with a friend in London bragging about her extravagant, wonderful, fun-filled life that she had with her son Anthony whom she absolutely adored. An employee of the cemetery says no one with her name is buried there. Hours after she got home, it was her own son who killed her in the kitchen. Up in the Air: Meet the Man Who Flies Around the World for Free Writing in an email, he admits that Baekeland is indebted to several people, but claims his friend isnt guilty of purposeful fraud: The truth is that [Baekeland] got himself into a financial mess as a result of insufficient capital in his business and some poorly planned trips, he says. He also inherited his grandfathers bright mind, starting a Ph.D. in physics before switching to writing. As part of the high-society party circuit, Barbara met John Jacob Astor IV, the incredibly wealthy offspring of the Astor clan. Researching the book was like putting the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle together. (Rolling Stone tried contacting Baekelands family via telephone, but the listed number was disconnected.) [3] Her social status and beauty resulted in frequent invitations to high society parties, allowing her to date various wealthy admirers. From 1960 onwards 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. 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. . He seemed to be going everywhere all the time. But despite openly calling him a fraud on Twitter, there was little Kendall could do. But despite getting fired from his internship, Baekeland was boarding the Ortelius a little over a year later, meeting Mitsidis in person for the first time. The attack ended a toxic and combative mother son relationship. Anthony was institutionalized at Broadmoor Hospital prison until July 21, 1980 when, at the urging of a group of his friends, he was released. He made multiple attempts to get his release reversed. A post shared by William Baekeland (@williambaekeland) on Feb 10, 2017 at 5:01pm PST, When he was interviewed by travel writer Ric Gazarian on Counting Countries, Baekeland said he grew up in a family of explorers. She was the ex-wife of Brooks Baekeland, who was the grandson of Leo Baekeland, inventor of Bakelite plastic. 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. Cornelia Fitch Middlebrook. Genealogy for George Middleton Baekeland (1921 - 2007) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. Instead, he ran away. I felt Id been a bit of an internet troll against a kid who just wanted a little bit of anonymity, Kendall says. George passed away in 1966, at age 71. Its about your suspicions 4 years ago you may, just may, have been right all along., Last November, in an email to various people who were familiar with Baekeland, Mitsids described the revelations as the groups day of apocalypse.. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. After the life insurance payment had been collected, Barbara and her mother moved to New York City, taking up residence in the Delmonico Hotel. However, at the French border, Anthony was found not to have his passport. She also drank heavily, and both parties had many affairs. The old-style explorer with a hat.. William Baekeland ostensibly absorbed this backstory and simply told travelers that he didnt enjoy talking much about his personal life. Growing up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, she seemed destined for a well-adjusted upper-middle-class life. Everyone knew Barbara was all about the glitzy life, money, status, and diamonds. [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. Barbara Daly Baekeland (1922 November 17, 1972) was a wealthy socialite who was murdered by her son, Anthony Baekeland. Savage Grace movie review & film summary (2008) | Roger Ebert He had killed himself via suffocation. Although the Metropolitan Police arrested Antony for attempted murder, Barbara refused to press charges. A wealthy family's fall from 'Grace' - Baltimore Sun Barbara Daly Baekeland One mother who most certainly seduced her son was Barbara Daly Baekeland. Forthcoming trips organized by Baekeland a total of six stretching from late 2017 to 2019 were canceled. 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. His grandmother brought him into her home with the genuine intention of helping him get his life back on track. By this time (the summer of 1968) the Baekelands were divorced. She introduced Barbara to her younger brother Brooks, a trainee pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force. [16], Antony then undertook sessions with a psychiatrist while living at home. 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. After Brooks requested a divorce and Barbara subsequently tried to commit suicide, Brooks terminated the affair. Flying directly to New York City, Anthony stayed with his 87 year old maternal grandmother, Nina Daly. [7] Antony returned to his cell at 3:30 PM EST on March 20, 1981, and was found dead by suicide 30 minutes later, having suffocated himself with a plastic bag.