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American Morning

Interview with Margerry Bakley, Sister of Bonny Lee Bakley

Aired April 22, 2002 - 09:09   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: Now on to our "Big Question" of the morning, should Robert Blake face the death penalty, if he is convicted of his wife's murder? The 68-year-old actor is expected to be arraigned this afternoon in Van Nuys Superior Court. He is likely to be charged with murder in the shooting death of Bonny Lee Bakley and with two counts of solicitation to commit murder. Those two additional counts mean prosecutors could seek the death penalty.

Blake and Bakley had been married for six months and were married only after a paternity suit proved that Blake was the father of Bakley's child. Prosecutors say that Blake murdered his wife to free himself from an unhappy marriage. We are joined now by the sister of Bonny Lee Bakley, Margerry Bakley who joins us on a very early morning, indeed, in Los Angeles. Good to see you, again. Welcome to American Morning Margerry.

MARGERRY BAKLEY, SISTER OF BONNY LEE BAKLEY: Morning.

ZAHN: How soon after Robert Blake's arrest did you hear about it?

M. BAKLEY: Saturday morning. Oh, no, I'm sorry it was Thursday evening.

ZAHN: Right. And I know, the last time I spoke with you, you always said that this was the call that you wanted to get. Why are you so convinced Robert Blake murdered your sister?

M. BAKLEY: There was several phone conversations over a span of a year before her death. The man absolutely hated her. And there was too many lies, too many things going on. My sister believed strongly he was going to kill her and, in fact, he did.

ZAHN: And she actually told you that?

M. BAKLEY: Yes.

ZAHN: And what did you say to her when she said that that was a possibility and something she was worried about?

M. BAKLEY: I asked her not to move out there. To try to fight him for the baby in court and not to even marry him. But she was in love and she thought that maybe it would work out and it didn't. ZAHN: So as you describe you know the amount of tension that existed in this relationship, you've got Harland Braun the lawyer out there representing Robert Blake essentially saying that, yes, they did have a miserable life together and he basically said, not in these exact words, that there would have been a motive for Robert Blake to have killed her. Now, a lot of attorneys are saying that's a very smart thing to get out of the open because both parties acknowledge that this relationship was just horrible. What did you make of that when you heard Mr. Braun say that?

M. BAKLEY: Well, Mr. Braun comes out with some incredible things. It's like the pot calling the kettle black here with him. He - I think he just makes things up as he goes along. I don't know. I mean, the relationship was bad but she was only living in his back house for five days. The baby was never living with both of them. She stayed with the daughter Delina (ph). So you know, how miserable could he have been in the marriage when she didn't even live there?

ZAHN: He also went on to say that there are any number of men who may have wanted to kill your sister. Is that true?

M. BAKLEY: I believe people - she angered people over the years. I think all of us have angered people over the years but I've never heard of any other threats other than the ones coming from Mr. Blake.

ZAHN: And you no doubt now that it's predicted that it's your sister really that could possibly go on trial here. What is that like for your family to get prepared for the vicious things, not only that have already been said about your sister but the things that are yet to come?

M. BAKLEY: Well you just have to keep in perspective that she is the victim and nothing that anybody could possibly do would deserve to be stalked upon and shot in the back of the head.

ZAHN: We wanted to play a small part of a taped-telephone conversation where Bonny is talking with someone on the phone and she was talking about her childhood. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BONNY LEE BAKLEY, VICTIM: I was the kid that everybody hated in school because I was like poor and couldn't dress good, and you know, everybody always made fun of me because I was a real loner type, you know. So then you grow up saying, oh, I'll fix them. I'll show them. I'll be a movie star.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: And I know, Margerry, you said contrary to the fact that your sister felt threatened, that she was in love with Robert Blake. And even though you told her to move out, she in fact went to the West Coast to live with him. What did she see in him?

M. BAKLEY: That was her dream. She married her dream man. He was an actor, no matter how famous he was or is. He was an actor. They had an on and off again, hot/cold type of situation, which seemed to accelerate her passions. The more angry he got the more she liked him. It was I don't know maybe flashbacks from childhood where people who were quite mean to her.

ZAHN: And I know that Mr. Blake's attorney has also made it quite clear that what's going to create some fireworks here in any custody issues involving Bonny's daughter and your niece. Does your family plan to seek custody of Baby Rose?

M. BAKLEY: Absolutely not. I have no intentions of tearing the child from the only family she knows and loves. Again, I would just seek to be able to visit my niece. I don't want to hurt that baby. She's got enough to deal with at this point.

ZAHN: Why do you think he's out there basically saying this is what your family wants? You want custody of this gorgeous little girl?

M. BAKLEY: I think - you know he lives in fear of things without checking them out. If he had ever taken the time to speak with me, directly, he would have known a little bit different. But everything is done between lawyers and fax machines and it's just nothing personal and I mean that I was crazy to talk to him anyway. But when it comes to the baby, you have to put like all those crazy feelings to the side and just get to the issue of Rose's well-being.

ZAHN: And in close thing morning, Margerry, with the two additional counts of solicitation to commit murder that we are told the DA will consider this afternoon, if he would be convicted, Robert Blake, of those charges he could face the death penalty. Is that what your family would want?

M. BAKLEY: I can't speak for everybody in the family but personally I'm catholic and I'm opposed to the death penalty. I understand it is California law, but if it did come to down it, I would plead for Mr. Blake's life.

ZAHN: You would? That might surprise a lot of people that you would feel that way?

M. BAKLEY: I have no hatred toward anyone, especially you know being we have a common bond with Rosie. And I do not seek any more pain in either family.

ZAHN: And I know you'll be joining CNN at 1:30 Eastern Time when these arraignment procedures get underway. Just a final thought this morning on what it is your family expects to go through during this what could be a drawn-out process.

M. BAKLEY: Excuse me, what was the question?

ZAHN: Just what you think you got be prepared for?

M. BAKLEY: I guess just you know a lot of bashing, you know, between what they're going to say horrible about my sister or you know whatever rabbits they can pull out of their hat about any friends in my past. You just have to be prepared for it and not take it to heart. Again, she's the victim and nothing she ever could have done - she never would have deserved what she got.

ZAHN: Well we very much appreciate your joining us on a very early morning in Los Angeles. Margerry Bakley thank you again for your time. And I know your viewers will look ahead to 1:30 when they get to see you again as these arraignment procedures get underway.

M. BAKLEY: Thank you.

ZAHN: Appreciate your time. Good to see you again.

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