CA - Natalie Wood, 43, drowned off California coast, 29 Nov 1981

[Noirdame79]

The television movie The Mystery Of Natalie Wood (2004) was based mostly on Suzanne Finstad's 2001 biography of Natalie, which drew the conclusion that Natalie's death was suspicious. Lana Wood was co-producer and it was directed by Peter Bogdanovich. It was filmed as a two-part miniseries, which was how it aired in Europe and Australia, but in North America ABC aired it as a condensed three-hour movie with commercial breaks. Due to threats of a lawsuit from Robert Wagner's attorney, they were pressured to change the ending as well as what led to the break up of the first Wood/Wagner marriage. It ends with the "it was just a tragic accident" ending tacked on (using the discredited "banging dingy" theory). However, the portrayal of Robert Wagner (ironically, by Michael Weatherly, who went on to work with Wagner on the television series NCIS) isn't particularly flattering, especially in the last half hour. You can see where they were going with it, which makes the enforced ending seem very out of place. How strange that Weatherly and Wagner would later play father and son on TV and become "pals". Makes you wonder if Weatherly read Finstad's book or if he was aware of what the intended ending of the miniseries was.

The full version is available on youtube:

[video=youtube;oiVhT1MpC8c]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiVhT1MpC8c[/video]

 

[rosesfromangels]

I agree, and I think Occam's razor applies here. She had watched the launch and operation of the dinghy the night before. I imagine in her drunken snit she thought, "I'll show him" and went out in a fit of anger feeling like she could fend for herself with the dinghy. With a dangerous mix of adrenaline, alcohol and indignation she struggles, she slips/trips and falls. Any visible injuries are easily explained as consequences of the fall. Similar scenes probably played out all the time between the two of them on land. This was most likely and logically an accident and I'll be shocked if there's ever an indictment. I'm guessing RW feels a sense of shame and regret about her death, and probably doesn't even remember a lot of what went on that night.

Agree with your assessment 100%
A tragic accident fueled by anger and alcohol.
It’s time for me to let this one go, and focus on the many other threads where there are immediate opportunities to help.
RIP Beautiful, talented Natalie.

I’m out! Thanks everyone for the engaging thread!
Peace, love, and roses!

 

[redheadedgal]

I agree, and I think Occam's razor applies here. She had watched the launch and operation of the dinghy the night before. I imagine in her drunken snit she thought, "I'll show him" and went out in a fit of anger feeling like she could fend for herself with the dinghy. With a dangerous mix of adrenaline, alcohol and indignation she struggles, she slips/trips and falls. Any visible injuries are easily explained as consequences of the fall. Similar scenes probably played out all the time between the two of them on land. This was most likely and logically an accident and I'll be shocked if there's ever an indictment. I'm guessing RW feels a sense of shame and regret about her death, and probably doesn't even remember a lot of what went on that night.

if he had nothing to do with her injuries or her going into the water, why did RW refuse to search for her as soon as he noticed her missing? why did he refuse to call the coast guard? why did neighboring boaters say there was a loud verbal fight and all of a sudden the noise stopped? if she simply tried to board the dignhy and slipped, wouldn't davern or RW hear the splash?

 

[redheadedgal]

In 2012, the autopsy report was amended to no longer classify Wood's death as an accident, casting new light on other, less reported details. The actress's body had fresh bruises and, according to one detective, she "looked like the victim of an assault." The coroner's original report noted Wood's blood-alcohol level showed she had been drinking and her toxicology results found traces of both a painkiller and a pill for motion sickness; the report surmised that she may have slipped and fallen overboard. The report's 10-page amendment in 2012 stated that how Wood ended up in the water was "not clearly established" and that her bruises may have been inflicted before she disappeared.

https://www.rollingstone.com/cultur...at-you-need-to-know-about-stars-death-w516228

 

[BeachSky]

The television movie The Mystery Of Natalie Wood (2004) was based mostly on Suzanne Finstad's 2001 biography of Natalie, which drew the conclusion that Natalie's death was suspicious. Lana Wood was co-producer and it was directed by Peter Bogdanovich. It was filmed as a two-part miniseries, which was how it aired in Europe and Australia, but in North America ABC aired it as a condensed three-hour movie with commercial breaks. Due to threats of a lawsuit from Robert Wagner's attorney, they were pressured to change the ending as well as what led to the break up of the first Wood/Wagner marriage. It ends with the "it was just a tragic accident" ending tacked on (using the discredited "banging dingy" theory). However, the portrayal of Robert Wagner (ironically, by Michael Weatherly, who went on to work with Wagner on the television series NCIS) isn't particularly flattering, especially in the last half hour. You can see where they were going with it, which makes the enforced ending seem very out of place. How strange that Weatherly and Wagner would later play father and son on TV and become "pals". Makes you wonder if Weatherly read Finstad's book or if he was aware of what the intended ending of the miniseries was.

