Shivangi Sinha
In Lifetime’s ‘Rescued by Faith: The Connie and Larry Van Oosten Story,’ when Chad Schipper is holding Connie and Larry Van Oosten hostage in his basement, someone comes to his house. This man, introduced as Bob, asks Chad to return the money he had taken under the pretext of an investment. The scene helps establish the motivations behind Schipper’s character and his need to commit the crime. While the film is based on a true story, some elements are dramatized for dramatic effect; in real life, Schipper did face litigation in connection with other incidents as well.
Bob’s Character Could be Inspired by a Real-Life Case Involving Chad Schipper
In the film, Bob is a character who attends the same church as Connie and Larry Van Oosten, as well as Chad Schipper. It is shown as a small community where everyone knows each other, and it becomes clear that Bob had given money to Schipper for investment. In the film, Schipper is portrayed as a financial advisor, but when Bob comes to his house and demands his money back, it is revealed that there had been some mismanagement. Bob’s character helps highlight the alleged motivations behind Schipper’s actions and how he targeted people he knew for financial fraud.
The character of Bob does seem to have roots in reality, as another case was brought against Schipper after his arrest in February 2017. In November 2018, he was charged with theft and was accused of obtaining unauthorized control over more than $100,000 but less than $500,000 belonging to Barry C. Leeds, whom he had met through the same church. While the instance of Bob showing up at Schipper’s door in the film may be purely fictional, given the lack of details, it is true that Schipper was accused of stealing from a man in the same community who also knew the Van Oostens.
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Barry Leeds Prefers to Lead a Life Away From the Limelight
There are no public details surrounding the case or the outcome of the theft charge. According to Schipper’s prison records, no new charges have been added, so the case could either have been dropped or may still be pending. Barry Leeds has been mentioned in a few news reports but has not otherwise spoken about the case. In his 70s as of today, he is most likely still based in Erie, Illinois. He is a Navy veteran and has prior experience working as a Product Safety Specialist at Nestle Purina PetCare Co. From what we can tell, he has chosen to lead a private life.
