Bakley was 44 years old when she was shot twice on May 4, 2001, while sitting in Blakes car after the couple had dinner at an Italian restaurant in Studio City, California. And she finally got that dream fulfilled, he said. 2023 Getty Images. Law professor Laurie Levenson stated the prosecution established a possible motive for murder (Blake's vitriol towards Bakley due to his belief she'd tricked him into fathering a child to access his wealth) but had failed beyond that to prove Blake directly or indirectly was responsible for killing her. The prosecution argued he could have wiped off his hands. On May 4, 2001, Blake took Bakley to dinner at Vitello's Restaurant on Tujunga Avenue in Studio City, Los Angeles. All Rights Reserved. Blake didnt testify in criminal court. Home; Latest; . Her focus switched from becoming a star to marrying one. She had brilliant marketing skills and her good looks were an added advantage. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Bonnie Lee Bakley was fatally shot on May 4, 2001. One of four children to Edward Bakley and Marjorie Bakley, she dropped out of. However, a few months later, he faced a wrongful death suit from Bakley's children and a civil jury found him liable for her death. A key element of the case was a small number of particlesfour according to the defense, five according to prosecutorsof gunshot residue found on Blakes hands. Birthplace: Morristown, NJ Location of death: Studio City, CA Cause of death: Murder Remains: Buried, Fore. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. In 2002, Blake was charged with Bakley's murder, solicitation of murder, conspiracy and special circumstance of lying in wait. If all of a sudden I knew whether or not he killed her, that would be shocking.. Thought Co. writes of Bakley, Bakleys obsession to be in the inner circles of the famous mixed with the fact that she was not getting any younger. Officially, Bakley's murder remains unsolved. That's all it took," Smith said. Actor Robert Blake talks to CNN's Piers Morgan about his murdered wife Bonny Lee Bakley and says she was a con artist. Bonny Lee Bakley (June 7, 1956 May 4, 2001) was the second wife of actor Robert Blake, who was her tenth husband. He approached Bonnie and offered a hefty sum in return. She lived in LA, far away from the prowling paparazzi that was tailing her father day in and day out for several years. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. [7] Blake later found out that Bakley had continued to operate her "lonely hearts" scam during the marriage.[17]. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Simpson Joke on 'SNL' 'Inappropriate', Casey Anthony Was Planning a 'Racy and Explicit' Movie, But It Was Scrapped Due to Coronavirus, Robert Durst Has COVID and Is on a Ventilator Following Life in Prison Sentencing, Says Lawyer, Blake Hit with $30 Mil Wrongful Death Verdict, Robert Durst Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murdering Susan Berman To Cover Up Wife's Disappearance, Former O.J. Bonny Bakley had been married to Robert Blake for about 6 months. Had Bakley not chosen a less-than-desirable avenue, herentrepreneurialspirit mixed with her ability to market, organize, and profit in a highly competitive industry could have been admirable. I dont want to know the answers yet, Rose Lenore said. Though her sister never went back, Bakley returned to bathe nude all the time after that, he noted. The child, whom she had claimed to be fathered by Lee, was later sent to live with her ex-husband. Their friendship came to an end in 1984, after she had made false claims of carrying Lees child. [18] Bakley and Blake were married in November 2000. 1. She wanted to be part of their lives, and they wanted her to be part of their lives. The 19-year-old daughter of actor Robert Blake and his murdered spouse, Bonnie Lee Bakley, is speaking out for the first time about her family. Early 2000 were intense years for on-screen star Robert Blake who faced trial for murdering his wife, Bonnie Lee Bakley. She did, however, list Brando as the father on the birth certificate. Born in Morristown, New Jersey to Edward and Marjorie Bakley. Blake has largely stayed out of the spotlight in recent years. She was shot to death in May 2001 and her husband at the time, actor Robert Blake, was charged with the crime. Seven months after a jury acquitted him of all crimes, Blake was found liable of . Bonny was a high school dropout, leaving school at the age of sixteen to make her way to New York City in