The full version is available on youtube:

[video=youtube;oiVhT1MpC8c]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiVhT1MpC8c[/video]

Thanks.
The Michael Weatherly part is interesting ( I love his series “BULL”btw) yes I wonder what Weatherly thinks now...
I watched it. It’s good except the most important part,the ending, seems VERY rushed. RJ saying “she always comes back” was just awful. What was that? I mean???
I felt a different person wrote the ending. Which I guess is what RJ & his lawyers pressed. Disgusting IMO.

 

[JaimeSommers]

LAPD has nothing better to do with two detectives than spend their time "solving" this unsolvably sordid, decades-old, mess? Something must grow on trees out there; or at least fertilize them.

It could perhaps be argued that, had they done their jobs back in 1981, they wouldn't need to spend their time solving it now. MOO.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[neesaki]

I agree, and I think Occam's razor applies here. She had watched the launch and operation of the dinghy the night before. I imagine in her drunken snit she thought, "I'll show him" and went out in a fit of anger feeling like she could fend for herself with the dinghy. With a dangerous mix of adrenaline, alcohol and indignation she struggles, she slips/trips and falls. Any visible injuries are easily explained as consequences of the fall. Similar scenes probably played out all the time between the two of them on land. This was most likely and logically an accident and I'll be shocked if there's ever an indictment. I'm guessing RW feels a sense of shame and regret about her death, and probably doesn't even remember a lot of what went on that night.

If she slipped and fell, why did he refuse to rescue her? And please don’t say he didn’t know what happened, he was there . And then why did he tell Davin to not look for her. This all seems crystal clear, at least to me. IMO.

 

[Noirdame79]

Thanks.
The Michael Weatherly part is interesting ( I love his series “BULL”btw) yes I wonder what Weatherly thinks now...
I watched it. It’s good except the most important part,the ending, seems VERY rushed. RJ saying “she always comes back” was just awful. What was that? I mean???
I felt a different person wrote the ending. Which I guess is what RJ & his lawyers pressed. Disgusting IMO.

Agreed. And I think a lot of people who saw the TV movie felt like it was a cop-out, especially since the title is The MYSTERY Of Natalie Wood. I saw comments and reviews where people stated, "What was the mystery?"

The scene where Natalie returns to the Splendour after spending the night ashore at the hotel and Wagner tells her he's sorry, she replies, "You're always sorry." That sounds like what a battered wife would say to an abusive husband.

 

[Noirdame79]

If she slipped and fell, why did he refuse to rescue her? And please don’t say he didn’t know what happened, he was there . And then why did he tell Davin to not look for her. This all seems crystal clear, at least to me. IMO.

Exactly. And his refusal to cooperate with the re-opened investigation. If he were truly innocent and if it was just a tragic accident, he would have nothing to lose by speaking with the LASD detectives. He would want it cleared up and he would want to know what happened to her. The first rule of boating when someone is missing is to call for help. There is no logical explanation as to why he didn't allow Davern to search for her in the water and why he delayed calling the Coast Guard. NONE. He didn't want her to be found alive. Another reason why he's not talking (and has hired a criminal defense attorney) other than he would likely incriminate himself, is that any statements he has made since that night in 1981 can be used against him, legally. Given all the lies he has told over the years, it would come back to bite him. Davern and Walken have both been interviewed by the LASD. Wagner is the only one who refuses, and who was "the last person to see her alive".

Like you, I am baffled that some defend Wagner's actions and state that it was an accident, especially since that word was specifically removed from Natalie's death certificate. It is no longer considered an "accidental" death. It is a suspicious death.

