Robert Blake, who rose to stardom on the iconic 1970s TV show Baretta before becoming engaged in a controversial m*rder trial, has died at the age of 89.
The actor’s family announced his death on Thursday, with his niece Noreen telling CBS News that he died quietly, surrounded by family, after suffering a heart illness.
The Los Angeles County coroner’s office said it “did not have a report” on Blake’s death at the time of writing, albeit a statement that read: “Due to his age and documented medical history, his death may not come within our authority.”
Blake was once one of the most famous celebrities in the world. He rose to prominence as a young actor with his appearance in the 1967 film Cold Blood, followed by the lead role in the 1970s detective series Baretta.
Blake won an Emmy for outstanding actor in 1975 as a result of his work with Baretta, and he continued to act until his final performance in the 1997 film The Lost Highway.
Nevertheless, his image was irreparably tainted when, just a few years later, Blake was caught and accused of the m*rder of his wife.
Robert Blake, an actor whose career portraying gritty characters like the television detective Tony Baretta was eclipsed by his trial and acquittal in the m*rder of his wife in 2001, died Thursday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 89. https://t.co/Jr6y7I8llV pic.twitter.com/caLjlE5GNE
— The New York Times (@nytimes) March 10, 2023
According to sources, on May 4, 2001, the actor’s wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, was shot and died in Blake’s automobile in Los Angeles.
Blake was arrested in 2022, and the case was tried in 2004. (Blake spent a year in jail before being granted
The four-month trial had all the ups and downs and twists and turns that one would anticipate from such a high-profile mystery. The prosecution relied heavily on two stuntmen who had previously worked with Blake and alleged he contacted them with a m*rder-for-hire scheme.
Nevertheless, no eyewitnesses, blood, or genetic evidence connected Blake to the crime. The m*rder w*apon was discovered in a nearby garbage can, but it could not be linked to Blake, who was acquitted in 2005.
He was later ordered by a judge in a civil proceeding to pay $30 million to his ex-children, his wife’s prompting him to declare bankruptcy.
Blake lost his appeal, but he was able to reduce the penalty to $15 million.
Actor Robert Blake, star of ‘Baretta’ and ‘In Cold Blood,’ dead at age 89 https://t.co/tyBFz6OtsE pic.twitter.com/eGnLP3F5Q6
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 10, 2023
The issue stayed over his head until his death earlier this week, despite the fact that the former child actor always maintained his innocence.
What are your thoughts about Robert Lake’s life? Have you seen any of his films? Do you have an opinion about his wife’s m*rder? Please share your ideas in the comments section.
Meanwhile, if you’d like to express your condolences, please share this post on Facebook.