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. They confirm that legal action is being pursued in multiple countries, but many victims arent hopeful of ever getting their money back. At this point, with no assistance, it seemed as though the mentally disturbed former inmate was on an inevitable path of violence. Tony was sent to Rikers Island, where he died by suicide, suffocating himself with a plastic bag. After the ensuing fracas, both Anthony and Barbara were arrested and placed in jail. In an epitaph written by Brooks Baekeland, he called his son "an enormous failure of intelligence.". In 1967, and with the family based in both Switzerland and the Spanish-resort of Cadaques, Anthony met the bisexual Australian Jake Cooper. The claims are currently being assessed, per a spokesperson. Gazarian, for his part, says he has no way of knowing whether Baekelands dispatches contained falsehoods, or if they portrayed his experiences accurately. Given all his eccentricities and expertise, how could he not have grown up with a bottomless family coffer to finance his jet-setting lifestyle? 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. While sources in the extreme travel world suspect Baekeland had a humble upbringing records suggest his parents home is in a working-class area of Birmingham, England Radcliffe says his friend hails from one of the most affluent enclaves in England outside of London., Trending Just days after landing in New York and moving into his grandmothers apartment, Tonys bizarre behavior turned chilling. After the life insurance payment had been collected, Barbara and her mother moved to New York City, taking up residence in the Delmonico Hotel. 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. The ceremony for his sister Muguette supposedly took place at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Westchester County, New York, Mitsidis said, next to the grave of the family patriarch, Leo Hendrik Baekeland. The attack ended a toxic and combative mother son relationship. William Baekeland ostensibly absorbed this backstory and simply told travelers that he didnt enjoy talking much about his personal life. The first time Baekeland set eyes on the beautiful Barbara, he was smitten and within months they were married. But when trips he planned began falling apart, others started to wonder was it all a con? However, Sylvie started an affair with Brooks. Baekeland coordinated the charter flight for six people, which would have cost under $5,000 per person, according to Bonifas. I dont know where he got my email at all.. Although the Metropolitan Police arrested Anthony for attempted murder, Barbara refused to press charges. Green then embarked on legal action against the film makers, which was still unresolved at the time of his death. The Baekeland name was assumedly the source of that excess, as a cursory Google search revealed an association with great wealth stretching back generations. [9] This led Barbara to severe depression and another suicide attempt, from which her friend Gloria Jones, wife of author James Jones, saved her.[10]. Sadly, the material trappings of great fortune masked the outside world from the dark reality. She was considered one of the ten most beautiful girls in New York. According to Mitsidis, public records showed Jesse Gordons birthdate matched the one on Baekelands passport, which he had seen while organizing trips. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. In 1939, Leo sold the Bakelite Corporation to the chemical giant Union Carbide, solidifying his familys fortune. Later, the tumultuous . However during their marriage, Barbara's mental instability became obvious. Police Unions Wield Massive Power in American Politics For Now, U.S. Open Womens Semi-Finals Preview: Venus Williams Leads the Pack, Lamar Odom on 2011 Lakers Trade: It Ended My Career and Purpose. 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. In December 2013, Kendall contacted Mitsidis, founder of The Best Traveled, in an effort to expose Baekeland. [7], Two weeks later, on November 17, 1972, Antony murdered his mother by stabbing her with a kitchen knife, killing her almost instantly. They had one child, a boy named Tony, who grew up surrounded by opulence, but always in close proximity to his parents toxic marriage. As they sailed through the miles of icy waters, the ships 60-plus passengers traded the monotony of sea for mingling. Mother of Anthony Baekeland, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Daly_Baekeland. Needless to say, neither of them was much help. At the time of the marriage, Barbara listed her profession as painter, while Brooks listed his as a writer. After sleuthing around his online footprint, Kendall says he noticed Gordon was using the same picture on Linkedin that someone named William Simon Baekeland was using on The Best Traveled. Instead of taking her son to a psychologist, she pretended everything was fine. 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. His last country was going to be Serbia, and at one point he was going to rent out an entire resort and fly in 100 journalists to mark the completion of his journey, Gazarian says. Arrested by the New York City Police Department, he was charged with attempted murder. Renting houses and villas in London, Paris, Zermatt, Cap d'Antibes, and many parts of Italy, Barbara and Brooks continued to live extravagantly, entertain guests, and have affairs. It stars Stephen Dillane as Brooks Baekeland, the socially recessive heir to a family fortune (his grandfather, a plastics pioneer, invented Bakelite), Julianne Moore as Barbara Daly. Growing up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, she seemed destined for a well-adjusted upper-middle-class life. Barbara Baekeland Facts 1. She was the ex-wife of Brooks Baekeland, who was the grandson of Leo Baekeland, inventor of Bakelite plastic. 