[19]. Daughter of Frank James Daly and Nina Lillian Daly An inveterate travel expert at 22 years old, with a scrawny build and neatly combed hair, he looked more like a high-school student than an explorer. He was prone to violent outbursts and aggression. Baekeland attempted to "fix" her son by hiring prostitutes to have sex with him. Close friends claim that Barbara loved shocking people with outrageous admissions that were likely fueled by fantasy and pathological attention-seeking. She was the ex-wife of Brooks Baekeland, who was the grandson of Leo Baekeland, inventor of Bakelite plastic. However, the case was adjourned by the judge, due to a delay in the transfer of his medical records from England. Barbara Daly Baekeland Biography | HowOld.co Nobody will be able to compete with him once hes done. Do you think there was any way to help Tony? 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. 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. The camel market of el Fasher, Darfur, Sudan, A post shared by William Baekeland (@williambaekeland) on Feb 10, 2017 at 4:30pm PST. In a sense, using the Baekeland name was genius. But faking a pregnancy should have been the first red flag. Less than a month after arriving, he attempted to murder her, again with a knife. As a young woman living in New York City, Barbara became a prominent socialite. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. In 1939, Leo sold the Bakelite Corporation to the chemical giant Union Carbide, solidifying his familys fortune. Consumed by emotional issues and affairs on both sides, Barbara tried to kill herself on more than one occasion. They confirm that legal action is being pursued in multiple countries, but many victims arent hopeful of ever getting their money back. They later resolved to continue traveling together. And with her strong determination, the socialite stopped at nothing to get him. She married into wealth and lived a dream life of fortune, glamour, and status. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. On November 17, 1972 a 25 year old Antony Baekeland grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed 51 year old Barbara Baekeland. Nini miraculously survived. As Bonifas walks me through his dealings with Baekeland, it becomes clear just how angry some of the young mans alleged victims are. Absolutely we had the impression[William] was never going to work again in his life, says Ortelius passenger Bob Bonifas. Still linked to one of the richest and most powerful American dynasties, Barbara lived a privileged life. Only six days after his release, on July 27, he attacked her with a kitchen knife, stabbing her eight times and breaking several bones. Radcliffe, for his part, stopped responding to emails shortly before the publication of this story. He also said hed chartered a Britten-Norman Islander airplane to Sable Island in Nova Scotia, Canada, where he saw groups of horses running through the water at the shoreline.. It was the kind of devotion that was suffocating. Charles Whitman (b. Tony had no desire to see his father after he left him to live with a new partner (3rd marriage) and a young child. Baekeland coordinated the charter flight for six people, which would have cost under $5,000 per person, according to Bonifas. She became one of the top models of her time. It only made her love him more. Sadly, the material trappings of great fortune masked the outside world from the dark reality. When Brooks was informed of his wife's death, he turned to his girlfriend and said, "She's again found a way to get at me." When a psychiatrist told Barbara Baekeland less than three weeks. In 1933, everything changed in the worst way ever. How Barbara Daly Baekeland's Seduction Of Her Gay Son Led To Murder After the life insurance payment had been collected, Barbara and her mother moved to New York City, taking up residence in the Delmonico Hotel. 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. Born and raised in Boston, her mother Nini had had a mental breakdown a few years before Barbara was born. Preparing to fly across New York City and Northern New Jersey #nyc #newyorkcity #nj #newjersey #privateplane #airplane #lightaircraft #ewr #newark #ppl, A post shared by William Baekeland (@williambaekeland) on Jan 10, 2017 at 9:33pm PST. She pursued him 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. Baekeland ostensibly used their sordid past and present-day obscurity to create his subterfuge. After the cheating and divorce, Barbara and Tony were heartlessly rejected from Brookss new life and new family in America. 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. The moviestarring Julianne Moore, Stephen Dillane, Eddie Redmayne, Hugh Dancy, Elena Anaya, and Unax Ugaldewas based on the book of the same name. The reason for these extreme conflicts was because Barbara encouraged and pushed Tony to sleep with prostitutes in an attempt to cure his homosexuality. 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. Radcliffe also says hes offered to carry out some of Baekelands canceled trips, but all travelers have declined.