30 years later: who killed Natalie Wood?
 

I wanted to share this here because it interests me. Natalie Wood was, in my opinion, one of the most naturally gorgeous, radiant stars in all of film history. Her tragic death in 1981 had a lot of...mysteries surrounding it.

As I was FAR too young to know all the details, I thought those who were probably old enough at the time would be able to read and share their thoughts.

They are reopening her case, as new mysteries are starting to be uncovered. And as I was reading some of the responses on Daily Mail, a LOT of people seem to think Robert Wagner was responsible.

Here's the article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...th-threat.html

Here's a pic of Natalie aboard the boat she was last seen alive on. This pic was taken a few weeks before her death:

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/...15_634x441.jpg

agreed. while the moments leading up to her death are speculation to all than those that were with her that night, I am of the belief it was an accident. robert loved her, and I dont care what kind of drunken rage may have ensued, I can't imagine him purposely killing her. Really too may "why would theys" to believe anyone on that boat wanted her to die. I believe that dingy banging on the boat, had her getting up to untie and, in her attempts to quiet that noise, the rope pulled her in or the waves bumped enough for her to lose balance or perhaps knock her completely over. then again, she may have been brave enough and without reasonable thought process to step inside that dingy in attempt to just run away from the situation. sad sad sad. :distress:

gorgeous pic. nico, thanks for posting.

Thanks for the response BTFLCHLD. Natalie was one of my TOP favorites. Absolutely breathtaking lady.

I pretty much had the same exact feeling on the situation as you. However, Natalie's sister seems so sure that Robert Wagner did it. It seems like she really hates him and feels he is hiding stuff.

I don't know.:shrug: RW seems like a cool little old man who had a pretty lovely marriage to her and they loved each other. Plus they have two daughters who are now 41 and 37. It seems like bringing this all up, by the girls' aunt could hurt that family. And no offense but the aunt seems to be far more of a fame-seeker than I would prefer. She even had a book out years ago about her sister and her. Like, it was written not too long after Natalie passed away. :distress:

Natalie Wood is one my my favourite actresses of all time. She died way before I was born but i discovered her through my old movie obsession. Only yesterday was I watching splendour in the grass. I think there is much more to her death than is said so I hope the truth finally comes out.

Not a fan of Lana. and this boat captain all these years later coming up with a re-hash of his statements? his drinking habits have embellished the stories he puts out. sigh. really, a sad situation.

I find hard to believe there are any new revelations in the case or more concrete details that have been hidden all these years. this idea of people hiding the truth is kind of absurd -- why wouldnt the whole truth and nothing but the truth come out at the time? to me hiding the truth would be unnatural, unless there was something clearly to hide by murderous people. and those on that boat werent murderous. There would be no reason to cover up an accident.

the public often gives Robert and Christopher the virtual stink-eye. but, Natalie was a grown woman, and I doubt she would of stood for either of them sitting at the foot of her bed to insure she was OK for the evening, particularly if a fight transpired. I think any arguing happened between Robert and Christopher. Wouldnt it make sense, if there was a purposeful intent for injury or death, that one of them would be overboard drowing rather than the Natalie they both loved?

if they somehow do have enough evidence of something (which interestingly they dont reveal and have further made statements that 'no one will be arrested') I will personally raise the biggest uproar for reinvestigation of River Phoenix's death! :o

this 'reopening' seems to transpire about every ten years.

Wow, I couldn't agree more with almost everything you said BTFL. Lana, I feel, is quite tacky. I have a lot of sympathy for the daughters, one of which reminds me a lot of Natalie in prettiness and stature. I think it would be so painful to have my mother's death strewn about in the press like it was simply dirty gossip and heresay- 30 years later. That's a hurt that doesn't wash away, particularly for such a loving mother.

I never once thought RW was responsible. I think, if it was so, he would be the greatest actor in the world. Because that man seemed to be very sad and very devoted to his children. I think it's all very fishy, but at the same time I want to read some REAL details and not just here-say.