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 Nini miraculously survived. Despite spending thousands of dollars to be there, the passengers were roughing it in cramped cabins cluttered with beds and luggage, while Baekeland stayed alone in a private room. [7] Over time, Barbara became well known to many for her unstable personality, rude outbursts, and bouts of severe depression. And with her strong determination, the socialite stopped at nothing to get him. According to Hugh Karraker, a Baekeland family descendant, the book was a major embarrassment to everyone in the family. He confirms that all of the unsavory assertions in the book are accurate, to the best of his knowledge, and says the publication of Savage Grace caused the family to further retreat from public life. Barbaras controlling personality was cited as being a main contributing factor to her sons increasingly unstable mental health. Moreover, Radcliffe asserts that Baekeland did follow through on most of the trips that he promised. Blindsided and aghast at his findings, Mitsidis went back to the Facebook message from Kendall. 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. 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. Brooks married Sylvie and had one son. [12], Barbara Baekeland had a complex and allegedly incestuous relationship with her son, Antony Baekeland, who was either gay or bisexual. [citation needed], 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 it didnt take long for the marriage to self-destruct. This decision infuriated Tonys father, Brooks, who believed Tony was capable of killing again. In January 1933, when Barbara was aged 11, her father, Frank, committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning from the exhaust of his car in the garage. She Had Humble Beginnings Advertisement On September 28, 1921, Barbara Baekeland was born as Barbara Daly to a normal American family. I want to send you a message, he wrote. He was born on January 12, 1957, and has an estimated net worth of $100 million. Brooks decided that he had had enough of Barbara's behaviour, and decided to pursue a divorce. They dont have so much spare time but they have plenty of cash. She introduced Barbara to her younger brother Brooks, a trainee pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force. She was murdered at her London home when her son Antony stabbed her with a kitchen knife, killing her almost instantly. After discovering the affair in February 1968, Barbara again tried to commit suicide. Baekeland attempted to "fix" her son by having prostitutes have sex with him. It should be noted that whether the incestuous mother-son relationship actually happened is debatable. After the stock market crash, Frank ended his own life by filling up his car with carbon monoxide in his garage. Back in Britain, it turned out that Tonys Broadmoor consultant admitted that Tonys release was a faux pas and was perhaps aware that the lack of proper psychiatric care and supervision would eventually lead to tragedy. Tony didnt seem to understand the severity of his actions; he was in such denial that he started ordering Chinese takeaway on the phone. [3] Her social status and beauty resulted in frequent invitations to high society parties, allowing her to date various wealthy admirers. Nobody will be able to compete with him once hes done. 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. In March 2015, an elite group of adventurers boarded the Ortelius, an ice-strengthened cruise ship bound for Bouvet Island. Since then, Radcliffe has acted as a liaison between Baekeland and those who say he owes them money. Cooper introduced Antony to various hallucinogenic drugs, which they traveled to Morocco to obtain. Oh, you know, just bloody humans, the usual. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time The family owes its fame to the creation of Bakelite, but also a litany of scandals, from infidelity and incest to murder. She and Tony spent the night in the slammer. Verifiable details concerning his upbringing are sparse, but according to interviews with extreme travelers who knew him, Gordons life has taken a shocking turn over the past few years. Tony admitted that on the night of Barbaras murder, the two had argued about a friend that Tony invited over, but his mom didnt want to see. I understand, to an extent, what Harry did but I think with hindsight it worsened the financial outlook for the creditors considerably., Radcliffe admits that Baekeland should harbor some of the blame for the issue. From at least 2015 to 2017, his critics say, he gave the illusion of a well-heeled, globetrotting adventurer, offering to orchestrate travel to the kind of inaccessible domains that humans rarely go, for a price. From there, he found Gordons parents, and used their names to find the birth records of Gordons two sisters. I felt she was controlling my mind.. She was 51 years of age at the time, and Antony was 25. After six weeks, Green broke off the relationship, although Barbara was still obsessed by Green. yearly orientation no Anthony, 1922 - Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States, Nov 17 1972 - Chelsea, London, England, United Kingdom, "and ordered held in for a hearing next Monday Anthony, Sep 28 1922 - Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States, Francis James "Frank" Daly, Mrs. Nini Lillian Daly (born Fraser), Sep 28 1921 - Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, Estados Unidos de Amrica, Nov 11 1972 - London, Inglaterra, Reino Unido, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savage_Grace. The moviestarring Julianne Moore, Stephen Dillane, Eddie Redmayne, Hugh Dancy, Elena Anaya, and Unax Ugaldewas based on the book of the same name. There will be no pained shots of Will Levis on the second night of the 2023 NFL Draft. A lot of the big travelers are very, very wealthy. Baekeland was the wealthy grandson of the man who invented Bakelite, the world's first plastic. In a sinister act of unintentional irony, his ultimate end was brought on by the same material that made his