December Trial Date Set in Murder of Actress

A Dec. 7 trial date was set Friday for the allegedly obsessed fan charged with shooting actress Rebecca Schaeffer to death at her Fairfax apartment.

Superior Court Judge Jacqueline Connor told lawyers at a brief hearing that she would meet with them next month to go over plans for jury selection.

The defendant, Robert John Bardo, came to court in a wrinkled prison T-shirt and pajama pants. He stared at the top of the counsel table throughout the hearing.

Defense attorney Steven Galindo said outside court that Bardo is under constant medication and appears to be improving mentally with the help of drugs.

Bardo is accused of first-degree murder with special circumstances of lying in wait, which could bring him the death penalty if convicted. Schaeffer, 21, best known for her role in the comedy “My Sister Sam,” was shot to death in the doorway of her apartment building on July 18, 1989.