pursuit of a modeling and acting career. In one ad, he said that Bakley posed as a woman named Julia. The friendship between Lewis and Bakley ended and baby Jerry Lee was sent to live with Bakley's ex-husband and her other children. In 1990, Christian Brando fatally shot Dag Drollet, the boyfriend of his half-sister Cheyenne Brando. [20] CBS News legal analyst David Hancock wrote "there was no single part of their case that was strong enough to overcome the many weak links. I believe it was somebody who did it either at the direction of, or in order to curry favor with, Christian Brando, Schwartzbach says. (An appeals court later cut that sum in half.) I am now., Lenore, who says she has suffered from anxiety and depression over the years, was the subject of unwanted media fascination after her mothers murder. (He was later acquitted but found civilly liable.). Margerry Smith said her sister communicated with Brando while he was in jail. This motivated her decision to leave her kids in Gawrons care and head to Memphis, Tennessee, to the door of musical artist, Jerry Lee Lewis., https://twitter.com/search?f=images&vertical=default&q=bonnie%20lee%20bakley&src=typd. The evening of May 4th 2001, Bonny Lee Bakley was sitting in her vehicle waiting for her husband when she was fatally shot. 100% . Whitten, tour manager for Lewis, told ABC News. Bonny dropped out of high school and decided to go to New York City to pursue a career in modeling and acting at the Barbizon School of Modeling. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. Now, as she embarks on an acting career, Lenore says she wants to finally take control of the narrative surrounding her life. Bonnie Lee Bakley, a native of Morristown, New Jersey, had been married nine times before wedding Robert Blake. An archived 2005 article reads, Blake and Bakley married in November 2000. Shortly after the affair began, Bakley told Blake that she was pregnant. In 1989, Bakley was arrested for drug possession. I could have just looked it up, but I didnt. In June 2000, the two had Lenore -- whom they nicknamed Rosie -- and married November of that same year. He posted a series of autobiographical life story videos on YouTube from 2019 to 2020 that he titled, I aint dead yet, so stay tuned. The 14 videos, lasting from six to nearly 48 minutes, feature Blake reminiscing and musing about his life and career. Afterward, Bakley was killed by a gunshot wound to the head while sitting in the passenger seat of Blake's black 1991 Dodge Stealth, which was parked on a side street around the corner from the restaurant. I had a feeling it was paparazzi, but I just kept going the show must go on.. She grew up along with her siblings, Margerry Lisa Bakley and Joe Bakley. In fact, authorities couldn't link the gun to Blake or anyone else. Bakley had a challenging childhood growing up in rural New Jersey, where she was raised by her grandmother, according to her sister, Margerry Smith. Rose, at present, lives with her boyfriend and wants to pursue a career in acting. Powered by. She stalked him for several months before finally meeting and becoming friends with him. We talked about his life, what hes been doing. Tonight, in an interview with ABC News 20/20, Blake will speak about life since his acquittal. It would be nice to have the actual person theyre talking about be able to say something.. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. Bonnie Lee Bakley, a native of Morristown, New Jersey, had been married nine times before wedding Robert Blake. The gun that Blake claimed he had left in the restaurant was later determined not to have fired the shots that killed Bakley. [24][25] On April 9, 2010, the state of California filed a tax lien against Blake for $1,110,878 in unpaid back taxes. These days, she is quite vocal about her past and appears in several interviews. Moments before, the couple had eaten dinner at an Italian restaurant, Vitello's, in Studio City, California. Frankie Jean Lewis, the rocker's sister, says Bonny . She was just very business oriented.. Its hard when everyone talks about you and youre not talking about yourself, she tells PEOPLE in this weeks issue. The murder sent a shockwave through Hollywood and the rest of the country as the search for the killer would . Bonnie was first married to an immigrant, Evangelos Paulakis. Her death, however, remains officially unsolved. In November of that same year, however, he was found liable for Bakleys wrongful death in a civil trial. Would love your thoughts, please