Who was Robert Blake? Actor who was once tried for murder dies

Actor Robert Blake, whose lengthy career was clouded by claims that he killed his wife, has passed away.

Blake passed away from a heart-related condition in his Los Angeles home, surrounded by family, according to a statement issued on behalf of his niece, Noreen Austin.

Once considered among the greatest actors of his generation, his career never recovered after his arrest.

Who was Robert Blake?

Blake was an actor who got his start by appearing in the Our Gang comedy series after his family moved to California as a child.

He began his acting career in the late 1930s, and is best known for his roles in the classic movie The Treasure of the Sierra Madre and the 1967 version of Truman Capote's novel In Cold Blood, as the killer Perry Smith.

In the TV cop series Baretta, which ran from 1975 to 1978, his career reached its pinnacle. He played a detective who enjoyed disguise and carried a pet cockatoo on his shoulder. His iconic statement, “Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time,” was commonly referenced in the film, which portrayed tough guys with tender hearts.

Although the show was plagued by problems concerning the erratic actor behind the scenes, Blake received an Emmy award in 1975 for his depiction of Tony Baretta. He developed a reputation as one of Hollywood's best actors, as well as one of the most challenging. Later on, he acknowledged his early battles with alcohol and drug addiction.

He also appeared in the NBC series Hell Town, and the CBS made-for-TV film Judgement Day: The John List Story earned him an Emmy nomination.

What happened to Robert Blake’s wife Bonny Lee Bakley?

Blake's wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, was shot while riding alone in the actor's car in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Studio City.

The actor told authorities that, after leaving her alone to go back to the Italian restaurant where they had just eaten to get a gun he had left behind, he returned and discovered she had died.

A jury in Los Angeles ruled Blake not guilty of her murder four years after she passed away, including the year he spent in jail as he awaited trial.

At the time, analogies to the case of famous defendant OJ Simpson, who had been exonerated of murdering his ex-wife in Los Angeles 10 years prior, were frequently made.