The mysterious death of actress Natalie Wood in cold, dark water 30 years ago sparked a frenzy of media coverage and conspiracy theories. Among them: that her husband, Robert Wagner, killed her.
Now two sheriff’s detectives are diving into the mystery of what happened on the yacht Splendour. But they haven’t yet done anything to change the official view that Wood died of accidental drowning. Explore more about Natalie Wood Death in the sections below.
As a young woman, Natalie Wood seemed to inhabit glamour easily — she was a glamorous actress in films such as “West Side Story” and “Rebel Without a Cause.” But the death of the alluring actress in 1981 sparked mystery that never went away. Now, with the reopening of her case by the Los Angeles sheriff’s department and CBS’ “48 Hours Mystery,” Wood is once again front and center.
Police say the reopening is based on new information and a desire to examine bruises on Wood’s body that were not seen at the time of her autopsy. A source close to the investigation says police are also looking into a theory that she tangled with a shark in the cove where her body was found off Santa Catalina Island.
The cause of her death was ruled accidental drowning at the time, but investigators now think she may have slipped off the yacht while trying to tie its dinghy to shore. The dinghy, which had scratch marks on it, was found hours after her body was recovered from the water.
At the time of her death, Wagner and Walken told investigators that Wood fell off the yacht and into the water because she was afraid of dark, open water, but their accounts have changed over the years. In a 2009 book, Davern said that he had been trying to help Wagner and ended up in a heated argument with Wood over her movie career. The fight may have pushed her overboard, he claims.
Natasha Wagner, Wood’s daughter, has echoed those comments, saying that her mother had a strong fear of water. But a documentary about her mother’s life, “Natalie”, which premiered last year, paints a more nuanced picture of the actress. It recounts her struggle with mental illness, multiple suicide attempts and daily psychoanalysis and her deep-seated fear of being alone at night — a fear that stemmed from a Gypsy prophecy she had heard as a child.
It also documents Wood’s tireless activism and her determination to balance work with raising two children. And it shows a home video of the actress with her daughters, which reveals a woman who adored her family and was fiercely protective of her friends.
Why Was She Dead?
While Hollywood conspiracy theorists have embraced all sorts of reasons for Wood’s death, the truth is still unclear. Those who knew the actress best, including her younger sister Lana and Dennis Davern, the captain of the yacht on which she was found, have given conflicting accounts of what happened on the night of Nov. 29, 1981, when she went overboard. Fresh bruises and scrapes on her body suggested that she had been assaulted, but no charges were ever filed.
For decades, the most logical explanation was that she simply fell overboard. It was a cold night, she had been drinking, and she could not swim. But her family, friends and colleagues have questioned this explanation, pointing to her history of health problems, her alcoholism and the fact that she was not wearing a life vest at the time of her death.
The film’s main focus is on a conversation between Wood’s daughter and her mother, who argues that the police are to blame for the new homicide investigation. But it also interviews other family members and close friends, including actor Robert Wagner, whom she married, divorced and remarried, and her Brainstorm co-star Christopher Walken. The interview with Wagner is especially telling, because he describes how, in the weeks leading up to her death, he had been urging her to focus more on her career and less on her domestic life, prompting her to blow up at him during their last weekend together aboard Splendour.
Other interviews point to the possibility that Wagner, who was on board at the time of her death, was responsible for her death. A few of the people interviewed by Trumbull — including Lana and Davern — have written books and articles that suggest they think that Wagner, or at least his actions that night, may have contributed to her death.
The investigation of Wood’s death has been reopened by LA County sheriff’s homicide detectives. They will address the media Friday and are seeking any information they can get on the case. The renewed look at the case was prompted by “new information” that detectives received, a sheriff’s spokesperson says.
What Happened to Her Body?
Hollywood legend Natalie Wood died in cold, dark water off Catalina Island 30 years ago. Even after the case was closed as an accidental drowning, rumors of suicide or foul play never died, and speculation about what really happened that night has reverberated through decades of tabloids and books.
The night of her death, Wood and husband Robert Wagner and co-star Christopher Walken had eaten dinner at Doug’s Harbor Reef restaurant in Two Harbors and then boarded the couple’s yacht, the Splendour. Hours later, she was found dead, having slipped overboard and drowned. She was 43.
Authorities initially ruled the death an accident, but in 2011 they changed their minds, reopening the investigation. The change was prompted by revelations from Dennis Davern, the captain of the yacht. He told NBC’s David Gregory that the evening before she died, Wood and Wagner had been having an argument about whether or not their personal lives should come before their careers.
As a result, it’s likely that the fight had a definite impact on Wood’s actions that led up to her death. That’s why she wasn’t wearing a life jacket, hadn’t left a note and had fresh bruises on her arms and knee. There were also scratch marks on the dinghy she had climbed into and scrapes on her forehead.
Davern has made the TV news circuit over the past few days, claiming that Wagner killed Wood. But he has refused to give specifics about what happened. He also said that he was “shocked” when he learned that investigators had changed their conclusions about what happened to Wood.
In a 2009 book, Davern claims he never told detectives his real account of what happened that night because he was trying to help Wagner, whom he considered a friend. He also says he was pushed into writing the book by friends who thought it would boost his business.
Sheriff’s officials have yet to comment on the latest developments in the case, but they are urging the public to call with any new information they might have. A spokesman for the sheriff’s department also denied that Wood’s widower, actor Robert Wagner, is a suspect and said he had no reason to believe she had killed herself.
Was She Killed?
Two generations of people have been born since Natalie Wood’s death in a mysterious drowning off the coast of Avalon on Santa Catalina Island. Even if those newcomers aren’t fans of her classic movies (Rebel Without a Cause, Splendor in the Grass) they probably know of the actress and have heard of her sordid end.
The mystery surrounding Wood’s death has never really been solved, even though she was found dead a few days after she disappeared. The Los Angeles County coroner said she drowned and a slip in trying to board a dinghy may have been the cause. However, in 2011, sheriff’s officials reopened the investigation after new evidence was discovered. Bruises on her arms and face and a scrape on her head that could have been caused by an assault were found on her body.
After the reopening of the case, Dennis Davern, the captain of the yacht she was aboard, spoke out in a book and on TV. He claimed that he didn’t tell the authorities everything that happened and said that Wood was definitely flirting with Walken. He also said he saw a fight between the pair.
Wood’s sister Lana also commented on the incident and was very critical of Wagner. She has also spoken out about her own mental health issues and drug addiction, which she claims were a result of her mother’s superstitious Russian faith and a fear of dying in dark water that originated with a Gypsy prophecy.
As a result of all the different accounts from boat captains, sisters, and police, plus endless sensational tabloid articles and celebrity-focused shows, many conspiracy theories have arisen. For example, some believe that Wood was murdered or a cover up was involved and others think she fell from the boat by accident.
While a lot of the information that has come out in the years since her death is conflicting, a criminal law expert recently hand delivered a petition to the sheriff’s office asking for a new coroner’s investigation. The attorney’s petition cites significant new evidence that he says should have been examined years ago.