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CNN Sunday Morning
L.A. Police Moving Forward With Case Against Robert Blake
Aired April 21, 2002 - 08:20 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The Los Angeles police are moving forward with their case against Robert Blake.
The actor is accused of killing his wife. He's expected to be arraigned tomorrow. Blake is being held without bail in the Los Angeles County jail now.
He was arrested on Thursday in connection with that shooting death of his wife. Blake's attorney maintains his client's innocence.
Some are comparing the Blake case with another case that featured a celebrity suspect, the O.J. Simpson investigation.
CNNs Frank Buckley has more on that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There is a celebrity suspect, heavy media interest. It's the L.A.P.D. and a well-known defense attorney.
But it's not, says former L.A.P.D. detective Tom Lange, O.J. Simpson all over again.
TOM LANGE, FMR. L.A.P.D. DETECTIVE: There's been these comparisons and they're unfair and, quite frankly, ridiculous. There's no two murders that ever occurred that were alike where you can do that.
BUCKLEY: Lange was one of the lead investigators in the O.J. Simpson case. He remembers the media attention, the scrutiny, the camera lens, everywhere he went.
Now, another group of L.A.P.D. detectives will be closely watched in the Blake case.
(on camera): What is it like for these detectives who are working this case right now with all of this attention on the case?
LANGE: When there's that much scrutiny, it becomes very difficult to do your job.
BUCKLEY (voice-over): Lange says he doesn't expect the police in the Blake case to be criticized in the way they were during the Simpson case.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Anyone who comes to this court and quotes you as using that word in dealing with African-Americans would be a liar, would they not, Det. Fuhrman?
MARK FUHRMAN, FMR. L.A.P.D. DETECTIVE: Yes, they would.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All of them, correct?
FUHRMAN: All of them.
LANGE: They were essentially able to put the police on trial.
This case is different in that the defense will essentially put the victim on trial.
BUCKLEY: Lange also predicts Robert Blake will not face the death penalty.
LANGE: This guy will never see a needle. It's not going to happen. I think we all know that. He doesn't meet the criteria that the district attorney has for the death penalty.
BUCKLEY: Lange says when police announced the arrest at a press conference, they were signaling confidence in a strong case.
LANGE: That they would come forward and say, we believe this man is the shooter. We have the murder weapon. We can put the murder weapon in his hand and we believe he shot his wife. Very interesting.
They must be highly, highly confident in their evidence.
BUCKLEY: And the arrests of Blake and his bodyguard/handyman Earl Caldwell, coming on Thursday, he says, is not by chance. Because the rule to release a suspect within 48 hours unless charges are filed becomes more than four days when you factor in a weekend.
LANGE: To 8:00 AM Monday morning. When is his arraignment?
BUCKLEY (on camera): Monday morning.
LANGE: Don't think for a minute the police didn't think this through. I have use it myself. It's a very bright tactic. It's the way to go if you want a little more time.
BUCKLEY: Lange believes detectives are hoping Caldwell will spend the weekend thinking about cooperating with police against Blake, who is expected to appear in court on Monday for his arraignment on murder charges.
Frank Buckley, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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