Criminology - Wondery Presents: The Execution of Bonny Lee Bakley

Episode Date: June 21, 2022

On May 4, 2001, Bonny Lee Bakley was found fatally shot in a car on a dark North Hollywood street. The prime suspect was her husband, famed actor Robert Blake. But Bonny, a longtime con artist, had plenty of enemies. She left behind a trail of men she'd scammed, and she had a volatile relationship with Christian Brando, the troubled son of movie star Marlon Brando.  Not since the O.J. Simpson case had the eyes of the nation been so fixated on a homicide. The search for Bonny's killer took detectives on an eleven-month odyssey across the country and through Hollywood's underbelly of hustlers, drug addicts, and would-be hitmen. It would be the most expensive murder investigation in LAPD history to date.  This is the story of Robert and Bonny's toxic relationship, her shocking murder, and his chaotic trial. Did actor Robert Blake kill his wife? Or was the murder someone else's vendetta? From Wondery, and the team behind the hit series Hollywood & Crime (The Dating Game Killer, The Wonderland Murders, Death of Starlet) comes a six-part series about love, obsession and fame gone wrong. Co-hosted by Tracy Pattin and Josh Lucas. Listen by subscribing to Wondery Plus in Apple Podcasts or the Wondery App: wondery.fm/Criminology_TEOBLB Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Small town girl Bonnie Lee Bakely always dreamed of marrying a movie star. Her obsession with celebrities resulted in nine divorces until Bonnie eventually married famous actor Robert Blake. However, Bonnie learned being close to the spotlight comes with consequences. Within a year of her marriage, her Hollywood dream came to a tragic end when she was found fatally shot outside of a diner in North Hollywood. Bonnie's troubling past complicated detectives, almost year-long investigation into her murder, which had the LAPD raking through Hollywood's underbelly of gangsters, drug addicts, and would-be hitmen. Her husband, Robert Blake, remained the prime suspect in her murder,

but the media pointed the finger back at Bonnie, saying she had it coming. From Wondery, the execution of Bonnie Lee Bakeley is a thrilling new chapter in the hit Hollywood in crime. podcast series. Robert Blake knew Bonnie spent most of her life as a con artist who dreamed of being famous. But when Robert Blake reluctantly let Bonnie stay in his guest house, it began the role he'd become most famous for, an accused murderer. You're about to hear a preview of the execution of Bonnie Lee Bakley. While you're listening, follow the execution of Bonnie Lee Bakely on Apple Podcasts, Amazon music, Spotify, or you can listen ad-free by joining Wondry Plus in the Wondry app. It's a little after 9.30 p.m. on May 4th, 2001. Fireworks flash across the sky in Studio City,

just over the Hollywood Hills. Cinco de Mayo has come a day early this year. Inside a small yellow house on a quiet street, Sean Stanick sits at a desk in his robe. He's spending Friday a night hunched over his keyboard, writing a screenplay, hoping to become the next Quentin Tarantino. But tonight, Stanick, won't write another word. Outside his door is a man. He looks familiar. About 60-something. Short. He's breathing hard. You have to help my wife. She's bloody and she's been beaten. They beat her up. Oh my God, call 911. Then it clicks. Jesus, it's Robert Blake, the act. Stanick seen him around the neighborhood. Where is she?

Blake points across the street to a black dodge parked in front of a dumpster. Stanick's confused. How did Blake's wife get into the car if she was beaten? Was there a domestic squabble? Stanick races to his bedroom, dials 911. Five from X out of 38.

Address to emergency. Okay, the f*** crap. We need a woman with me. How old is she? How old is she? She's 45 years. She's conscious. Is she conscious, Robert?

No. She's not conscious. She breathing. Is she breathing? Yeah, they're coming. Oh, no. The operator tells Stannick to get a dry towel to stop any bleeding. Shit. He's still in his robe. He runs to the bedroom to change clothes and hears Blake yell from the other room. Going back to the restaurant. What the hell? Why isn't Blake going to the car to help his wife?

Outside there's a light fog. The street empty. It's dark as soot. Then he sees the car next to the dumpster and rushes over. He peers in through the driver's window and spots the woman. Ma'am? Oh my God. It's okay, she's breathing. I don't know. Are you okay? Ma'am, are you okay? Stannick opens the door. The woman's hair is matted with blood.

He can hear her taking ragged breaths. He places a towel around her head and applies pressure. and then he hears Blake calling from down the block. What's wrong with her? What happened? Stanick turns back to the injured woman. He tilts up her face. His stomach jumps. There's a gaping hole in the right side of her head. She's been shot.

Minutes later, paramedics arrive and transfer the woman into an ambulance. Stanick finds Blake sitting on the curb. He sits next to him and puts his arm around his shoulder. By now, the street. He just teeming with squad cars. One of the officers approaches and asks Blake if he's related to the victim. Blake's voice is low, shaky. That's my wife.

I knew this was going to happen. I knew it. She was afraid, you know. I carry my peace for protection. The officer asks if he still has it on him. Blake pulls the gun from his pocket. Stanick is suddenly all nerves. He tries to piece together the clues.

If he did the scene as a director, he'd say the woman trusted whoever did this. Maybe the killer walked up and said something to her, then, too late, the gun explodes. One of the hazards of working in Hollywood, everything feels like a movie. Stanick won't be the first to speculate about what happened tonight. In the next few hours, newspapers and TV crews will swoop onto the scene hungry for headlines. It's been a slow news cycle, and this story has all the most. makings of a film noir thriller, a faded Hollywood actor, his murdered wife. Everyone wanting to know who is this mysterious woman and who wanted her dead.

You just heard a preview of the execution of Bonnie Lee Bakeley. Listen to the rest of this episode wherever you get your podcasts.