How Robert Blake’s bold and unpredictable personality played into trials for his wife’s murder

If there’s one thing actor Robert Blake wants people to know, it’s that he’s not done fighting -- despite the curve balls life has thrown his way. “I'm 85 years old, I'm beat up all to hell and gone but I'm still here,” Blake told ABC News in an exclusive interview. Blake has been a household name for generations of Americans from his decades in TV and film. The same drama, frankness and imprudence that made fans fall in love with him on screen also affected his image when he was on trial in the mysterious 2001 murder of his second wife, Bonny Lee Bakley. Now, more than 13 years after he was acquitted in Bakley’s murder but found civilly liable for her wrongful death, Blake remains a controversial figure. Blake was acquitted in his criminal trial because the forensic evidence showed he didn’t fire the murder weapon and the two main witnesses against him were lacking in credibility. Blake’s colorful persona has shone through since he started acting as a child, first in the film...