The New Jersey native began his career as a child actor in theOur Gangcomedy short films series at the age of 5. After a slew of television roles, first appearing onThe Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok, he starred in the 1967 Oscar-nominated filmIn Cold Blood.

Silver Screen Collection/Getty

Robert Blake, US actor, wearing a red sweater as he holds a telephone receiver to his ear, beside a public payphone, in a publicity still issued for the US television series, ‘Baretta’, USa, circa 1976. The police drama starred Blake as ‘Detetcive Tony Baretta’. (Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)

Afterwinning the Emmy that year, he was nominated for the same role again in 1977 and would score two other nominations in 1983 and 1993.

The nominations included an outstanding lead actor in a limited series or special nomination for his role in the television crime dramaBlood Feudand an outstanding lead actor in a miniseries or special nomination for his part inJudgment Day: The John List Story.

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LOS ANGELES - FEBRUARY 23: Actor Robert Blake stars as John List in the CBS television movie, “Judgement Day.” The John List story is based on the true crime of John List who murdered his family in Westfield, New Jersey, in 1971. Air date February 23, 1993. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images)

Hislast appearance on a television seriescame with 1985’sHell Town, which lasted one season.

He would later be arrested and subsequently acquitted in the2001 shooting death of his wife, Bakley.

Bakley, a 44-year-old mother of four, was fatally shot on May 4, 2001, in Blake’s car, which was parked around the corner from an Italian restaurant where the couple had just dined near their home in Studio City, California. At the time, Blake told authorities he’d left his wife alone while he returned to the restaurant to retrieve a gun he claimed had fallen out of his clothing, which authorities determined was not used in the killing.

Nearly a year later, police arrested him. At his trial, prosecutors cited the statements of two retired stuntmen who alleged to authorities that Blake had attempted to hire them as hit men — an allegation the defense attacked as unreliable.

No eyewitnesses, blood or DNA evidence linked Blake to the crime.

Jurors deliberated eight days before finding Blake not guilty.

Years after the killing, Blake continued to maintain his innocence.

In 2019, Blake’s daughter, Rose Lenore,spoke to PEOPLEabout her “traumatic childhood” following the death of her mother.

“I kind of didn’t know where she was buried for the longest time,” she said at the time. “I could have just looked it up, but I didn’t. I just don’t think I was ready. And then when I was 18, I was like, ‘I’m ready. I want to go visit her.’ "

“I’ve dealt with my fair share of sadness in life,” she added. “But I know I’m going to be okay.”

source: people.com