A rabid collector of antiquities, who would often travel to the
furthest corners of the world in pursuit of a find, Blyden was
investigating just such a dig in Morocco when he was killed at the age of 49. According to former co-star
Dina Merrill he was carjacked by bandits who killed him and took the car and his valuables. Because there was no identification on the body, his family did not learn of the tragedy for
several days afterward.