comment. In February 2006, Blake filed for bankruptcy. Bonny Lee Bakley was born in Morristown, New Jersey,[4] to arborist Edward J. Bakley and his wife, Marjorie Lois Bakley. On May 4, 2001, Bonny Lee Bakley was shot twice once in the right cheek and once in the right shoulder as she sat in the passenger seat of Blake's parked Dodge Stealth. According to Blake, while walking out he realized that he had left his revolver in the restaurant and hence went back to get his gun. As a child, he was in Our Gang (Little Rascals) from 1939 to 1944, and later starred in the 1967 film In Cold Blood and the 1970s TV detective series Baretta., I appeared in court a week after I met the guy, attorney M. Gerald Schwartzbach tells A&E True Crime. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter and spent five years in prison. Hence, when she claimed she was unsure of who the father was, Blake asked her to take a DNA test. "Life of Bonny Lee Bakley, Murdered Wife of Actor Robert Blake." Schwartzbach, who says he believed in Blakes innocence from the first time he met him (he came across as genuine and credible), instructed his client not to talk publicly with one exception: He allowed Blake to make a statement when his friend Johnny Carson died. She decided to try modeling, and she signed on with a nearby agency. "Dead silence filled the court," Dubin recalled. To her, this an important statement to make as her life, this far, was spoken about without her true perspective on things. She also wants to set the record straight about her life. They presume people guilty., Marcia Clark on the Robert Blake Murder Trial: The Jury Did Get It Wrong, The 10 Most Shocking High-Profile Courtroom Moments, Marcia Clark on Life After O.J. There was no love lost between Bakley and Brando, who died in 2008. "She decided to put ads in swinger magazines, Hackett told ABC News. She was eventually charged with fraud in Arkansas in 1998 and sentenced to three years' probation. The agreement also stipulated that if either spouse decided to end the marriage, the other spouse would retain custody of Rose. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. As ABCs 20/20 brings forward the unsolved murder case of Bonnie Lee Bakley and her accused husband, Robert Blake, one cannot help but wonder what happened to their daughter, Rose. Bakley went on to pursue Christian Brando, the troubled son of Marlon Brando. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. "She was a shrewd businesswoman. Blake married Bakley after a paternity test showed he was the father of little Rose Lenore. Bakley had a remarkable story that played deeply into Blake's criminal and civil trials in connection to her death: She learned at an early age she could earn money by figuring out what men wanted, and eventually, she learned how to become close to celebrities. In 1999, Bakley discovered she was pregnant and initially thought that Brando was the child's father. In the late '80s, she moved to Memphis because she wanted to date rock n roll star Jerry Lee Lewis. Blake insisted on a paternity test which later determined that he, not Brando, was the father of Bakley's youngest child. Finally, the two met around 1982, and a friendship developed. Blake's defense team and members of the jury responded by stating that the prosecution had failed to prove its case. Montaldo, Charles. The award was cut in half by the appellate court and the parties then entered a confidential settlement. Bonny Lee was very, very determined, J.W. Calirforni DMV What prosecutors did get is two stuntmen, Ronald Hambleton and Gary McLarty, who testified that Blake had talked about. After dinner, the two walked to their car. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Vitellos Restaurant is shown April 20, 2002 in Studio City, Calif. Life of Bonny Lee Bakley, Murdered Wife of Actor Robert Blake. She then divorced him in 1982. Eight months after his acquittal, he was found liable for $30 million in a civil wrongful death lawsuit brought by Bakleys estate. Bakley dropped out of high school at age 16 and decided to go to New York City to pursue a career in modeling and acting at the Barbizon School of Modeling. And she would laugh at herself, Robert Stefanow, Bonnys friend, told ABC News. The issue then snowballed and caught medias attention when Lees wife came forward saying that she was threatened by Bonnie. Due to her obsession with stars, Bonnie started stalking musician Jerry Lee Lewis. 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