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

[Cazzie]

I'm not drinking any "star" Kool-Aid. :angel:

It's much more believable to me that perhaps RW (owner of the boat and mega-star) called the shots and intimidated and/or bribed the captain and CW...just speculating...JMO...just wondering...and thinking about what seems more likely.

Btw, I never thought it was an accident and still don't...maaaaybe an accident that was covered up and hushed up (shame, shame). Perhaps there were other things going on that someone(s) didn't want brought to light.

The captain's book came out 2 years ago (which I haven't read), so it seems like other witnesses/info have come forward. Altho he may have recently come forward with further into than was included in his book.

Heck, maybe LE was paid off back then or it was just swept under the carpet due to RW/CW's status (especially RW's status). It would be interesting to read the police/Coast Guard reports.

Who knows, theoretically, how many could have been paid off back then...and even over time, all these years...and then perhaps people either wanted more money or decided they needed to come clean.

It should be interesting to see what transpires.

 

[angeleleven]

Justice with Judge Jeanine on Fox is covering now.

 

[oceanblueeyes]

“Dennis Davern, born and raised in New Jersey, was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy in 1971,” reads a bio for the book about Wood's death he co-authored. “A marina job took him to California where he became a boat captain for Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood. From 1982 to 1984 he was a member of the Screen Actors Guild and employed as a general extra actor in Hollywood. Since 1987, he has owned and operated a successful marina and boat maintenance business in Florida.”

Davern wrote the book, “Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour,” with a friend from New Jersey, Marti Rulli, with whom he appeared on “Today." On Rulli’s blog, she writes that the book, “is the poignant story of a young, cavalier adventurer, Dennis Davern, who landed the position of Splendour Captain, and how the Wagner family welcomed him into their hearts and home.”


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainmen...is-yacht-captain-dennis-davern/#ixzz1eCvjQqX9

 

[Chewy]

Davern said he believes Wagner had intentionally kept the investigation into Wood's death low profile and didn't do everything he could have done. When Gregory pressed Davern for supporting details, the captain said that was the duty of investigators.

Appearing on the Vanity Fair special, L.A. Country Sheriff's Detective Duane Rasure - who was the original investigator on the case - questioned Davern's comments about Wagner: "That's like saying Robert Wagner pushed her overboard. That's a murder investigation. But I don't believe him."

Also interviewed on the Vanity Fair special are Marti Rulli, a longtime friend of Davern's who has spent 30 years investigating Wood's death; Roger Smith, the paramedic who took Wood's body to shore; Marilyn Wayne, who was on a nearby boat that night; and Mart Crowley, a close personal friend of Wood and Wagner, who also questions Davern's assertion. "To infer that he stood by ... and didn't dive in to save her is just absurd ... to anyone that knows anything about their relationship."

In the magazine, Davern is quoted as saying that Wood and Wagner fought in their cabin before the actress disappeared. Coroner's officials ruled her death an accidental drowning, perhaps caused by her slipping off the boat while trying to tie down a dinghy.

Wood's death sparked tabloid speculation that foul play was involved, but Wagner and Wood's sister have dismissed any suggestion the actress' death was anything more than an accident. Coroner's officials at the time agreed, writing that Wood was "possibly attempting to board the dinghy and had fallen into the water, striking her face."

Sheriff's officials are hoping for tips from the public may shed new light on how Wood - who was afraid of being in the water - ended up drowning.

young cavelier aka irresponsible drunk

 

[oceanblueeyes]

I have seen Dennis Darvern called an alcoholic.

Does anyone have a link where it states he is an alcoholic?

How does he run a successful business if he is an alcoholic?

TIA

IMO

 

[SuziQ]

I do understand your point, Chewy when it comes to the Captain's responsibilities.

If he is charged because he failed in his duties........then so be it. However that doesn't mean he isn't telling the truth about what happened.

IMO

ITA, and whatever the captains responsibilities, it doesn't negate the fact that someone may have pushed her into the water and that person needs to be tried for murder.

 

[oceanblueeyes]

Here is a link where many pages of his and Marti's book can be read.

Interesting read. And it has some great photos I have never seen too.

http://books.google.com/books?id=AW...h0DdPd&sig=MAN8jtW_Pb23BWwPK96B14wo5yY&hl=en#

 

[SuziQ]

The "real guilty party" is the Captain of the boat who operated the boat drunk out of his mind because he was an alcoholic. He is legally and ethically required to operate that boat not drunk.

He's basically a drunk driver on the open sea. And it's much more dangerous because people CAN and DO fall off boats and drown.


He's been blaming RW as if he's the guilty party here. The only injustice that occurred in this case is that the Captain didn't have his license revoked and get thrown in jail 30 years ago.

So he made money pedaling a book and spent 30 years as a drunk. And I hope they do open the case and he gets arrested.

I'm going to look more into him and his legal liability and post what I can find.

BBM. If the current info proves to be true, wouldn't a man who threw his wife overboard and knowingly allowed her to drown be guilty of....murder???

