Natalie Wood Death Was An Accident, Says LASD (VIDEO)

LOS ANGELES — No new evidence has been uncovered in the death of Natalie Wood that would point to foul play, authorities said Tuesday.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's chief of detectives William McSweeney told the Los Angeles Times ( ) that several weeks of interviews and other investigative work have not uncovered any evidence the death was a homicide. It had been ruled as an accident. http://lat.ms/wnzNOb

Cold cases like Wood's are never really closed and detectives are still looking at some aspects of the case, said McSweeney. The investigation was reopened in November, when detectives said several sources came forward with new information.

Natalie Wood died sometime after the evening of Nov. 28, 1981, when the 43-year-old actress was boating off Catalina Island with her husband Robert Wagner and actor Christopher Walken. The evening before the drowning, Wood, Wagner and Walken, who was Wood's co-star in the film "Brainstorm," had dinner at a restaurant on the island.

Authorities said they returned to the yacht and had drinks and that Wagner and Walken got into an argument.

Walken went to bed, according to Wagner, who, after staying up with boat captain Dennis Davern, went looking for his wife and couldn't find her on board. He then noticed that a dinghy attached to the boat – and his wife – were gone.

Lifeguard captain Roger Smith told the Times in November that the actress could have been saved if officials had been called sooner to search for her. Smith said he was alerted that Woods was missing at 5:11 a.m. the next day.

Based on the condition of her body when she was pulled from the water, Smith said he believes she survived for some time in the water and was washed out to sea.

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Information from: Los Angeles Times, http://www.latimes.com

View photos of Natalie Wood below:

CORRECTION: In an earlier version of this story, the information about new evidence was attributed to the LAPD. The information actually came from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. We regret the error.

Comments

[sal dabarber]

12:25 AM on 01/19/2012

The 2 queers threw her overboard i would think. Sick freaks. Poor girl

[Paul Replogle]

11:31 PM on 01/15/2012

Almost all of the following comments are a load! You people read to many entertainment rags.

[D Michael Cavalier]

07:39 PM on 01/15/2012

Imagining just for a minute (go ahead, I dare you...) that it was an accident and nothing more, I think this has to be terribly difficult for those people who are being accused. They deserve some slack from the people who are calling for their conviction(s); nobody commenting on this was there that night, and without reliable evidence - and proof beyond a reasonable doubt - we have to assume they are innocent. I feel bad for Mr. Walken and Mr. Wagner, and have to question why the Captain is now coming forward with information that (if true) should have been relayed to law enforcement at the time of the initial investigation.

[mother10]

02:25 PM on 01/15/2012

who beleives this was an accident ?

[Paul Replogle]

11:25 PM on 01/15/2012

Evidently the police do.

[sal dabarber]

12:28 AM on 01/19/2012

No way accident. 2 Homosexuals got caught in the act, she got mad and bad things happened. Everybody know that more than of the movie star men are gay. They were wasted drunk and things got out of hand. I have an old muscle mag from the 50's with wagner posing in little girlie shorts! Degenerates get away with a crime as usual

[IfIonlyknew]

01:22 PM on 01/15/2012

Well that was another big waste of time and money.....Some cops have the best jobs,Nothing but time to waste.

[triplettam]

04:06 AM on 01/15/2012

This is NOT meant to be factual; however, in the industry--where I have many friends--the story is that Natalie walked in on Robert Wagner and Christopher Walken, who were having an affair. So she went for a swim a little mad and a little under the influence. I know: gossip. But that is the accepted story in Hollywood. I wasn't there, so I know nothing.

[mother10]

02:36 PM on 01/15/2012

sounds very easy to believe...people have to be who they are, gay or straight...society has to STOP trying to make people go one way

[cookscove]

08:24 PM on 01/15/2012

Beyond stupid. Everyone and their dog knows that she not only did not know how to swim; but she had an abnormal fear of water.

[triplettam]

08:56 PM on 01/15/2012

Whatever. That's what they say in Hollywood. Again: I wasn't there.

