LAPD Says Media Is Interfering in Blake Case

May 15, 2001 -- In a press conference on Monday, Los Angeles police officials criticized Robert Blake's attorney and the media for interfering with their investigation of the murder of Blake's wife, Bonny Lee Bakley.

The 67-year-old actor's attorney, Harland Braun, has been openly speculating that a hit man or a possible stalker killed Bakley, who was shot to death as she sat in the couple's car near a Studio City, Calif., restaurant on May 4.

Garrett Zimmon, the commanding officer of Detective Services in the Los Angeles Police Department, said Monday night that Braun's constant comments to the media and leaks from within the department were interfering with the ability of police to solve the crime.

He also criticized Braun for his assaults on Bakley's character. "We must remember that Bonny Lee Bakley is not the one under investigation. She is the victim," he said. "We need to be sensitive to that."

On Sunday, police sources told ABCNEWS.com that investigators found the gun they believe was used to kill Blake's wife in a trash bin a block and a half away from where the shooting took place.

Zimmon criticized leaks such as the one in today's Los Angeles Times, in which a garbage truck driver talked about police finding the gun after he moved a trash bin from the murder site.

"[The officers] said the gun had just been freshly oiled and there was a lot of dust stuck to it," the truck driver, John Phillip Brice, told the Times. "They didn't know if they would be able to get the prints off."

"It is not appropriate to comment on items that have been or have not been taken into evidence or witnesses who have been or have not been interviewed," Zimmon said. "To do so takes away our responsibility to fully and completely conduct an investigation and may, in fact, be harmful to the case."

"We are not going to investigate this in the media," Sgt. John Pasquariello, an LAPD spokesman, told the Times. "There will be no comment from us on evidence we have collected or have not collected."

Zimmon said that despite media "rumors," authorities have not identified a prime suspect. "Contrary to some rumors, there is no pending arrest of a suspect in the case," he said.

Zimmon said he wanted to assure the public and the media that police were thoroughly investigating the case and "looking at all possible evidence and interviewing any and all witnesses."

Last week, the lead detective on the case said Blake had not been ruled out as a suspect and that it was "very likely" he would be questioned again about his wife's slaying.

"We have certainly not ruled out Mr. Blake," said Capt. Jim Tatreau, commander of the Los Angeles Police Department's robbery-homicide division. "We have not been able to develop enough evidence that, as far as eliminating Mr. Blake, that takes us in another direction."

ABCNEWS.com contributed to this report.