Robert Blake has died at the age of 89. The “In Cold Blood” actor, who was infamously tried and acquitted of his wife’s murder, passed away from heart disease in Los Angeles on Thursday, March 9, his niece Noreen Austin has revealed in a public obituary.
The actor’s relative said he was surrounded by his family when he passed away.
Robert began his career at the age of just five, appearing in MGM’s “Our Gang” comedy short films and maintained his career throughout his teens before being getting drafted into the army, returning to acting in his mid-20s.
His career spanned over 60 years and he was best known for playing the lead role of Detective Tony Baretta on cop drama “Baretta”, picking up the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series at the 1975 Emmy Awards for his performance in the show.
Other notable appearances included roles in 1967 drama “In Cold Blood” and 1995’s “Money Train”, with his final acting role being the Mystery Man in David Lynch’s 1997 movie “Lost Highway”.
In 2001, David’s wife Bonny Lee Bakley was murdered and he was arrested in April of the following year. Bonny’s body had been found with a gunshot to the head inside their car after the couple had eaten at a restaurant in California, but Robert said he had left her alone in the vehicle when he returned to the eatery, where he claimed to have accidentally left his pistol, and wasn’t there when she was shot.
A trial began in December 2004 and the actor was acquitted in March 2005.
However the following November, he was sued for wrongful death by Bonny’s children and was found liable, with a civil court ordering him to pay out $30 million. He filed for bankruptcy a few months later and maintained a low profile in the years that followed.
Robert is survived by three children, Noah and Delinah, from his marriage to Sondra Kerr, and Rose, who he had with Bonny.