 

[chlban]

It's possible, even likely, that there is more that hasn't been made public yet. Again, we're playing the waiting game. But as I said, this is far more than what we've known before. Also, Dennis Davern was the boat caretaker, the true captain was Robert Wagner, the owner. Davern tried to come forward in 1984 but was dismissed, in large part because Wagner is a celebrity, which the latter uses as a shield.

Again, Wagner is the only one who is not cooperating. If he were truly innocent, not only would he have nothing to hide, but he would want to know what happened to Natalie. As mentioned previously, any comments or statements he has made publicly or in books since Natalie's death can be used against him legally, undoubtedly another reason he's not talking. He has said some derogatory things about Natalie in books, trying to put the blame on her for her death. He's come just short of calling her crazy and an addict. Anything to divert suspicion and blame from him.

Lana is in dire financial straits, which she has never denied. She would put up money herself if she could. To be in a bad financial state and asking for assistance isn't shameful or wrong; and it's for her sister. Wagner has lived off of Natalie's money and fame, as have her daughters.

Being in dire financial straits does not require using her sister's death to raise money, and since LE has re-opened the case, she hardly needs money to investigate.

Also, while your hatred for Wagner is palpable, I think it is a bit of an overstretch to imply that Wagner lived off Natalie's money alone. Hart to Hart was a very successful show in it's time and went into syndication. That does make for a pretty decent source of income. As for her daughters, really? Do you not think Natalie would have wanted her daughters to "live off her money" as you state?

 

[Noirdame79]

Being in dire financial straits does not require using her sister's death to raise money, and since LE has re-opened the case, she hardly needs money to investigate.

Also, while your hatred for Wagner is palpable, I think it is a bit of an overstretch to imply that Wagner lived off Natalie's money alone. Hart to Hart was a very successful show in it's time and went into syndication. That does make for a pretty decent source of income. As for her daughters, really? Do you not think Natalie would have wanted her daughters to "live off her money" as you state?

Natalie's death left Wagner a wealthy man. He readily sues or threatens to. He even admitted that Natalie "bailed him out" financially when they got back together. Everyone accuses Lana Wood of being money-hungry and living off of her sister's name yet Wagner never gets the same criticism. He's the one who failed to call for assistance in finding her, and who uses her name when it suits him. Her daughters don't work, yet I don't see anyone accusing them of using their mother's money or memory when they talk publicly or participate in a book, or sell their mother's items (including her Golden Globe award) or create a fragrance in her name. Why is that?

The hypocrisy is maddening.

 

[flourish]

Noirdame, I've followed your posts on this thread and another...menendez brothers I think. I appreciate your passion and the work you do keeping us all updated. For what it's worth I view you as a person who sincerely cares about victims and justice, not hate filled or driven.

 

[Noirdame79]

Noirdame, I've followed your posts on this thread and another...menendez brothers I think. I appreciate your passion and the work you do keeping us all updated. For what it's worth I view you as a person who sincerely cares about victims and justice, not hate filled or driven.

Thank you, flourish. I haven't updated the other thread in a while, but there will be more to come there too.

I find it bizarre that Lana Wood can't talk or write about her own sister without being criticized or attacked, either by Wagner, her nieces, people from the Wagner camp or even the public, but Wagner can do whatever he wants in regards to Natalie's memory and use her name and legacy when it benefits him. Her daughters probably don't realize how they have been manipulated all these years. It's possible that the money from the auction of Natalie's personal photos, papers, jewelry, etc, went to a good cause or a trust for her granddaughter (whom she will never know because of Wagner). It's just strange that no one seems to question what Wagner and her daughters have done (including the coffee table book) yet Lana can't catch a break.

 

[Noirdame79]

It seems that Wagner and his publicist can't keep their lies straight. In the PEOPLE magazine article I shared a few days ago, it was stated that the authorities "never tried to contact him", (again, notice how it's never HIS fault, it's always someone else's), when a few years ago, they released a statement claiming that Wagner has "fully cooperated for over 30 years" as a way to explain why he refused to be interviewed by investigators. Well, which is it? As for the "over 30 years" cooperation, again, a lie. He spoke to the authorities twice back in 1981 in the original, short-lived, botched investigation, and that's it. When the case was re-opened in 2011, a statement released on behalf of the Wagner family read that they welcomed a new investigation as long as it wasn't for exploitation purposes, "to make money or sell books" (again, notice the insinuation).