 

[oceanblueeyes]

ITA, and whatever the captains responsibilities, it doesn't negate the fact that someone may have pushed her into the water and that person needs to be tried for murder.

Absolutely. The Captain had to feel extreme pressure working for an engorged ego actor like JR who I have no doubt barked out orders and expected them to be complied with by his hired hand.

At least he is stating what he did wrong that night.

Can you imagine? Three powerful actors on that yacht and then Dennis, a nobody. One missing and two wanting him to make a pact to tell nothing about what really happened.

 

[pkz]

I'm still sitting here shocked at how everyone is letting the captain off the hook as if RW is some huge monster linebacker who would have killed the captain for helping????

The captain is liable not the drunk passengers on his boat.

I think the captain has been feeding Lana such a line that she's been giving him money and support and after 30 years he's actually convinced himself that RW is the one liable.

She fell in the water, RW WENT TO SHORE to look for her in the restaurant, so what did the captain do all by himself on the boat.

This man's story is shady as hell and I bet you anything he had something to do with her death.

I hope CW comes forward and talks.

I do not think the captain is liable for anything. Natalie owned the Splendour, it was HER boat, the captain was nothing more than the pilot, and possibly friend as he drank with them. There was no report of RW going to the restaurant to look for her. In last night's interview it was stated they called the restaurant, someone advised them to call the Coast Guard.

 

[arielilane]

According to Marti Rulli - the interview that she and Dennis did with 48 hours mystery has been reprogrammed and will air TONIGHT on CBS at 10:00 PM EST

http://martirulli.blogspot.com/2011/11/48-hours-mystery-moved-to-tonight.html

It's on now. DVD is recording. Thanks

 

[Chewy]

I do not think the captain is liable for anything. Natalie owned the Splendour, it was HER boat, the captain was nothing more than the pilot, and possibly friend as he drank with them. There was no report of RW going to the restaurant to look for her. In last night's interview it was stated they called the restaurant, someone advised them to call the Coast Guard.

That's not true. Sorry but legally the captain is responsible for the passengers on the boat.

We can ask someone to look into it. Natalie herself is responsible, so is Wagner, I don't really think Christopher Walken is responsible. But the Captain is 100 percent responsible for his own actions.

The owner of the boat is the Skipper. The captain is responsible.

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_captain"]Sea captain - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

A sea captain (also called a master or a shipmaster) is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel.[1] The captain is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws, as well as company and flag state policies. All persons on board, including officers and crew, other shipboard staff members, passengers, guests and pilots, are under the captain's authority and are his ultimate responsibility.


A ship's captain commands and manages all ship's personnel, and is typically in charge of the ship's accounting, payrolls, and inventories. The captain is responsible for compliance with immigration and customs regulations, maintaining the ship's certificates and documentation, compliance with the vessel's security plan, as mandated by the International Maritime Organization. The captain is responsible for responding to and reporting in case of accidents and incidents, and in case of injuries and illness among the ship's crew and passengers.

 

[pkz]

A captain, on a vessel, but on a celebrity pleasure craft?
During the intro to the CBS show right now, they said he was bodyguard and confidant to Natalie, captain of her boat, lots of hats for one guy.

 

[Chewy]

A captain, on a vessel, but on a celebrity pleasure craft?
During the intro to the CBS show right now, they said he was bodyguard and confidant to Natalie, captain of her boat, lots of hats for one guy.

He's a former Marine and he is a licensed captain.

Sorry he can wear as many hats as he wants to but a "pleasure craft" is still a boat and requires protocol. We're not talking about him goofing off while he was working and drinking too much, we're talking about someone MISSING from his vessel and him not following protocol, not reporting it and CONTINUING TO DRINK to the point that when they showed up to tell them she was dead he was DRUNK.

So was RW. I'm not saying RW is innocent either, neither was Natalie Wood, but the man continued his career as a captain who I believe owned a marina, we're not talking about a friend who happened to have a captain's licence.

I do hope the case is opened up wide and his drunk butt is fined or his licence revoked.

 

[oceanblueeyes]

He's a former Marine and he is a licensed captain.

Sorry he can wear as many hats as he wants to but a "pleasure craft" is still a boat and requires protocol. We're not talking about him goofing off while he was working and drinking too much, we're talking about someone MISSING from his vessel and him not following protocol, not reporting it and CONTINUING TO DRINK to the point that when they showed up to tell them she was dead he was DRUNK.

So was RW. I'm not saying RW is innocent either, neither was Natalie Wood, but the man continued his career as a captain who I believe owned a marina, we're not talking about a friend who happened to have a captain's license.

I do hope the case is opened up wide and his drunk butt is fined or his licence revoked.

Actually... even though I adore Marines as my siggy line notates...Dennis was honorably discharged from the Navy in 1971...not the Marine Corps.

When he was drinking wasnt the boat moored?

IMO

 

[wallflower67]

Hmph :banghead: Not aimed at you but I don't think I'm explaining myself very well.


