MONTEREY PARK, Calif. — One of the last people to see Natalie Wood alive claimed yesterday that Robert Wagner was responsible for her drowning death — but police said her actor husband is not a suspect.
The stunning development came as detectives announced that “substantial” new information had prompted them to reopen the investigation into the mystery that has haunted Hollywood for 30 years.
Although the case is being handled by homicide detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Lt. John Corina stressed yesterday that death of the “West Side Story” star was still classified an accidental drowning.
Asked at a news conference if Wagner was considered a suspect, Corina said, “No.”
The case was actually reopened two months ago, after a request by Wood’s sister, Lana. The yacht’s captain, Dennis Davern, and a woman who was in the area when the actress died, joined in the request, a sheriff’s source told The Daily.
“We received information we felt was substantial, allowing us to take an additional look at this case,” Corrina said.
A former child star who had made the transition to successful leading lady, Wood was 43 when she died on Nov. 29, 1981. She and Wagner had been spending Thanksgiving weekend aboard their 60-foot yacht, the Splendour, in the harbor of California’s Catalina Island. Also aboard the vessel were Davern and Wood’s “Brainstorm” co-star, Christopher Walken.
Wagner has said that he got into a loud argument with Walken that night. At some point, Wood left the two actors. Wagner said when he last saw his wife, she was fixing her hair at a bathroom vanity. Hours later, her body was found floating in the ocean.
The coroner’s report shows that Wood’s legs were covered in fresh bruises and she had a scrape on her cheek. She was wearing a nightgown, wool socks and a red jacket. She was found 200 yards off shore and the yacht’s dinghy had been set loose. Coroner’s officials said the three-time Oscar nominee had been drinking and speculated that she may have fallen overboard while trying to board the dinghy, but there was never a definitive explanation as to what happened.
Davern said in a series of television interviews yesterday that he omitted key details when he was originally interviewed by investigators. He now claims that Wagner smashed a bottle in anger over a perceived affair between Wood and Walken. Then, Davern says, Wagner and Wood got into a screaming match before the actress disappeared.
The captain, who co-wrote a 2009 book about the tragedy, says that Wagner dissuaded him from searching for the actress and that the husband waited more than four hours after discovering his wife was not on board to call 911.
“We didn’t take any steps to see if we could locate her. It was a matter of don’t look too hard, don’t turn on search light, don’t call anyone,” Davern said yesterday on NBC’s “Today” show.
Asked if he believes Wagner is to blame for the actress’s death, Davern said, “Yes, I would say so.”
He denied that he was seeking to profit from the case.
Corina said detectives would interview Davern and other witnesses. He downplayed the role Davern’s book, “Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour,” or that the anniversary would play on the investigation.
“We’re not concerned with the anniversary date,” Corina said. “It may have jarred some other people’s memories.”
The approaching 30th anniversary has brought out a spate of reports about that night. Marilyn Wayne, who was in a nearby boat, told Beverly Hills’ Canyon News last month that she was awakened by repeated cries in the ocean of “Help me, someone please help me, I’m drowning!”
Then, she said, she heard a male voice say in a slurred, aggravated tone, “Hold on, we’re coming to get you.” The cries soon subsided.
Lana Wood told TMZ last month that Davern called her two years after the tragedy and told her that her sister had fallen overboard and Wagner decided to leave her there to “teach her a lesson.”
The sister said last night that she wants to know what happened once and for all.
“Only RJ (Wagner) and Natalie know. And only one of them can speak,” she told CNN’s Piers Morgan. “It’s time for the family to hear the truth, that’s all.”
The daughter of Russian immigrants, Wood began acting as a child in films such as “Miracle on 34th Street” and “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.” She went on to play James Dean’s love interest in “Rebel Without a Cause” and co-starred with Warren Beatty in “Splendor in the Grass.” Her big brown eyes and brunette hair made her a popular choice for “ethnic roles,” such as Maria in “West Side Story.”
Wagner, a suave leading man, was a TV star best known for his roles on “Hart to Hart,” “Switch” and “It Takes a Thief.” He has appeared more recently as Dr. Evil’s lieutenant Number 2 in the Austin Power films and in “NCIS.”
The couple first married in 1957 but divorced in 1962 and married other people. In 1972, they married again. After Wood’s death, Wagner raised their three daughters — they had one together and one each from previous relationships — and later married actress Jill St. John.
A statement Thursday from Wagner’s publicist said the actor and his family “fully support the efforts of the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department and trust they will evaluate whether any new information relating to the death of Natalie Wood Wagner is valid, and that it comes from a credible source or sources other than those simply trying to profit from the 30-year anniversary of her tragic death.”
Walken made no public comment last night. The Hollywood Reporter said last night that he had hired Mathew Rosengart, a former federal prosecutor, to represent him but added that sources said Walken was not considered a suspect.
Retired sheriff’s homicide Lt. Gil Carillo told The Daily that detectives must have some strong piece of evidence for them to reopen the case after so long.
