The Murder Trial
Privately, Robert Blake was involved in a dramatic murder trial that also cost him his career. In 2002 he was acquitted of shooting his second wife, Bonny Lee Bakley (1956-2001).
Bakley, a 44-year-old mother of four, was shot dead on May 4, 2001 in Blake’s car, which was parked around the corner from an Italian restaurant in Studio City, California, where the couple had just eaten. At the time, Blake told authorities he left his wife alone while he returned to the restaurant to retrieve a handgun he said had fallen out of his clothing, which authorities determined was not used in the murder.