Film and television actor Robert Blake won an Emmy in 1975 for playing an undercover New York City detective in the crime drama Baretta. However, Blake’s legal troubles offscreen would dominate headlines later in his life when he stood trial for the murder of his 44-year-old wife Bonny Lee Bakley.

Robert Blake, the Emmy award-winning performer who went from acclaim for his acting to notoriety when he was tried and acquitted in the killing of his wife, died Thursday at age 89. A statement released on behalf of his niece, Noreen Austin, said Blake died from heart disease, surrounded by family at home in Los Angeles.

Robert Blake, the 'Baretta' and 'In Cold Blood' actor whose fame turned to infamy when he was charged but acquitted in the killing of his wife, died of heart disease March 9, 2023, in Los Angeles.