According to LAPD Online, investigators pored over approximately 900 pieces of evidence in connection to Bonny Lee Bakley’s murder and concluded that it was her husband, Robert Blake, who had killed her. Bakley’s bodyguard Earle Caldwell was also arrested for conspiring to kill Bakley. Blake was charged with one count of murder with special circumstances and two counts of solicitation of murder; he pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Blake’s trial began in December 2004. Prosecutors said that Blake attempted to hire two men to kill Bakley, but they declined his offer. Two stuntmen appeared before the court as witnesses and claimed that Blake offered them money to kill Bakley, per ABC News. He then allegedly decided to carry out the murder himself. The defense argued that Blake couldn’t have killed Bakley, as he had no gunshot residue on his hands. “Bonny was shot twice, Robert had no gunshot residue on him. The conclusion is he never fired that weapon,” Blake’s attorney, Gerry Schwartzabach, said.