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I guess Bambi Bembenek couldn’t run quite fast enough.
The accused murderess died as a result of liver failure in Oregon after trying unsuccessfully to clear her name for many years.
If you’re asking, by the way, who Bambi Bembenek is, don’t feel bad—I had never heard of her either, which is kind of surprising when you figure that a former Playboy Club bunny (who was also a cop) jailed for murdering her husband’s ex-wife is just the kind …
… of thing I’d find interesting.
Anyway, Laurie “Bambi” Bembenek’s story seems pretty much made for TV (which, of course, it was, 1993’s “Woman on Trial: The Lawrencia Bembenek Story”), and it’s been a never-ending trial since those early days.
Bembenek worked briefly as a Playboy Club waitress in Lake Geneva before becoming a police officer in Milwaukee, where she married detective Fred Schultz. Bembenek was convicted in 1982 of fatally shooting his ex-wife, Christine Schultz, after allegedly complaining about the alimony he had to pay.
Bembenek was sentenced to life in prison but maintained her innocence. In 1990, she escaped Taycheedah Correctional Institution in Fond du Lac and fled to Canada with then-fiance Dominic Gugliatto, the brother of another inmate.
Wow, big boobs, police life, a murder rap, and a prison escape … oh, and a media sensation along the way, with t-shirts bearing the slogan “Run Bambi Run,” a common sight in Milwaukee until she and her man were apprehended following coverage on America’s Most Wanted.
Anyway, Bambenek cut a deal with prosecutors after the investigation into Christine Schultz’s death showed “significant mistakes,” pleading no contest to second-degree murder in exchange for ten years of probation.
Despite her plea deal, Bembenek always maintained her innocence in Christine Schultz’s murder:
In 2002, after completing her parole, Bembenek filed a motion seeking testing for genetic material in the case in the hope of clearing her name. Later that year, she seriously injured her foot while apparently trying to escape out a hotel window before an appearance on the television talk show “Dr. Phil,” which had agreed to pay for some of the DNA testing. Her attorney said restrictions placed on Bembenek were excessive and triggered memories of her imprisonment. The injuries forced Bembenek to have her right foot amputated a few weeks later.
A Wisconsin appeals court in 2006 refused to let Bembenek appeal her murder conviction. More recently, she had been petitioning the office of outgoing Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle to pardon her, although last week a Doyle spokesman said Bembenek’s most recent application was incomplete.
Bembenek’s family is going to keep pushing for a pardon from Governor Doyle, which I think is pretty cool. I mean, if she didn’t do it, her name should be cleared.
After all, “Bambi Bembenek” is not a name easily forgotten …
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I want a “Run Bambi Run” t-shirt D:
[...] Playboy Bunny convicted of murder in 1982, dies – Zelda Lily [...]