Robert Blake, Star of ‘Baretta’ and ‘Lost Highway’ Who Was Acquitted in 2005 Murder Trial, Dies at 89

The Emmy winner was charged with killing his wife after she was shot to death outside a Studio City restaurant

robert blake
Robert Blake in 2003 (Getty Images)

Actor Robert Blake, born Michael James Gubitosi, died Thursday at the age of 89 in Los Angeles from heart disease.  

Blake’s 60-year-plus career in Hollywood included a gig in “Our Gang” as a child, and a role in “The Treasure of Sierra Madre” in 1948 all the way through David Lynch’s cult classic “Lost Highway” in 1997.  

In terms of his onscreen work, he is best known for playing convicted murderer Perry Smith in the feature film adaptation of “In Cold Blood.” The 1967 classic is based on Truman Capote’s groundbreaking nonfiction book, which is often considered the first modern true crime novel.

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