Maybe he really thought that nothing would come of it, but it is moving forward, slowly, but surely. No wonder Wagner hired a criminal defense attorney to advise him. He's going to need it!

 

[redheadedgal]

Natalie's death left Wagner a wealthy man. He readily sues or threatens to. He even admitted that Natalie "bailed him out" financially when they got back together. Everyone accuses Lana Wood of being money-hungry and living off of her sister's name yet Wagner never gets the same criticism. He's the one who failed to call for assistance in finding her, and who uses her name when it suits him. Her daughters don't work, yet I don't see anyone accusing them of using their mother's money or memory when they talk publicly or participate in a book, or sell their mother's items (including her Golden Globe award) or create a fragrance in her name. Why is that?

The hypocrisy is maddening.

actually,

1) natasha has never stopped working https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natasha_Gregson_Wagner
2) courtney is designing and selling jewlery https://heavy.com/entertainment/2018/02/courtney-wagner-natalie-wood-daughter-children-robert/


accurate information is always better than statements not backed up.

(i don't understand the shade thrown at natasha and courtney. they lost their mother! their wanting to find connections to her today is completely natural and normal. and it's certainly not sponging. i can't say the same for lana. she's a mature woman who needs to learn to take care of herself!!)

 

[chlban]

actually,

1) natasha has never stopped working https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natasha_Gregson_Wagner
2) courtney is designing and selling jewlery https://heavy.com/entertainment/2018/02/courtney-wagner-natalie-wood-daughter-children-robert/


accurate information is always better than statements not backed up.

(i don't understand the shade thrown at natasha and courtney. they lost their mother! their wanting to find connections to her today is completely natural and normal. and it's certainly not sponging. i can't say the same for lana. she's a mature woman who needs to learn to take care of herself!!)

Exactly. Dissing the daughters is unbelievably low. Whether this was an accident, murder or failure to act on someone's part, we KNOW they weren't culpable for the death of their mother. We also know they love Wagner, whether anyone else does or not.

This can only be painful for them, no matter the outcome. Attacking them in any manner should be off limits.

 

[Levi]

Sheryl McCollum of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute was on my podcast to discuss Natalie's death. Here is the link to listen: https://audioboom.com/posts/6673206-natalie-wood-mystery-at-sea

Sent from my STV100-1 using Tapatalk

 

[flourish]

Exactly. Dissing the daughters is unbelievably low. Whether this was an accident, murder or failure to act on someone's part, we KNOW they weren't culpable for the death of their mother. We also know they love Wagner, whether anyone else does or not.

This can only be painful for them, no matter the outcome. Attacking them in any manner should be off limits.

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[redheadedgal]

There is no law in California that mandates you must come to aide.

i believe maritime law says otherwise http://www.mbarrettlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/328/2016/02/duty_to_rescue_bamsl_1997.pdf

 

[Noirdame79]

Exactly. Dissing the daughters is unbelievably low. Whether this was an accident, murder or failure to act on someone's part, we KNOW they weren't culpable for the death of their mother. We also know they love Wagner, whether anyone else does or not.

This can only be painful for them, no matter the outcome. Attacking them in any manner should be off limits.

I'm stating that they have talked about their mother for publication, sold personal items belonging to her, etc. But it's perfectly acceptable to accuse Natalie's sister of using her death and name for profit, when she wants answers for a good reason. Sure, Natalie's daughters do not agree with that, their choice. But when they do things, nobody questions why they do it or attacks them for it. Why is it so hard for people to understand that it's difficult for Lana too? Why doesn't any of that apply to her? Respect is a two-way street here.

Natasha and Courtney are both in their 40s now. Losing their mother was undoubtedly a traumatic and painful experience for them (I have NEVER stated otherwise), but it was also hard for Lana, who idolized Natalie from her early childhood and who viewed her big sister as her rock. Grief, no matter what age, affects a person's life. I don't know why there is so much talk about Lana's age when grief knows no passage of time. It is what it is.

Would you tell a mother who lost her child to "get over it" because she's a mature woman? I doubt it.

I NEVER, at any time stated that Natalie's daughters were culpable in her death. How could they have been? I was simply pointing out hypocrisy that I find strange.