The movie also includes a story about Wood’s overbearing stage mother and Wood being raped by a famous actor (although the latter is never named).

On November 29, 1981, Natalie Wood, star of such films as Miracle on 34th Street and Rebel Without a Cause, was found dead in a cove on Catalina Island wearing her flannel nightgown, socks, and down jacket. Her death was ruled an accident. Keep reading the article below to learn more about Natalie Wood Murder.

The mysterious death of actress Natalie Wood in 1981 off the coast of Catalina Island remains one of Hollywood’s most controversial unsolved mysteries. In this new book, journalist Sam Perroni presents the most far-reaching and in-depth examination of the case to date. Drawing on official records and photographs, never-before-revealed confidential documents, dozens of interviews with witnesses and forensic experts, and more, Perroni uncovers the glossed-over investigation by local law enforcement agencies as well as the entrance of powerful Hollywood insiders who helped suppress the truth for four decades.

In November of 1981, Wood and her co-star in the film Brainstorm, Christopher Walken, were aboard their yacht Splendour. When the starlet suddenly went missing in the early hours of the morning, a dinghy was found ashore and her body was later discovered floating in the water clad in nothing but a nightgown and a down jacket. A coroner ruled the 43-year-old had accidentally drowned.

After her death, Wood’s sister Lana testified that the actress had been terrified of the ocean and could not have left the boat on her own. But a 2009 book authored by Dennis Davern, the yacht’s skipper, claimed otherwise. In it, he said Wood was flirting with Walken on the night of her disappearance, which led to a jealous Wagner becoming enraged and ordering his wife to get off the boat.

The case was reopened after the publication of that book, and investigators began questioning Davern again. But in an interview for The Record, he said some things didn’t add up. For example, he claimed a fresh bruise on the back of Wood’s legs and a scratch on her throat were likely caused by a fingernail or thumbnail and didn’t make sense for a fall from a boat.

Nevertheless, no charges were ever filed and the mystery remained unsolved. Throughout the years, several theories have been offered for what happened on that night in November of 1981, but none of them added up. Fresh scrapes and bruises listed on the coroner’s report seemed to point toward foul play, but no evidence of it ever came to light.

Theories

The story of Natalie Wood, Hollywood’s most beautiful and alluring adult movie star of the ’50s and ’60s (remember her in Miracle on 34th Street or Rebel Without a Cause), is a tale of tragedy that ended with her drowning off the coast of California’s Catalina Island at age 43. For decades, the authorities classified her death as an accident, deciding that Wood fell overboard from the yacht she was aboard with husband Robert Wagner and co-star Christopher Walken that night. But the mystery lingered. Theories of foul play abounded, including the lurid allegation that Wagner murdered his wife.

In the wake of the death, 48 Hours began investigating the case and, in 2022, named Wagner a person of interest in the investigation. During that year, Davern, the captain of the Splendour on the day of Wood’s death, publicly changed his account of events to police and to the public, which raised suspicions.

When he first testified, he claimed Wood left the boat to go to the bathroom at the end of the night, and that she returned to find her dead in the water. However, a witness who spoke with investigators afterward contradicted his account and said Walken was the one who left the boat, claiming he saw the pair fighting. The evidence grew more suspect when a source told RadarOnline that Wagner was enraged at Wood for flirting with Walken and that he stopped Davern from turning on searchlights or calling for help during the night of the disappearance.

Moreover, the medical examiner’s initial determination of accidental drowning was later revised to cold-water hypothermia, which was not considered a contributing factor at the time. Yet, new autopsy forensics and toxicology tests revealed that Wood was under the influence of prescription drugs at the time of her death.

The book’s author consults a pharmacologist to address the issue of drugs in the body and their impact on hypothermia, and he interviews experts to examine forensic evidence including fresh bruises on her arms, scratch marks on her knee and a scrape on her forehead that she suffered before she died. Finally, the author presents an imaginary closing argument from prosecutors based on forensic and circumstantial evidence that will allow readers to decide whether the case was a murder or a chilling accident.

Evidence

For the first time in history, Natalie Wood Murder examines the case of Hollywood’s most controversial unsolved murder by utilizing official records and photographs, never-before-released confidential documents and dozens of interviews with experts. In the process, author Sam Perroni exposes a glossed-over investigation by local police agencies and powerful Hollywood insiders that has suppressed the truth for decades.

In the wake of the disappearance of actress Natalie Wood, police initially ruled her death a tragic accident. But after a renewed probe into the matter, investigators have named her husband Robert Wagner as a person of interest in her death.

The book outlines how investigators originally bungled the case by focusing on a false theory, overlooking evidence that points to a more sinister motive and failing to follow up on leads. It also reveals how the autopsy of Wood was manipulated by LA County Chief Medical Examiner-Coroner Thomas Noguchi. Noguchi was known as the “coroner to the stars” for his sensational news conferences on celebrity deaths like Marilyn Monroe, Janis Joplin, US Senator Robert Kennedy, Sharon Tate and others. Yet, he ignored the obvious and did not perform basic tests on Wood’s body such as examining her for signs of rigor mortis or a thorough examination of her posterior area.

Moreover, a new witness tells how Wood fled the couple’s house after the night of her disappearance — claiming she was afraid for her life. The alleged eyewitness recalls hearing her scream, “He’s gonna kill me” before running to a neighbor’s home.

The author also looks at Wood’s autopsy and reveals how it was rushed by Noguchi who wanted to put the matter to rest. He bypassed a crucial step in the process by not examining Wood’s rear area and instead focused on her wrist and knee bruising which he believed had happened when she fell overboard from her Zodiac dinghy. In fact, a dinghy was found only one mile away from the Woods’ yacht that morning. An earlier autopsy by a deputy medical examiner also noted Wood’s high blood alcohol level and the presence of motion sickness pills, painkillers and the drug heroin in her system.

Conclusions

One of Hollywood’s most lingering mysteries is the death of actress Natalie Wood. Almost 37 years after her untimely passing, new information and leads have emerged that may change the official cause of her death from accidental drowning to undetermined.

Among the most significant is a detailed account from a witness who heard cries for help in the dark waters off of Santa Catalina Island the night Natalie died. Her testimony contradicts the original account given by a woman who claimed to have witnessed a struggle on board the Splendour yacht.

Another major development is the revelation that the coroner who performed Natalie’s autopsy was Dr Thomas Noguchi, known as the “Coroner to the Stars.” Noguchi also performed the autopsies of Sharon Tate, Marilyn Monroe, and Robert F. Kennedy. He has now been named as a person of interest in the Natalie Wood murder investigation.

In addition, the author dissects the never-before-seen official probate file for Natalie’s estate and finds undisputed evidence of Wagner’s enormous financial gain – a motive to kill her. He also reveals how Wagner’s statements and actions before and after her death, as well as the inconsistencies of witnesses, imply his knowledge of guilt.

The book also reveals how Natalie Wood’s childhood was plagued by alcoholism and domestic violence. Her mother Maria arranged her first marriage to a movie director so that she would be forced into the movies and out of the home, even though the relationship was abusive. Her later relationship with Frank Sinatra was no better.

And finally, the author interviews some of Natalie Wood’s closest friends and family members, including her oldest daughter, Natasha Gregson Wagner. They share intimate details of their memories of her, as well as their thoughts about the night she died. They also address the persistent rumors that Wagner was involved in her death. They conclude that he made a calculated decision in the heat of the moment not to summon the cavalry – knowing that if he did, it would have turned out to be a homicide. Moreover, he knew that a dead wife tells no tales.