EmeraldPrincessOnline
What is the cosmic synergy that sealed the fate of Scott Peterson and Robert Blake on the same day? Or is it just that now that we have the new crime spree to ruminate over from Atlanta so it was time to make room for all of the TV coverage of Brian Nichols, and in order to make way, it was time to wrap-up the months and years of trial coverage for Peterson and Blake to clear the decks for an intense focus now on Brian Nichols. Hardly a blip on the radar about the eight dead in the church shootings near Milwaukee.
And by what irony is it that Scott Peterson (O! So guilty!!!) was convicted and is sentenced to death by lethal injection, yet Robert Blake (O! So guilty!!!) was acquitted by all 12 of 12 jurors on the murder counts, yet there was the one juror holdout who voted to find him guilty of "lying in wait". And how is it then that an innocent man, a man who (per their verdict) did not murder nor arrange for the murder of Bonnie Lee Bakely, just exactly how is it that there was one holdout on that count?
Once again the trial outcome in the case of Robert Blake screams to the whole rest of the world that people in America and the criminal justice system here is bipolar at best.
While watching the live coverage of the announcement of the verdicts in Robert Blake's trial, as he was overcome with emotion on hearing the "not guilty", he reached for some medication (perhaps nitroglycerin for a heart condition) then dropped to the floor. As he sat there reeling in the shock of the moment -- being guilty no one could have been more surprised by the verdict than Robert Blake himself -- as he gasped for air and drew in that big, deep-cleansing breath, I couldn't help but wonder what Bonnie Lee Bakely's last big, deep-cleansing breath was like -- in that moment of terror/horror as she was being murdered. Too bad the video cameras weren't rolling to record her final moments and her big deep breath as they were focused today on Robert Blake in the courtroom.
Just because someone is a one-time TV star, how is it in our culture that that gives them immunity from conviction for murdering their wives? But hey, if you're a manure a.k.a. fertilizer salesman, you're goin' down, pal. (Not that it is not deserved in Peterson's case. I just don't see that the two cases are all that dissimilar.)
For all the Scott Petersons and Robert Blakes of the world: good-bye, so long, it (hasn't) been good to know you.