Here's a link to the complaint that got the case reopened:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sit...ov.%202011.pdf

After reading that, I've got to wonder if Robert Wagner pushed her off the boat and let her drown. :(

Wow...that is fascinating to read. I admit I wasn't aware of most of these details. Thank you for sharing! :wavey:

That is some pretty damning testimony. Unfortunately it's all speculation and circumstance... much like the OJ trial, except there was more evidence in the OJ trial! Of everyone involved, the captain of the boat seems to be the main culprit here. It's precious that he accused the detectives of botching the investigation, yet he pretty much lied shamelessly to curry favor with Robert Wagner. When I first found about Natalie Wood's death, my first gut reaction was that he must have done it. The calculus just wasn't there, even back then.

I didn't realize the extent of it either until I read that. I can see why the police are saying they have compelling reasons to reopen the case.
The boat captain looked to me in his tv interview on the Today Show like one of those people who had been haunted by something for a long time. Now whether his memories of that night are clouded by the scotch, wine and quaaludes he says he took is another matter.
I guess the one that gets me is the woman on the other yacht moored not too far away and what she overheard. She has nothing to gain here by coming forward.

and it took them 30 years to put together these declarations? :distress:

I've always thought there was something fishy about this case, and yep, that's pretty damning testimony. The woman who heard NW screaming was actually threatened?!

RW may not have pushed her, but it seems pretty obvious that he let her drown, at the very least. Apparently, Christopher Walken has hired an attorney over the reopening of the investigation.

Anyone who thinks RW's hands are clean is living in a dream world.

begezus, pretty compelling stuff. one would think theyd have been on the rooftops yelling on with this stuff. :distress:

Not dreaming -- But no way is RJ responsible for Natalie's death. I think he was probably suspicious of her relationship with Walken, and maybe he had a reason to be. Natalie's death was an accident which occurred due to intoxication.

If anyone is responsible for her death it would be this woman (and her family) who supposedly heard her screaming and didn't bother to search properly or even the boat captain who decided he didn't need to turn on a light despite RJ's alleged comment to wait. Which is absurd. Next, they'll be blaming Stefanie Powers for Bill Holden's death too... :rolleyes: Oh, and the woman was threatened via a drop box. Oooohhh!!! Scary!!! Puhleeze.

I agree though - Why is Walken hiring a lawyer to represent him, 30 years later? That's just beyond curious to me. Something has always creeped me out about that guy....

Christopher Walken???
 

Ok, I am SO 'over my head' (hey hey!!) over this. What motive would CW have for killing Natalie? I feel like I need to really do some more reading on this. Or was it in one of the articles posted and I skimmed past that part?

RW accusation I can understand I guess. I mean, there seems to be some sort of reason there, but CW I just can't...why?

And you're right CAD. Why did he hire a lawyer?

So much confusion.:confused:

^Well, what if Walken was pursuing her or they were having an affair and he tried something with her on the boat and she refused him and they got into an argument after RJ had fallen asleep and/or passed out and she fell or he pushed her and she fell? He could have panicked like when Ted Kennedy let Mary Jo Kopeckne drown...

Why is everyone so quick to believe RJ let her drown? He adored her.

Cad....
 

you need to write a novel!! :nod:

No, I haven't ever thought RJ (is that his nickname?) killed her. In fact, I've always rather liked him and thought they were a lovely couple. He seemed like a good husband and a great father and, well, I just don't get the 'killer' vibe from him...but I'm also not privy to all the details. And since I want to be objective while analyzing this, I have to be fair about all the evidence provided.

Frankly, the odd thing to me is that it's all coming out 30 years after the fact.

Also, here's the story about her sister saying RJ is hiding stuff. Check out some of the comments!

Wagner "adored" her? Evidently, they were fighting like cats & dogs the night NW died. As for the couple who heard the screams, they also heard someone say he was going to help her. They called the boat patrol and the sheriff. You seriously think it was their fault instead of...oh, I don't know...the 3 other people who were on the actual boat that she fell/was pushed from?

And yes, I do think it's scary that someone left a note in the woman's inbox saying to shut up if she valued her life.

LOL about the novel!

Yes, RJ is Robert Wagner's nickname and how he is commonly referred to in Hollywood. I was a huge Hart to Hart fan and remember this fairly well even though I was a kid. It was so wild how Bill Holden (Stefanie Powers' partner died and then a week later Natalie) and they had a hot tv show at the time, Stefanie and RJ. So, anyway...