“It’s really unheard of that 30 years later they would go back and look at something like this,” he said. “When it’s closed, there’s really no reason to look at it — you have enough work to do.”
The stunning development came as detectives announced that “substantial” new information had prompted them to reopen the investigation into the mystery that has haunted Hollywood for 30 years.
Although the case is being handled by homicide detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Lt. John Corina stressed yesterday that death of the “West Side Story” star was still classified an accidental drowning.
Asked at a news conference if Wagner was considered a suspect, Corina said, “No.”
The case was actually reopened two months ago, after a request by Wood’s sister, Lana. The yacht’s captain, Dennis Davern, and a woman who was in the area when the actress died, joined in the request, a sheriff’s source told The Daily.
“We received information we felt was substantial, allowing us to take an additional look at this case,” Corrina said.
A former child star who had made the transition to successful leading lady, Wood was 43 when she died on Nov. 29, 1981. She and Wagner had been spending Thanksgiving weekend aboard their 60-foot yacht, the Splendour, in the harbor of California’s Catalina Island. Also aboard the vessel were Davern and Wood’s “Brainstorm” co-star, Christopher Walken.
Wagner has said that he got into a loud argument with Walken that night. At some point, Wood left the two actors. Wagner said when he last saw his wife, she was fixing her hair at a bathroom vanity. Hours later, her body was found floating in the ocean.
The coroner’s report shows that Wood’s legs were covered in fresh bruises and she had a scrape on her cheek. She was wearing a nightgown, wool socks and a red jacket. She was found 200 yards off shore and the yacht’s dinghy had been set loose. Coroner’s officials said the three-time Oscar nominee had been drinking and speculated that she may have fallen overboard while trying to board the dinghy, but there was never a definitive explanation as to what happened.
Davern said in a series of television interviews yesterday that he omitted key details when he was originally interviewed by investigators. He now claims that Wagner smashed a bottle in anger over a perceived affair between Wood and Walken. Then, Davern says, Wagner and Wood got into a screaming match before the actress disappeared.
The captain, who co-wrote a 2009 book about the tragedy, says that Wagner dissuaded him from searching for the actress and that the husband waited more than four hours after discovering his wife was not on board to call 911.
“We didn’t take any steps to see if we could locate her. It was a matter of don’t look too hard, don’t turn on search light, don’t call anyone,” Davern said yesterday on NBC’s “Today” show.
Asked if he believes Wagner is to blame for the actress’s death, Davern said, “Yes, I would say so.”
He denied that he was seeking to profit from the case.
Corina said detectives would interview Davern and other witnesses. He downplayed the role Davern’s book, “Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour,” or that the anniversary would play on the investigation.
“We’re not concerned with the anniversary date,” Corina said. “It may have jarred some other people’s memories.”
The approaching 30th anniversary has brought out a spate of reports about that night. Marilyn Wayne, who was in a nearby boat, told Beverly Hills’ Canyon News last month that she was awakened by repeated cries in the ocean of “Help me, someone please help me, I’m drowning!”
Then, she said, she heard a male voice say in a slurred, aggravated tone, “Hold on, we’re coming to get you.” The cries soon subsided.
Lana Wood told TMZ last month that Davern called her two years after the tragedy and told her that her sister had fallen overboard and Wagner decided to leave her there to “teach her a lesson.”
The sister said last night that she wants to know what happened once and for all.
“Only RJ (Wagner) and Natalie know. And only one of them can speak,” she told CNN’s Piers Morgan. “It’s time for the family to hear the truth, that’s all.”
The daughter of Russian immigrants, Wood began acting as a child in films such as “Miracle on 34th Street” and “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.” She went on to play James Dean’s love interest in “Rebel Without a Cause” and co-starred with Warren Beatty in “Splendor in the Grass.” Her big brown eyes and brunette hair made her a popular choice for “ethnic roles,” such as Maria in “West Side Story.”
Wagner, a suave leading man, was a TV star best known for his roles on “Hart to Hart,” “Switch” and “It Takes a Thief.” He has appeared more recently as Dr. Evil’s lieutenant Number 2 in the Austin Power films and in “NCIS.”
The couple first married in 1957 but divorced in 1962 and married other people. In 1972, they married again. After Wood’s death, Wagner raised their three daughters — they had one together and one each from previous relationships — and later married actress Jill St. John.
A statement Thursday from Wagner’s publicist said the actor and his family “fully support the efforts of the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department and trust they will evaluate whether any new information relating to the death of Natalie Wood Wagner is valid, and that it comes from a credible source or sources other than those simply trying to profit from the 30-year anniversary of her tragic death.”
Walken made no public comment last night. The Hollywood Reporter said last night that he had hired Mathew Rosengart, a former federal prosecutor, to represent him but added that sources said Walken was not considered a suspect.
Retired sheriff’s homicide Lt. Gil Carillo told The Daily that detectives must have some strong piece of evidence for them to reopen the case after so long.
“It’s really unheard of that 30 years later they would go back and look at something like this,” he said. “When it’s closed, there’s really no reason to look at it — you have enough work to do.”
