Blake juror will sing about case

Robert Blake was found not guilty of killing his wife Bonny Lee Bakley

A juror who sat on US actor Robert Blake's murder trial is releasing songs he has written about the case.

Roberto Emerick, 30, said he began writing before he appeared on the jury which found Mr Blake not guilty of killing his wife Bonny Lee Bakley.

One of his songs imagines what Mr Blake was thinking as he awaited the verdict.

Mr Emerick said: "This was a stress management thing for me. This is how I was able to cope with the pressures of being a juror."

Last week Mr Blake, 71, was found not guilty of shooting his wife in May 2001.

Bakley was shot dead in a car in Los Angeles in May 2001

A lawyer for Ms Bakley's family subsequently said he intended to pursue civil action against the star of 1970s TV show Baretta.

Mr Emerick said that during the three-month Los Angeles trial he re-wrote and re-recorded songs originally penned with his rock band Mission in the Hills.

Since announcing his music plan he has received hate mail from critics who accused him of making money from Ms Bakley's death.

Under state law, Mr Emerick cannot receive more than $50 (£26) from the venture until at least 90 days after the trial.