Sister, yacht captain want Natalie Wood case reopened

[True_Blue]

New York (CNN) -- Natalie Wood once said in a televised interview that her greatest fear was of dark seawater. Later, in November 1981, she drowned in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Catalina Island, California.

The star's drowning death is one of Hollywood's most enduring mysteries. Although the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office ruled that Wood's death was an accident, and the sheriff says the case is closed, others say there are pieces of the puzzle that don't make sense.

The actress' sister, Lana Wood, and the captain of the yacht Natalie Wood sailed with her husband, actor Robert Wagner, are asking the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office to re-open the case. So far, authorities have not responded to the request.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/03/08/grace.coldcase.natalie.wood/

[Hell Hath No Fury]

1. There were reports of ---

an argument between the couple, and cries for help from another boatman tht night. There has always been something seriously fishy about that whole story.

"There were about a dozen craft near by. Aboard one was Marilyn Wayne, a Beverly Hills commodities broker, who says she was anchored just 100 yds. from the Wagners. At about midnight, she says, "I could hear someone saying, 'Help me! Somebody help me!' " She claims the cries lasted for more than 15 min. and that from somewhere in the darkness came the answer: "Take it easy. We'll be over to get you." Why didn't Wayne try to help? Says she: "It was laid back. There was no urgency or immediacy in their shouts."


http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,925095,00.html

[CBGLuthier]

2. Nancy Grace's Cold Cases?

ughh no. Case was closed and settled. keep that sick woman's nasty death loving claws away from this.

[bluestateguy]

3. Will the OJ Simpson case ever be reopened?

We still need to find out who the Real Killer is.

[2Design]

4. I never believed it was an accident the day it was reported - just

never sat with my BS deflector then or now - not sure what Robert Wagner had to do with it or why but she did not accidentally die and don't know how it could be proved differently

[True_Blue]

5. I always had my suspicions too

I think Robert Blake was guilty and also have some suspicions about William Shatner's wife drowning in their back yard pool.

[2Design]

8. robert blake - yes - william shatner - did not know about - but no

[PCIntern]

6. Wasn't Christopher Walken also on the boat?

Jeez...

[2Design]

9. I think it was wagner - might have been an accident but it was covered up

just he is guilty of something with it

[Number9Dream]

11. Yes, Natalie & Walken had just finished filming "Brainstorm"

Natalie & RJ invited Walken along on their trip to Catalina.

[hlthe2b]

7. DId they determine an alcohol level for Wood?

I'm sure Wagner didn't want to publicly explore their fight and was undoubtedly guilt-ridden over possibly ignoring Wood's disappearance until it was too late, given the argument... I just don't see Wagner as having any active and malevolent role in her death.

[Number9Dream]

12. Natalie had .14% alcohol in her system

From People Magazine, 6/11/01:

snip> Coroner Dr. Thomas Noguchi stated that Natalie was "slightly intoxicated", revealing that she had .14% alcohol in her system. "There is no evidence of foul play," he added.

Natalie, RJ, and Chris Walken had been dining and drinking at Doug's Harbor Reef earlier that evening.

[Geoff R. Casavant]

10. I read the coroner's account

Thomas Noguchi was the coroner for the case, who later wrote a book about his more famous cases, and Natalie Wood's death was one of them.

He laid the evidence for an accidental death out pretty convincingly as far as I'm concerned. It was tragic, too -- from the evidence he was able to determine that Natalie Wood spent a long time hanging onto the dinghy she had fallen out of, trying to swim it close to shore, only to be pushed back by the tides again and again until she was too exhausted to go on.

I don't recall that he mentioned the cries for help discussed in the OP though, it's been many years since I read that book.

[ailsagirl]

15. You should definitely read...

"Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour"

It's a real eye-opener. It debunks so many things that were reported
at the time of Natalie's death. After reading the book, to me it was
obvious that a gross injustice was committed with impunity.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1597776394/ref=cm_rdp_product

[Number9Dream]

13. Her down jacket made climbing into the dinghy very difficult

When they weighed the waterlogged down jacket Natalie was wearing, it weighed something like twenty pounds wet. The air in it helped keep Natalie afloat, but the weight prevented a petite woman like Natalie from hauling herself up and into the dinghy.

Still a tragic loss.

Miss you, Natalie.

[lucas_g20]

14. hmmmm

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.