[wonderfullone]

11:57 PM on 01/14/2012

My question is did Robert Wagner ever submit to a polygraf test??

[mother10]

02:37 PM on 01/15/2012

graf...really ? graph

[wonderfullone]

02:45 PM on 01/15/2012

Polygraph.-----------------My bad, you mother.

[beckytckr]

10:02 PM on 01/15/2012

I never heard he did. Don't think so!
Once, while my husband and I were fishing in choppy waters...I got seasick and put on my lifejacket to swim to shore. Turns out, the reason the waters were choppy had to do with high waves. I was scared to death and started screaming. My husband pulled up anchor, came and got me back in the boat. He said, "If you'd have taken off your life jacket, you could have gone with the waves and been okay." I screamed, when I could breathe again, "That's what Robert Wagner said to Natalie!!!!! 'Take off that life jacket, honey, and you can go with the waves'".
I know that's not funny, but it's every word true. God bless Natalie's soul!

[Paul Replogle]

11:27 PM on 01/15/2012

Not acceptable as evidence in a court of law.

[nancimeek]

11:56 AM on 01/14/2012

I just read Marti Rulli's book It would appear LA county sheriff's are looking away........AGAIN!

[Natti]

11:02 PM on 01/13/2012

Such natural beauty. RIP Natalie Wood.

[polkadothill]

08:11 PM on 01/13/2012

when natalie was thrown into the water and the dingy was found, the key to the dingy was in the off position......natalie was wearing a down coat which allowed her to float, she had bruises all over her body at the autopsy, she was found face up in the water......it is all evidence in a case that should still be open........

[nancimeek]

11:58 AM on 01/14/2012

I agree read the book Goodbye Natalie Goodbye Splendour and you will be amazed with all of the witnesses who give statements conflicting RJ Wagner's accounts. These are witnesses who were not asked or interrogated at the time by the Harbor Patrol or Sheriff's department. It amazes me when people "Lawyer up" and hide behind their attorneys. Lived it first hand during our father's probate
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Jkx50M8b8w&feature=watch_response

[sherpeace]

06:34 PM on 01/13/2012

Sad. The truth will never come out. Especially as Wagner has even more power now.
It is obvious when you know everything there is to know that Wood would not have gotten on a dinghy. She was afraid of the water. Almost any night in SoCal, you would need a coat. That proves nothing. Besides, why would they say she would wear the coat to go out in the dinghy, but not to be outside ON the big boat? Makes no sense. Many things made no sense then and make no sense still. Good for you, wagner, you got away with killing your wife! I hope you are happy! NOT!

[nancimeek]

12:05 PM on 01/14/2012

I agree And why was she found still wearing wool socks on her feet after being in the water for hours? So many holes in the stories of RJ, the sheriff's department, the Harbor Patrol...........thank god the witnesses have come forward (albeit years later) and tried to give their accounts of what really happened. All of those accounts conflict with RJ's version.

[Paintlineranch]

06:09 PM on 01/13/2012

Of course they are going to say its an accident. Because they have no clue what happened and never will. Something fishy about the whole story.
Ironic about her dying in water, when she had a deathly fear of water

[Red45]

04:29 PM on 01/13/2012

The one thing about this that keeps gnawing at me is, who put her in that dinghy? Considering her deathly fear of dark water, I simply do not believe she climbed down into that little boat on her own, even if she was very drunk.

[vtracy95]

05:58 PM on 01/12/2012

why would someone afraid of water venture to tie the dingy when there was a captain and 2 other men on the boat????????????????????????????????????????just saying....

[KIVPossum]

03:11 AM on 01/13/2012

Drunk

[nancimeek]

12:02 PM on 01/14/2012

RJ told her (after a huge fight in the stateroom) to "get off my f#%#ing boat" then he placed the red down jacket on her person. he didn't tell the Sheriff's department about that did he?

[knmrourkdz]

05:41 PM on 01/12/2012

robert wagners last words on his death bed will be "yes, I did it , I killed my wife"

[mother10]

03:19 PM on 01/15/2012

Jesus...