I've always thought Lana was a little nuts and fame seeking. Look how quick she jumped on this like she's the only authority on Natalie. What about Natalie's daughters? It's just sort of tacky. Thanks for the link. Funny, everyone in Hollywood knew Natalie was afraid of the water - she had that scene in Splendor in the Grass and it freaked her out. So, when did Lana suddenly get her epiphany? This afternoon? Because, what I read this morning she was still on the fence. Now, she's totally blaming RJ! Ugh. And, so the captain didn't call the coastguard because RJ told him not to? What did he do - hold a gun to the guy's head too? I mean, RJ must have been one crazy, busy cold, heartless, calculating dude that night. No way.


Yes, he did adore her. It's common knowledge. I don't think he was thrilled about her decision to go back to work but that doesn't mean he didn't adore her and it certainly doesn't mean they didn't fight. Big deal. If you heard screams, I would think you would try to locate where they were coming from if you were truly concerned for someone's life. Obviously, if there were screams and the other 3 people on the boat possibly could have saved her. I'm betting they were all either drunk or passed out, the captain included. The lady couldn't take her note to the police along with her information? She showed it to a lawyer. She must not have been that scared. It took her 30 years to overcome her fear? All those guys are still alive. Maybe she needs to watch her back!

It's funny to me how good of a memory these elderly people developed after 30 years. Usually, the memory goes instead of suddenly recalling pertinent events that could implicate someone in a crime...

And the thing is, they fought on that night-sure- but what does that mean anyway? Couples fight. No one has a perfect relationship, for goodness sakes. We're on a FLEETWOOD MAC board after all. ;) :lol:

But that means nothing. They could have had an argument and stomped off from each other. She could have drank a little more and then had a terrible accident (which is what I always thought). I'm not ruling out anything, but I refuse to believe that just because there was a fight that RJ definitely killed her.

Yes. This is where it gets weird for me as well.

I don't want to dismiss markolas' opinion. I feel like I need to know more. But I just don't buy that because they fought then he had to have pushed her overboard.

And what does Stephanie Powers have to do with this. :shocked: I get more and more confused.

:nod: Natalie has always been one of my top 3 favourite actresses - the other two being Ava Gardner and Ingrid Bergman.

RJ and Natalie appear to have had a very tempestuous and passionate love/hate relationship. There also seemed to be a lot of drinking involved. Whatever happened (and we'll probably never know the whole truth), I doubt very much that it was calculated and deliberate. Either a freak accident or a crime of passion?

Gorgeous choices! :nod:

I don't have a formulated list, but I've always adored Natalie, Katherine Hepburn, Vivien Leigh, Rita Hayworth, Carole Lombard, Joan Fontaine, Leslie Caron, Bette Davis and, well, a lot of others I can't think of right now.

I agree it was an accident, but I've never believed that we knew the entire story. I just don't think knowing the details changes the reality of what happened. It was a horrible accident and Natalie died. I never believed she was beyond being saved. But, just because she wasn't doesn't mean that it was intentional or deliberate.

I was just comparing Stefanie's situation to her co-star's. There were rumours for years that she and RJ were having an affair. I was being tongue in cheek by saying they would drag up Bill Holden's death and blame her for it.

I was named after Vivien Leigh (with the same spelling) - when my Dad came to England from Latvia as a young man, he loved going to the movies and when he first saw a Vivien Leigh film he loved her name, and then I came along, and voila!!!!!!

And Joan Fontaine, well Rebecca has to be one of my all time favourite films. And talking of films in the same genre, what about Merle Oberon in Wuthering Heights - the perfect Cathy!

Her final movie "brainstorm" with Walken is kickass -- I recommend it.

This is all true. I don't know, I have a strange fascination with mysteries I suppose. And being that there are so many who believe one thing and other who believe the other, it sort of pulls me in more. I'm not losing sleep over it. Natalie is gone and nothing that results from this can bring her back. But still...it just sort of interests me. :shrug:


Gotcha. ;)

Awesome. Never saw it. In fact, I need to go on a Natalie kick...West Side Story and Gypsy will be seen this upcoming weekend.

Flawless and amazing actress to be named after. Gorgeous name.

