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American Morning

Blake Investigation Took Police to 20 States

Aired April 19, 2002 - 07:02   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Our "Big Question" at this hour: Why did it take police so long to arrest Robert Blake? The arrest of the actor last night nearly a year after his wife, Bonnie Lee Bakley, was shot to death.

CNN's national correspondent Frank Buckley begins our coverage this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Police took Robert Blake into custody at his sister's home in Hidden Mills, California, where officers said he offered no resistance. The actor was then taken to LAPD headquarters, Parker Center, where he was booked on a charge of murder with a special circumstance of lying in wait and two counts of solicitation of murder. He could face the death penalty if convicted.

CAPT. JIM TATREAU, LOS ANGELES POLICE: Robert Blake shot Bonnie Bakley.

BUCKLEY: Police say Blake killed his wife on the night of May 4, 2001 after they dined at a restaurant in Studio City. The two had been married for only a few months after DNA tests showed Bonnie Lee Bakley's infant daughter, Rose, was fathered by Blake.

TATREAU: We believe the motive is that Robert Blake had contempt for Bonnie Bakley. He was in a -- he felt that he was trapped in a marriage that he wanted no part of.

BUCKLEY: Blake's own attorney concedes that his client had a potential motive, but he insists on Blake's innocence.

HARLAND BRAUN, ROBERT BLAKE'S ATTORNEY: He understands that there has never been a question of motive in this case. What this lady did to his life was horrific. So he has understood that. He was there, and he has a motive. But he maintains that he didn't do it, and I've seen anything to the contrary.

BUCKLEY: Police say their investigation took them to 20 states. They say they interviewed 150 witnesses and examined some 900 items of evidence.

TATREAU: There is physical evidence and there is significant and compelling circumstantial evidence.

BUCKLEY: But Blake's attorney suggested the victim, Bakley, had enemies. She allegedly tricked men into sending her money.

BRAUN: I am not trying to besmirch Rosie's mother, but I mean, the woman had an extensive history, and there are people in her past who have made threats to her. There are people with motives.

BUCKLEY: Also arrested in the case, Earle Caldwell, a handyman and bodyguard to Blake, who is to be charged with conspiracy to commit murder. He once told CNN's Larry King that he didn't know who could have killed Bakley.

EARLE CALDWELL, ROBERT BLAKE'S BODYGUARD: It's so wild. There is so much craziness going on. It's hard to say anything. I know who didn't have anything to do with this, and this is Mr. Blake. He just doesn't have it in him to do something like that.

BUCKLEY: Just after midnight, Blake was moved out of Parker Center, bound for the L.A. County jail.

(on camera): Blake will remain in custody through at least Monday, when he will face formal arraignment. Even then, say legal observers, given the nature of the charges and the special circumstance alleged, it's unlikely he'll be granted bail.

Frank Buckley, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN: "Up Front" this morning: actor Robert Blake's arrest. CNN's Charles Feldman has been in Los Angeles following this case the past 11 months. He joins us now here in New York. And although you knew this arrest was about to happen, you were halfway here at about 40,000 feet.

CHARLES FELDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right.

ZAHN: As briefly as you can, describe to us what the circumstantial evidence is the LAPD is talking about.

FELDMAN: Well, I mean, basically they have what they believe is the murder weapon, so that actually wouldn't be circumstantial. That's the actual physical evidence.

ZAHN: Now, this was the weapon that was found in the trash can...

FELDMAN: That's right.

ZAHN: ... not far from the Studio City restaurant...

FELDMAN: That's correct.

ZAHN: ... where Bonnie was murdered. FELDMAN: That's absolutely right. And then what they have, and this is the most important part, they apparently have two people who will come forward and testify that they were approached for money to kill Robert Blake's wife on his behalf. And so, that's why the conspiracy.

And it's believed that the bodyguard, who was arrested along with Mr. Blake yesterday, that his role -- he wasn't at the scene of the crime. It's believed that Mr. Blake was the one who fired the actual fatal shot. The police contend that the bodyguard's role was probably to try and hire a hit man. It wasn't successful, and so the police believe that Robert Blake decided to do the job himself.

ZAHN: All of this was hinted at very early on in the investigation. Was the LAPD so concerned about the mistakes they made during the O.J. Simpson trial face...

FELDMAN: Oh, yes.

ZAHN: ... that they were going to slow down the process...

FELDMAN: You bet they...

ZAHN: ... and get it right this time?

FELDMAN: Yes, you bet they were. The O.J. Simpson case, the debacle as the LAPD likes to refer to it...

ZAHN: It almost looked like a replay of the O.J. chase last night.

FELDMAN: Well, you know, I'll tell you, we were watching it last night, and you couldn't help but draw that comparison, you know, the white Bronco. This time it was a white police car going along the highway. Yes. But the LAPD...

ZAHN: So there were cops inside the truck.

FELDMAN: I think there were cops inside this car, right. The LAPD was very concerned that they wouldn't have a repeat of the O.J. Simpson case. The district attorney's office in L.A. was very worried about that. And there, we can see -- that looks like -- oh, that's the O.J. Simpson...

ZAHN: Yes, exactly.

FELDMAN: There we go. It's hard to tell the difference, you see, you can't tell. And they were very concerned about that, and they wanted to dot there I's and cross their Ts. A number of times I was told in the past few months, the LAPD went to the district attorney's office to say, we think we have a case. We think we are ready now to make an arrest.

And I am told that on several occasions, the district attorney said, go back, get more, come back to me when I think you've got a better case, then I'll sign off on this. And it didn't happen. He didn't sign off on it until a few days ago.

ZAHN: How tough of a case do prosecutors have on their hand here?

FELDMAN: Every circumstantial case, and most murder cases are, is by definition tough. Unless you happen to have an eyewitness, you have to be able to convince a jury that all of these things tied together beyond a reasonable doubt and prove that Robert Blake killed his wife. It is always an uphill battle, especially when you're dealing with a celebrity. Somebody who for many years people invited into their living rooms...

ZAHN: Sure.

FELDMAN: ... who people, you know, looked up to as a TV image. You know, he was detective. He solved crimes. You know, his very first episode of "Baretta" involved him trying to find the killer of his fiance, who coincidentally was killed in the TV series in front of an Italian restaurant, which is very similar to real life, I am afraid.

ZAHN: A little eerie. Art imitating life, imitating art, whatever.

FELDMAN: Absolutely, yes.

ZAHN: We'll be counting on you to follow this very closely for us.

FELDMAN: I'll try.

ZAHN: Charles, thank for staying up all night and joining us here this morning.

CNN will have a full half-hour special, a "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS" report on the arrest and the career of Robert Blake. That is coming up at 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time, 8:30 Pacific Time. I'll be hosting that, and that will be updated with the day's events at 8:30 p.m., 5:30 Pacific Time.

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