Natalie Wood: yacht captain blames Robert Wagner

Retired_Can_Soldier

The End of the Dog is Coming!
Mar 19, 2006
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Lieutenant John Corina, of the Los Angeles County sheriff's department, said Mr Wagner was not a suspect and the case was still being treated as an accident.

Dennis Davern, captain of the Splendour, urged police to look at the case again, claiming not enough was done to locate the actress when she went missing and that Mr Wagner was "responsible" for her death.

Miss Wood, who starred as Maria in the multi-Oscar winning 1961 film "West Side Story," was holidaying on the 60ft yacht near Catalina Island off the California coast with Mr Wagner. At the time he was most famous for his role in the television series "Hart to Hart." Christopher Walken, her co-star in her final film "Brainstorm," was with them.

The actress's body was found floating in the water a mile away from the yacht on the morning of Nov 29, 1981. She was wearing a nightgown, socks, and a down jacket. A coroner concluded her death was an "accidental drowning" and that she had been drinking.

She had two dozen bruises on her body which were consistent with having slipped while trying to tie up a loose dinghy, or trying to board the dinghy to leave the boat. The 13ft dinghy was later found beached on the island.

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I would be interested to hear Christopher Walken's version of events.
 

VanIsle

Always thinking
Nov 12, 2008
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At the time she died, it was reported she had been drinking heavily and that her and Robert Wagner had a fight. She was said to have left the yacht and got into the dinghy to go ashore.
I never read the "read more" part. She was a favourite of mine so I read a lot about it when it happened.
 

talloola

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 14, 2006
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I remember the incident when it happened. walken, wagner and wood were all together in the boat, she
decided to leave, don't know if it was an arguement or what, can't remember that, but they didn't
know she had fallen in for some time, and the authorities searched for her then till they found her
floating in the bay somewhere.

they were all drinking, don't know if anyone was drunk.

their life together seemed to be OK, as there wasn't any big headlines all the time about them, other
than they married again. She had a daughter from her other marriage, and they had a daughter together.

there was 'no' suspicion at the time that there was any foul play.
I wonder what he could have lied about, if he had seen her fall in the water, he would have gone after
her, and i'm sure he didn't kill her, that doesn't seem to fit at all, I would be flaberghasted if that
is the case.

maybe someone is writing a book, and wants attention drawn to this incident again to create sales.
 

spaminator

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 26, 2009
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from what i've heard, he suspected that she was having an affair with christopher walken.
 

The Old Medic

Council Member
May 16, 2010
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I might tend to believe this former Yacht Captain, if he had not just had a book published about this whole affair. Of course, it is merely a coincidence that he publicly makes these charges ONLY when the book has been published!
 

talloola

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 14, 2006
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I might tend to believe this former Yacht Captain, if he had not just had a book published about this whole affair. Of course, it is merely a coincidence that he publicly makes these charges ONLY when the book has been published!

yeah, thats what I thought, because at the time of the incident, there would have been a complete
investigation into the drowning, and if he had anything to do with it, it would not have been very hard
to tie him in, as there were only the 3 of them on the boat, out in the bay, (catalina I believe), and
if he had actually pushed her off of the boat, the clues would have been different than they were, and
he would have been different than he was.

I don't believe there was anything more to it.
 

coldstream

on dbl secret probation
Oct 19, 2005
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Good grief.. can't they let the poor soul rest in peace. She was drinking, there was an altercation between Wagner and Walken.. and she walked out with the intention of using the dingy to put some space between herself and the other two.. she slipped, hit her head, drowned. I think she was a non swimmer, with a fear of the water. It's not that mysterious.. and it wasn't murder. Death by misadventure.. they'll never prove anything else.
 

talloola

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 14, 2006
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Good grief.. can't they let the poor soul rest in peace. She was drinking, there was an altercation between Wagner and Walken.. and she walked out with the intention of using the dingy to put some space between herself and the other two.. she slipped, hit her head, drowned. I think she was a non swimmer, with a fear of the water. It's not that mysterious.. and it wasn't murder. Death by misadventure.. they'll never prove anything else.

yes, thats how I feel too.