family wealthy decades before. Barbara wasnt just beautiful; she was extremely ambitious. conversing frequently with other users about travel. The reason for these extreme conflicts was because Barbara encouraged and pushed Tony to sleep with prostitutes in an attempt to cure his homosexuality. After this failed, while the pair were living in Majorca in the summer of 1968 following Barbara and Brooks's divorce, Barbara was alleged to have raped her son. Barbara Daly Baekeland was only 52 when she was stabbed to death in her luxurious Chelsea apartment in London on November 17th 1972. His voice was as delicate and refined as a cartoon butlers. Shockingly, though, his knowledge of world geography was immense hed claimed to have already visited most of the 193 countries recognized by the United Nations. Celine was born in 1868. Brooks and Barbara were cycling through depressions and cheating on each other. Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Bonifas is a world traveler and corporate CEO who says hes owed roughly $40,000 for trips arranged by Baekeland that never materialized. When Mrs. Baekeland was informed of this by her friend Barbara Curteis, she traveled by car to Spain to bring her son back to Switzerland. Radcliffe, for his part, stopped responding to emails shortly before the publication of this story. On the surface, Barbara had everything she could ever want: good looks, money, and status. Among them was William Baekeland, a young and unassuming outsider, who cut an intriguing figure. She was only saved by his physical weakness, and the intervention of her friend Susan Guinness. [10] As her marriage to Brooks fell apart, Barbaras relationship with her son became disturbingly alarming. Genealogy for George Middleton Baekeland (1921 - 2007) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. Surprise, surprise, a baby didnt fix their marital issues; it just brought new problems. I was put in an awful position due to your intervention back then but luckily I have been forgiven.. 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 only saved by his physical weakness, and the intervention of her friend Susan Guinness. He was released soon after. 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. People soon found out that Barbara had a very ugly side as well. Leo's grandson Brooks was a decadent . It was like he had no sense of reality. All rights reserved. Two weeks later, on November 17, Anthony murdered his mother by stabbing her with a kitchen knife, killing her almost instantly. Mitsidis remembers Baekeland well three years after their encounter on the Ortelius. Green wrote:[11][12], 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. This dramatic event was perhaps the beginning of a twisted mother-son relationship that culminated when Barbara went to extreme lengths to try and cure her gay son and also led to the demise of her marriage. Described in a brochure as a unique adventure sailing trip to one of the most pristine ocean environments in the world, the adventure cost $5,000 for a single spot, payable directly to the young mans personal bank account. 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. Its unclear if the admission had more to do with Tonys unstable mind than his mothers actual behavior toward him. At 3:30 p.m., he was found lifeless with a plastic bag tightly wrapped around his head. 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. 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. In 1969 she met Samuel Adams Green, with whom she started an affair. 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. Do you think there was any way to help Tony? 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. 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. Instead, he ran away. At the time this incident seemed of minor importance, Mitsidis tells me. The first Baekeland murder was made into the 2007 film Savage Grace, starring Julianne Moore, Stephen Dillane, Eddie Redmayne, Hugh Dancy, Elena Anaya and Unax Ugalde. But he claims hes owed $60,000 for trips to Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and other journeys that have been canceled. [7], Antony was institutionalized at Broadmoor Hospital until July 21, 1980, when, at the urging of a group of his friends, he was released.[18]. 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. When Barbara was barely an adult, she gained much attention from rich, powerful men. It only made her love him more. 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. After Brooks requested a divorce and Barbara subsequently tried to commit suicide, Brooks terminated the affair. Harry Mitsidis claims the story isnt so simple. 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.. Tony was a tall, skinny, 25-year-old and the only child of Barbara and Brooks Baekeland the heir to Bakelite. 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. Sadly, his concerns were warranted. It was based on the book of the same name. 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. According to interviews Rolling Stone conducted with Mitsids and two other sources, the young man successfully carried out at least two trips, but there were nine more that they paid for either in part or in full but because of decisions made by either the travelers or Baekeland didnt come to pass. As much as Nini wanted to see the best in her grandchild, she wasnt prepared to deal with an unhinged criminal. Last October, he failed to show up to a trip in the Sudan. Growing up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, she seemed destined for a well-adjusted upper-middle-class life. Frank Daly suffered from mental health issues, but he wasnt the only unstable family member. 