The Hollywood murder of Bonny Lee Bakely was huge news in
California and beyond in the spring of 2001. Bonny was found shot to death in
her husbands car outside a restaurant. The proximity to Los Angeles and the
time since a big Hollywood story made the headlines around the county. But the
most interesting fact is that Robert Blake was arrested, but in true Hollywood
fashion he was acquitted for her murder. Below are the ten reasons (though
circumstantial) that Blake did it.
10. The Reservation
and Lack of Valet:
Robert Blake and his wife of six months Bonny Lee Bakley
went out for dinner at an Italian restaurant in Studio City, California on the
night of May 4th 2001. Blake had been frequenting Vitello’s for 20
years, coming there 2 or 3 times a week. The restaurant was popular but rarely
required a reservation even on the Friday night of May 4th. But,
this night Blake had made a reservation, something he had never done before. He
also had always used the restaurant valet service to park his 1991 Dodge Stealth,
but this evening he declined the service and decided to park underneath a burnt
out light bulb on the street by a construction dumpster.
9. “Things like this just don’t happen here”
The murder of Bonny Lee Bakely rocked Woodbridge Street in
the small town of Studio City, California in 2001. Two local residents saw the
couple dining at Vitello’s and leave at around 930 pm. Mr. Percival one of the
diners, stated that he had seen a man dressed all in black, who may have looked
like Blake walking around inside the restaurant without Bonny. When the couple
exited, Mr. and Mrs. Percival walked to their home near the restaurant and saw
the same man in black walking briskly toward a car parked behind a dumpster.
The couple was later questioned by police and gave their accounts of the
evening.
8. Running to the neighbors home – It was just too far away:
Blake ran to filmmaker Sean Stanek’s front door vomiting and
shaking uncontrollably. When Mr. Stanek opened the door he recognized Robert
Blake, though he was dressed all in black. He had run to a home behind
Vitello’s to the street across from the car instead of running back into the
busy restaurant, where he knew people would be. Blake had asked Stanek to call
911, and then ran with him back to the car, where his murdered wife sat slumped
over in the passenger seat. When police arrived Blake was sitting on the curb
continually vomiting. The police had found that she had be shot twice, one in
the shoulder and once behind the right ear.
7. OJ:
Blake declined to take a polygraph test that night stating
that because of the results in the OJ Simpson murder trial, since OJ too had
dreamed of killing his wife and he was afraid these dreams would alter the
results. OJ was later quoted in telling Blake what not to do during an
interview with police, and to do what the Ramsey’s did. A lie detector test can
only hurt you.”
6. “We bused the table within 2 minutes of them leaving”
After the couple when to the car after their meal, Robert
said he needed to retrieve his handgun that he left in the booth at the
restaurant. The only problem with this story is that the couples booth had been
bused within 2 minutes of them leaving and no handgun was recovered. When he
came into the restaurant again he was visibly shaken and asked for a glass of
water, in fact he drank 2 glasses of water before he told the owner that his
wife had been hurt, then that his wife ha fallen down, and then finally that
she had been shot. Before the owner could complete the 911 call, he stated that
Blake told him that “It’s okay, it’s been done.” Referring to the call that
Stanek had made when Blake arrived at his house. No one from the restaurant
could recall Blake having returned to ask for his gun while the shooting was
taking place, only that he had returned for the water and to report that his
wife had been shot.
5. Vomiting in the men’s room:
During the couple’s meal, Blake excused himself as his wife
enjoyed her 3rd glass of wine to go to the men’s room where a
Vitello’s patron saw Blake vomiting, pulling his hair out, and muttering to
himself. This was minutes before Bonny was shot. Also, it is important to note
that Blake had not had any alcohol or had mentioned that his food was not
prepared correctly, nothing to account for his vomiting. Throughout the rest of
the meal Blake seemed visibly ill and shaky. This again, was before Bonny had
even been shot.
4. Christian Brando:
Christian Brando the son of star Marlon Brando, was a
boyfriend of Bonny Bakely at the time of her murder. During the 2000 birth of
Bonny’s daughter cause some strain on the Blake’s marriage when the child
paternity was in question. Bonny was under the impression that he child was his
(Brando’s), originally naming the child Christian Shannon Brando. After DNA
tests it was reveled that the child was in fact Blake’s, and has been since
christened Rose Blake, but the implication that it very well could have been
another man’s was more than Blake could handle.
3. Gunpowder Reside:
Blake was given a gunpowder resided test at police
headquarters the night of Bonny’s death, two different test were administered,
this is the usual practice.
Most reports of Blake’s test conflicted one another, but the
LAPD were admiment in the test results had not come in yet. Some published
reports possible from information leaked from the LAPD, indicated that the test
were inconclusive. Basically this means that the test had no forensic value and
can prove nor disprove Blake’s innocence.
2. Bonny’s Sordid Past:
Bonny dreamed of stardom even at an early age, She was later
diagnosed with a personality disorder of sorts and referred by psychologist as
a celebriphilliac. It is an attracting to celebrity, that becomes and
obsession. Bonny had made it her life work to attain celebrity, but after she
realized that she lacked the talent herself, she decided that marrying into
celebrity would be a better fit for her. She perused many actor and musicians,
often purposefully becoming pregnant to keep the men close. She was incredibly
smart and resourceful in obtaining her prize, even going so far as stealing
identities, cashing bad checks, and the like.
Her most troubling activity was taking out personal ads in
male magazines looking for money and companionship. This did not end with her
marriage to Blake, police found ample evidence of contacts via the ads, and her
already strained relationship was push to breaking point as Bonny was involved
in multiple extra-marital affairs.
1. Blake’s Past:
Blake grew up in a somewhat confusing and divided home. On
one hand his parents were interested in him becoming successful in the movies
and arts. But, on the other hand, his father was described by Blake as a
‘sadistic, a madman, and an alcoholic”. He often locked Blake in closets for
days and serving him food on the floor like a dog. He also beat him often,
while his mother looked on and did nothing to stop it. It is no secret that
violence breeds violence, and even before Bonny’s death, Blake had been violent
with his first wife, Sandra Kerr.
Sandra lived in fear of her husband, and still does decades
after their divorce. He used fear to persuade her into giving him full custody
of their 2 kids while they were negotiating a bitter divorce. He also froze
their most of their assets, leaving Sandra with nothing. When she came to see
her children Blake reportedly stuck a gun in her face and told her that he
would blow her head of if she ever came by again. This would not be the last
time that Blake would point a loaded gun into his wife’s face.
No comments:
Post a Comment