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Did Robert Blake really kill Bonnie Lee Bakley? Mystery behind shocking murder after controversial 2005 trial

A Hollywood murder straight out of a movie plot, isn't it? In a trial that captivated the nation, what really happened back then and did Robert Blake actually kill his wife? 

It was a dark day on May 4, 2001, when Bonnie Lee Bakley was brutally shot in the head. Married to Robert Blake, Bonnie made her way to dinner at Vitello's Restaurant on Tujunga Avenue in Studio City when the incident took place. 

She was sitting in her car parked on a side street around the corner from the restaurant. The shocking incident shook America and there were murmurs that Blake was somehow involved. During the investigations, Blake claimed that he had returned to the restaurant to collect a gun that he had left there. Although he claimed he wasn't present there when the shooting took place, the scenario sounded fishy and in 2002, Blake was charged with Bakley's murder, solicitation of murder, conspiracy and the special circumstance of lying in wait.

Much later, it was proved that the gun Blake left in the restaurant was not used to fire shots. The mystery still boggles many minds. A Hollywood murder straight out of a movie plot, isn't it? In a trial that captivated the nation, many still wonder what happened back then and did Robert Blake really kill his wife? 

When was Robert Blake arrested?

Born as Michael James Gubitosi and raised in Nutley, New Jersey, Blake is an Emmy-winning actor best known as the star of the '70s cop drama 'Baretta'. As a child actor, he began his career with a lead role in the final years of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's 'Our Gang (Little Rascals)' short film series from 1939 to 1944 and gained prominence for the murder mystery of his wife's death.

On April 18, 2002, Blake was arrested and charged with Bakley's murder along with his longtime bodyguard, Earle Caldwell, who was charged with conspiracy in connection with the murder. His lawyer Gerald Schwartzbach asked, "Within hours of the murder, the detectives expressed the opinion in your presence that Mr Blake had killed Miss Bakley?"

"Yes, that he was a key suspect. But to me, that just seems to be standard detective reaction — that when a woman is murdered, her husband is usually a suspect," author Miles Corwin remarked who described a 2004 book about the murder investigation as "Homicide Special".

What happened during the trial?

Cutting a sorry figure for Blake, the criminal trial began with the defense team portrayed the aging actor as innocent. Taking into account that it was Bonnie's tenth marriage and Blake's second marriage, the team alleged that she trapped the actor using her pattern of sending letters and nude photos of herself to famous men.

Right at the beginning of their marriage, the pair were blessed with a daughter, Rose, who was born in June 2000. Shockingly, claims said that the child's real father was Christian Brando, son of the celebrated actor Marlon Brando. A paternity test quashed those claims and proved the baby was Blake’s. That November, Blake and Bakley exchanged vows and after her death, Blake was arrested for the murder.

During the trial, two former stunt doubles — Ronald "Duffy" Hambleton and Gary McLarty — claimed the actor had recruited them to kill his wife. However, the two were found to be cocaine users and drug addicts and their statements were classified as unbelievable. Eight months later, in November 2005, Blake was found guilty in a civil trial of “intentionally” causing Bonny Lee Bakley’s death and was ordered to pay $30M to Bakley’s children. Rose remained in the care of Blake’s eldest daughter, Delinah. 

Is Robert Blake innocent?

The public opinion was mixed after the verdict, with many claiming Blake was guilty and others not convinced about the charges as there wasn't enough evidence.

On social media too, the debate still continues. "Robert Blake was victimized by that disgusting excuse for a human being. I believed he was innocent then and still do without a doubt. Makes me angry when I see what some people will do for that almighty buck. Hope she is burning in hell," one tweet said and another read, "They had an expose on Robert Blake, apparently he was not guilty, and it is a shame the way he was treated, my heart is sad for him... when someone is innocent, it is not right to keep condemning them...sad!!"

"Apparently, you don't respect our Legal System in America. Forget the name, Robert Blake? You weren't there, I don't think OJ was there & a jury found him not guilty. How would u feel if u were wrongfully accused, tried in media b4 your court trial, found innocent & still condemned?" one tweet read.

Catch a detailed look at the case in the documentary ‘Murder in the Family’ on the channel REELZ this Saturday, January 23, 2021.