THE CAPTAIN IS LIABLE BECAUSE HE DIDN'T CALL THE COAST GUARD HIMSELF AND BECAUSE HE WAS OPERATING THE BOAT TRASHED OUT OF HIS MIND.

http://matadornetwork.com/notebook/how-to-become-a-boat-captain/

I hear what you are saying. I think he is legally liable, and therefore possibly an accessory to murder (providing one happened). However, he may not have been the actual murderer. He may have heard a fight and not realized the seriousness of what was going on. I believe their marriage was tumultuous (according to my 80yo aunt who was a fan of both RW and NW.) If they fought all the time, maybe he thought NW was being overdramatic and not really in trouble. Maybe he was too wasted and thought the whole thing was a joke.

But he is guilty of a hell of a lot. He didn't help a woman who possibly could have still been saved. And he probably covered up what really happened to save his hiney.

I was only 14 when this happened, and a huge fan of Heart to Heart. I always thought RW pushed her over. Or they fought and she fell over and he didn't help her. I didn't watch the show much after this happened.

I'm kind of hoping that if the captain comes forward with some evidence that proves RW did this, he is shown some leniency.

 

[Chewy]

Well you get what I mean, he's not some novice. He has made a career out of it and he knows he effed up.

And what does he do, he tries to blame the whole thing on RW. Why he kept silent all those years? Why he didn't get involved when he felt RW was fighting with Natalie and instead turned up the radio to hide the noise even though he heard "physical sounds'

And OK yes they are not traveling when he's drinking, OK no worries, he slipped up but then when he found she was missing he should have put on his Captain hat and been a captain followed protocol and reported her missing.

Instead he continued to get drunk. And he even tries to blame that on RW as well. Meanwhile where was CW in all this?

It doesn't make sense. What does make sense is he didn't do anything and he just sat there getting shipfaced.

And ok back then it's one thing. But he should acknowledge not that "he made some bad decisions" and it's all RW's fault, but that he screwed up as the Captain and had he done his job right she probably would still be alive.

 

[Chewy]

I hear what you are saying. I think he is legally liable, and therefore possibly an accessory to murder (providing one happened). However, he may not have been the actual murderer. He may have heard a fight and not realized the seriousness of what was going on. I believe their marriage was tumultuous (according to my 80yo aunt who was a fan of both RW and NW.) If they fought all the time, maybe he thought NW was being overdramatic and not really in trouble. Maybe he was too wasted and thought the whole thing was a joke.

But he is guilty of a hell of a lot. He didn't help a woman who possibly could have still been saved. And he probably covered up what really happened to save his hiney.

I was only 14 when this happened, and a huge fan of Heart to Heart. I always thought RW pushed her over. Or they fought and she fell over and he didn't help her. I didn't watch the show much after this happened.

I'm kind of hoping that if the captain comes forward with some evidence that proves RW did this, he is shown some leniency.

Don't mix it up, LOL it's Hart to Hart remember! :seeya:

I don't believe he pushed her over because she would have screamed and no one heard her, the captain did not hear her scream. If he did not publish a book and make money off of the fact that his actions basically contributed to her death I would not be so hard on him.

 

[Columbo]

There are witnesses who heard a woman scream for help, and some unconcerned-sounding man or men telling her "we're going to get you, don't worry" or something like that.

Chewy, have you read the captain's book? You seem to have a lot of information that hasn't been in mass media--such as, he didn't hear Natalie scream. Or perhaps this was on one of the tv shows that was on tonight that I haven't seen.

I have a feeling the devil is going to be in the details, since the stories keep changing and Walken has pretty much kept silent. Hopefully this time LE will put the story together right, and justice will be served.

 

[Chewy]

There are witnesses who heard a woman scream for help, and some unconcerned-sounding man or men telling her "we're going to get you, don't worry" or something like that.

Chewy, have you read the captain's book? You seem to have a lot of information that hasn't been in mass media--such as, he didn't hear Natalie scream. Or perhaps this was on one of the tv shows that was on tonight that I haven't seen.

I have a feeling the devil is going to be in the details, since the stories keep changing and Walken has pretty much kept silent. Hopefully this time LE will put the story together right, and justice will be served.

I followed it years ago. If you go to Amazon and see the book you can read some of his statements.

Someone did say they reported hearing a woman crying "I'm drowning" but it was not substantiated. Perhaps this is the information that has also come forward.

The thing is, the yacht isn't a huge vessel and Christopher Walken was on the boat. If it was just RW and the captain then maybe what he is saying would make sense.

But it doesn't make sense. He says he thinks he pushed her off the boat? Come on, even in the heat of a fight a man and woman who loved each other as much as they did having a fight, SOMEONE would have come to their senses.

I think this is part of what a lot of these "conspiracy theories" get wrong IMO and not just in this case.

When we're talking about a cover up there would need to be a reason that all three men would go along with letting another person who ALL of them adored drown.

Even if RW was out of his mind and insane how is it possible that the other two men just let it go down the way it did?

And the fact that the Captain kept drinking and drinking shows that his character is really suspect.

I don't know Christopher Walken but he is very respected in his community and I do not get the vibe that he'd stand by and just let someone die.