Robert Blake Case Vs WatergateJoin now to read essay Robert Blake Case Vs WatergateMay 4, 2001 Bonny Lee Bakley, wife of actor Robert Blake, was found dead in her car behind a Studio City restaurant after being shot twice.Robert Blake and Bonny Lee Bakley were married only six months before her shooting and 11 months after the birth of their first child, Rose Bakley. Bonny Lee Bakely had the reputation for scamming men, especially those who were considered to be “well to do,” in order to obtain fame and prestige. It is known that her aspiration was to become the wife of a movie star. Robert Blake was part of this obsession. It is documented that the two met at a Los Angeles jazz club where they engaged in sexual activity that same night in Mr. Blake’s car. Bonny Lee then became pregnant with Mr. Blake’s child, compelling Mr. Blake to marriage in order to have guardian rights to the child.
The Case
Robert Blake
A New York Film School dropout and activist, Blake was diagnosed with schizophrenia by a psychiatrist in 1975, and by his wife and her husband for the next six months.
Frequently cited in the media as the case of a man seeking fame and glory “ of anyone․ and money, this case was more of a narrative about how the men became addicted to cannabis and other non-prescription drugs and began making a decision that led them to pursue alcohol and cocaine. A number of doctors testified of patients suffering from schizophrenia who “felt the pain and nausea and a strong sense of guilt for seeking treatment for that mental illness and feeling no relief on this side․ In the 1960s and 70s, most of these people started using cocaine, marijuana, or an amphetamine derivative, marijuana oil, or other controlled non-psychoactive substances, which resulted in their dependence on the “gene.” The problem began within a matter of minutes of the men consuming cocaine, marijuana, or heroin․ It became an internal, personal crisis that continued for many years through their death. It became clear to doctors that this particular man’s “spiritual” relationship to the drugs is not unique․ This was the first time psychiatrists suspected he was addicted to drugs․ By the mid-’60s, some of the men were beginning to report, and these included a man who claimed to have been “hijacked, cut off her arms, taken LSD, smoked the same thing three times, and was addicted to cocaine.” The man, who did not have access to the prescription records of his doctor, was called in to ask for psychiatric help to overcome his addiction.
While he didn’t make much money in the early months of his life or his later days in his early 20s, it was clear to surgeons that he wasn’t really crazy and that his actions were not caused by mental illness, and that medical professionals had been unable to connect these men to cocaine, marijuana, or other drugs known to cause paranoia, delusional thinking, depression, or psychosis. His mental health deteriorated rapidly during these times as psychotic experiences became more common. His initial medical problems were reported as early as the early years of his life, after which the symptoms and signs of the disorder became more extreme- sometimes even fatal.
Even then, his personal problems worsened. He developed recurring nightmares and depression, including frequent trips to the bathroom, to see friends he did not know, and frequent mental and physical physical violence as a result. Some mental patients used to fantasize about killing their neighbors, and sometimes, he became very abusive. Eventually, he became so paranoid that he cut off his arm repeatedly and began using cocaine. It was believed that this paranoia was not due his mental illness, because it wasn’t contagious and it happened much less often.
The physical dependence on the drugs on which Robert Blake was addicted was much less common between the early years of his life and his later years. If he was an addict to other substances before then, his dependence on their use did not necessarily represent his addiction to them.
Many psychiatrists and psychologists testified vehemently against the link. They stated that the men’s use of pain medication to help them manage chronic pain was simply an expression of their strong and ongoing addiction to other substances. Psychologists pointed out, moreover, that in comparison to cannabis, morphine, and others, and some heroin, the men
The Case
Robert Blake
A New York Film School dropout and activist, Blake was diagnosed with schizophrenia by a psychiatrist in 1975, and by his wife and her husband for the next six months.
Frequently cited in the media as the case of a man seeking fame and glory “ of anyone․ and money, this case was more of a narrative about how the men became addicted to cannabis and other non-prescription drugs and began making a decision that led them to pursue alcohol and cocaine. A number of doctors testified of patients suffering from schizophrenia who “felt the pain and nausea and a strong sense of guilt for seeking treatment for that mental illness and feeling no relief on this side․ In the 1960s and 70s, most of these people started using cocaine, marijuana, or an amphetamine derivative, marijuana oil, or other controlled non-psychoactive substances, which resulted in their dependence on the “gene.” The problem began within a matter of minutes of the men consuming cocaine, marijuana, or heroin․ It became an internal, personal crisis that continued for many years through their death. It became clear to doctors that this particular man’s “spiritual” relationship to the drugs is not unique․ This was the first time psychiatrists suspected he was addicted to drugs․ By the mid-’60s, some of the men were beginning to report, and these included a man who claimed to have been “hijacked, cut off her arms, taken LSD, smoked the same thing three times, and was addicted to cocaine.” The man, who did not have access to the prescription records of his doctor, was called in to ask for psychiatric help to overcome his addiction.
While he didn’t make much money in the early months of his life or his later days in his early 20s, it was clear to surgeons that he wasn’t really crazy and that his actions were not caused by mental illness, and that medical professionals had been unable to connect these men to cocaine, marijuana, or other drugs known to cause paranoia, delusional thinking, depression, or psychosis. His mental health deteriorated rapidly during these times as psychotic experiences became more common. His initial medical problems were reported as early as the early years of his life, after which the symptoms and signs of the disorder became more extreme- sometimes even fatal.
Even then, his personal problems worsened. He developed recurring nightmares and depression, including frequent trips to the bathroom, to see friends he did not know, and frequent mental and physical physical violence as a result. Some mental patients used to fantasize about killing their neighbors, and sometimes, he became very abusive. Eventually, he became so paranoid that he cut off his arm repeatedly and began using cocaine. It was believed that this paranoia was not due his mental illness, because it wasn’t contagious and it happened much less often.
The physical dependence on the drugs on which Robert Blake was addicted was much less common between the early years of his life and his later years. If he was an addict to other substances before then, his dependence on their use did not necessarily represent his addiction to them.
Many psychiatrists and psychologists testified vehemently against the link. They stated that the men’s use of pain medication to help them manage chronic pain was simply an expression of their strong and ongoing addiction to other substances. Psychologists pointed out, moreover, that in comparison to cannabis, morphine, and others, and some heroin, the men
When the case first broke in the late edition of the New York Times, Sunday, May 6th 2001, there were considered to be no known suspects. As later evidence surfaced, Robert Blake was arrested for the murder of his wife, his motive was said to be “contempt,” and was quoted speaking ill about his new wife. Robert Blake is denied bail repeatedly between the months of May 2002 to March 2003, under allegations that the murder had been preconceived. Finally on the 14th of March, headlines state that Robert Blake is released on bail after being held in jail for one year. December 2nd 2004, almost three years after the initial shooting, the jury was seated for the case to begin that following Monday. All evidence pointed to Robert Blake as being guilty of manslaughter, except for the fact that all the evidence came from untrustworthy sources, ultimately saving Robert Blake from a life doomed to prison.
In the Robert Blake case, journalists practiced the art of incremental reporting by un-weaving the tangled ends that surrounded this scandal quickly, while also remaining thorough and accurate in their reporting and representation of the case. The New York Times, among others, was given this case bit by bit and was responsible for the form this story took in the eyes of their readers.