Both Actress, Father Got Mail Threats, Court Told

A man accused of mailing threatening letters to actress Stephanie Zimbalist also sent copies of his mailings to her actor-father, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., as well as to other entertainers, court documents in Los Angeles revealed Monday.

Michael Shields, 42, first saw Stephanie Zimbalist perform in 1979 and, five years later, “began a series of secret trips to find Miss Zimbalist,” Assistant U.S. Atty. Carol Gillam said in a memo.

The Michigan man sent more than 200 letters to Zimbalist, best known as the co-star in the TV series “Remington Steele,” and purchased a semiautomatic rifle before attempting to track her down in Los Angeles in March.