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.. Connect to the World Family Tree to find out, Cause of death: Murder - Nov 17 1972 - Chelsea, Hess did hearing next Mondav. Antony was found at the scene of the crime, and later confessed to and was charged with her murder. But not long after, their marriage began to show some obvious cracks, and thats when the trouble started. When later introduced to her son Antony, Green was very unimpressed by his artistic capabilities. "Brooks Baekeland" Birthdate: February 21, 1921: Death: 2007 (85-86) Immediate Family: . Absolutely we had the impression[William] was never going to work again in his life, says Ortelius passenger Bob Bonifas. Radcliffe also says hes offered to carry out some of Baekelands canceled trips, but all travelers have declined. 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". He. To make matters worse, his father encouraged his psychopathic tendencies and praised his scientific talent.. In a stroke of luck, one of Gordons sisters had a public Facebook profile, complete with a photo of her family, including her brother. She also suffered mental health problems like her mother, and was a private patient of psychiatrist Foster Kennedy. [citation needed], After Barbara falsely told Brooks Baekeland that she was pregnant,[6] the couple quickly married in California. 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. At the time of the marriage, Barbara listed her profession as painter, while Brooks listed his as writer.[7]. After the stabbing, his mind manifested that he thought he was doing Nini a favor as it was the kinder thing to kill her. In the Ortelius dining hall, he commanded attention, dropping obscure bits of geographical knowledge as the ship lumbered south. Forthcoming trips organized by Baekeland a total of six stretching from late 2017 to 2019 were canceled. 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 Travelers Century Club counts 327 countries and territories worldwide, whereas the Most Traveled People lists a prodigious 871 landmasses scattered throughout the planet. Main article: Savage Grace http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savage_Grace. Daughter of Frank James Daly and Nina Lillian Daly No one had heard of Russell before; Mitsids suspects the missive had been sent by Baekeland himself, an attempt to bide time as a mountain of debts to the various travelers began to swell. I felt Id been a bit of an internet troll against a kid who just wanted a little bit of anonymity, Kendall says. During his confession, Tony admitted that he wanted to sleep with his 87-year-old grandma. The same year that the legislation of cannabis passed in Holland, the computer company Atari launched the first generation of video games, and there was much controversy over the Vietnam war. When the cops responded to the scene, they reportedly found Tony placing an order for Chinese food. She loved him and had no clue what she was really getting herself into; she never imagined that Tonys mental instability would cause him to go after her. [11] After six weeks, Green broke off the relationship, although Barbara was still obsessed with him. mother. And who helped Tony deal with his escalating, disturbing behavior? As Mitsidis puts it, Baekelands demeanor was convincing enough to gain entry into the travel groups inner circle. Moreover, Brooks does not lag too behind in the self-centered . Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Tonys erratic and strange behavior increased, and his aging grandmother was not equipped to handle it. The family are notorious for a murder which scandalised high society in 1972, in . A well read friend of mine who has known me for many years, and consequently knows my taste in books, loaned me a copy of Savage Grace, a nonfiction book which tells the story of the Baekelands; Brooks Baekeland, heir to the Bakelite plastics fortune, his wife Barbara Daly Baekeland and their son Antony Baekeland. Psychological demons consumed Barbara and her mother as well. Her son's erratic behavior caused concern among family friends. Radcliffe says the allegations against his friend have been blown out of all proportion to the reality. He blames Baekelands creditors for losing faith in a well-intentioned but failed business strategy. 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. Even while he was in custody in Brixton prison, he asked visitors how his mother was doing and if she was still alive. Well that is exactly what happened. The violent attack ended a turbulent, toxic, and combative mother-son connection. Around that time, Barbara fell for debonair Brooks Baekeland, a man the high-class people called the intellectual Errol Flynn. Since his grandfather invented plastic, lets just say he was sinking in money. However, Sylvie then started an affair with Barbara's husband Brooks. However, it hasnt been verified whether Tony Baekelands brutal death was a suicide or a murder; it remains a mystery. 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. 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. In one shot, Baekeland stands ready to board a helicopter at Tilicho Lake, Nepal. On November 17, 1972, Barbara Daly Baekeland was stabbed to death in her luxurious London apartment; she was only 52 years old. Baekeland was fond of promoting his exploits on the Internet. 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. But faking a pregnancy should have been the first red flag. The Baekelands were now using Paris as their main base, and in 1963 Brooks fell in love there with an English diplomat's daughter who was 15 years his junior. 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. Searching further, he found public records for one of Jesse Gordons prior companies, which was registered to an address in Birmingham. But I don't believe she had sex with Tony. 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. 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. [2] She was the ex-wife of Brooks Baekeland, who was the grandson of Leo Baekeland, inventor of Bakelite plastic. In 1980, money, power, and associations with Coutts bank, the American Embassy, and contacts in Washington finally managed to secure Tonys release, but there was a little catch.