Barbara Daly Baekeland

Barbara Daly Baekeland
Born	Barbara Daly 1922 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	17 November 1972 Chelsea, London
Cause of death	Murder by stabbing
Nationality	American
Known for	Murdered by her son
Children	Antony Baekeland

Barbara Daly Baekeland (1922 – November 17, 1972) 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.

She was murdered at her London home when her son Antony stabbed her with a kitchen knife, killing her almost instantly. Antony was found at the scene of the crime, and later confessed to and was charged with her murder.

Barbara was born and raised in Boston. In 1932, when Barbara was aged 10, her father, Frank, committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning from the exhaust of his car in the garage. After the life insurance payment had been collected, Barbara and her mother moved to New York City, taking up residence in the Delmonico Hotel.

As a young woman living in New York City, Barbara became a prominent socialite. She was one of New York's ten most beautiful girls, gaining her regular modelling contracts with Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. Her social status and beauty resulted in frequent invitations to high society parties, allowing her to date various wealthy admirers. She also suffered mental health problems like her mother, and was a private patient of psychiatrist Foster Kennedy.

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. She introduced Barbara to her younger brother Brooks, a trainee pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force.

After Barbara falsely told Brooks Baekeland that she was pregnant, the couple quickly married in California. At the time of the marriage, Barbara listed her profession as painter, while Brooks listed his as writer.

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. Over time, Barbara became well-known to many for her unstable personality, rude outbursts, and bouts of severe depression. She also drank heavily, and both she and her husband participated in extramarital affairs.

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