Joan is my girl. She's like 90 something now and stunning for her age. Love her as an actress. More than her sister (oh snap!)

WH...ugh, I love it! There are things that never get old for me. Classic films are one of the tops.

Another thing that bothers me are the bruises on her body. How did she get those?

I imagine she and Wagner were engaged in some fisticuffs. I don't think he necessarily pushed her, and I really doubt it was a calculated murder, but I do think Wagner (and probably Walken and the boat captain) knew she fell into the water and did nothing. Maybe she got into the dinghy to leave and fell, and Wagner left her there to "teach her a lesson," as has been suggested; then, when she disappeared, he panicked and held off on calling for help b/c he thought/hoped she would turn up okay and he didn't want there to be a big scene.

Oh absolutely! Joan knocks spots off old Olivia every time! :nod:

Going back to Natalie - anyone remember her in "Meteor" with Sean Connery? I think it was very late 70's, she was still a stunner in that too!

HI :wavey:

Do we have an actual autopsy report? I am wondering. I know it has been said there were injuries, I just wonder the extent, location, etc.

They were tied to a boat mooring at the harbor. It is my understanding that the waters were incredibly choppy that night. Catalina is rough with jagged lava walls in some areas along the outer banks of the island (not the beachy avalon part, folks). There is the possibility the bruising, etc was caused by the fall, if hitting a part of the boat in doing so, as well the ebb flow against the rough rocks.

I am totally disturbed by the screaming. paraphrasing...after the cries for help subsided we went to sleep terribly disturbed. If indeed the words those people heard were help me, im drowning...obviously she was overboard, on verge of drowning and crying out to be saved. Horrific. If indeed they heard a grovely voice state 'hold on were coming' (or whatever), they were close enough to rocknroll a way to save her. PATHETIC. I hope they dont sleep a wink EVER. Judgy? You bet your asss.

If it was Robert making that statement of 'holdonwerecoming', he was IMO drunk off his ass and couldnt have saved himself from the toilet bowl. Likely all in slo-mo, and sloppy and the biggest mistake of his life.

The bruises
 

Is there a way to know the difference of whether bruises are caused by a fall or by being attacked physically? Please don't laugh at me for asking if it's something obvious. I honestly know nothing about the matters of...body investigating and all that. I just wonder if there was a way to know- and yes I think the screaming is VERY disturbing.

body found 200yds off blue cavern point, Isthmus area

http://dornsife.usc.edu/hyperbaric/images/lab.jpg

description: Blue Cavern Point - beautiful wall dive with some sea fans, just east of Two Harbors, with many caves
and caverns in shallow water. Excellent visibility, must be done as a drift dive. Drops down past 130ft deep.

http://i.cdn.turner.com/dr/teg/tsg/r...ataliewood.jpg
http://i.cdn.turner.com/dr/teg/tsg/r...ataliewood.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DbgPTpgKE_...E+WOOD+frontal

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DbgPTpgKE_...0/Natalie+rear

It appears the bruising and abrasions are conducive to someone thrashing to save themselves.

Thank you BTFLCHLD!!!
 

Wow. It seems on the diagrams of the body, she had a lot of fresh wounds but there were also some older bruises. I tend to think that the impact of the fall could have caused many of those bruises. I mean, it's fairly turbulent and her body was probably knocked around, poor thing.

Ugh. It's also telling that RJ was honest about it not being suicide. I have to say, if he was guilty of anything he could have probably concocted something to save himself, and that angle would be feasible, right?

But still...it just seems to get more and more interesting.

That is SO sad.

the filming of brainstorm was incomplete when natalie died. there were some scenes in the movie that were physically demanding, and I seem to recall an interview somewhere that she states that is/was the case. it would make sense that she may have received some bruising while filming, as well I do believe they were on vacation for days prior to this and I know when I am out and about hiking, and on and off a boat, I too come away with bruising from a bang here and there.

This all makes sense to me. I wonder why people jumped so harshly on the 'RJ did it' bandwagon. It seems that the possibility he didn't do it is very realistic. But my guess is that the whole scenario of there being only three people and the captain on the boat makes it more likely they'd point to one of them.

I guess RJ has had altering stories as well through the years, which can sometimes sway people's opinions.