# Natalie Wood's suspicious Death



## Sassycakes (Nov 9, 2020)

*It has been over 40yrs since Natalie Wood's passed away and it is still a mystery about what happened to cause her death. On the night she died Robert Wagner and Christopher Walken and the ship's captain that they were on were the only other people present at the time. Do you think this case will ever be solved?*


----------



## Aunt Marg (Nov 9, 2020)

And another great addition to this forum!

Thank you for adding it, Sas. 

I think the same as I do with all cases that went cold so many years ago, the more time that goes by, the less chance of solving.

Have to read up on this case again, and in the meantime I'm hoping a few others weigh-in on it.


----------



## Mike (Nov 9, 2020)

Robert Wagner was a suspect I remember, but
any of the others could be guilty and of course,
she could have just fell overboard, they were all
drinking heavily I presume.

Mike.


----------



## Gaer (Nov 9, 2020)

From the words I remember from the  ship's Captain, it appears Robert Wagner purposely did not save her, maybe even caused her death but he will never be convicted.

i should add, IMO


----------



## terry123 (Nov 9, 2020)

After reading a lot about it through the years I always thought Robert caused her death.  Just my opinion but I still believe it.


----------



## Aunt Marg (Nov 9, 2020)

Love the additions Gaer and Terry!


----------



## rgp (Nov 9, 2020)

Sassycakes said:


> *It has been over 40yrs since Natalie Wood's passed away and it is still a mystery about what happened to cause her death. On the night she died Robert Wagner and Christopher Walken and the ship's captain that they were on were the only other people present at the time. Do you think this case will ever be solved?*




  Not likely, as IMO they have long ago stopped investigating .

  There was allot of rumor ? speculation ? the she and Walken were carrying on behind Wagner's back.

 I just wonder ...... if it turned physical between the two men and she tried to intervene . She was small, and i can easily see her being brushed/knocked aside and into the water . After that,[if I'm right] who knows?


----------



## fmdog44 (Nov 9, 2020)

She was known to enjoy a drink so maybe she just fell. Anyone that has been on a boat on the ocean has slipped. We can solve the JFK case easier than the Wood case.


----------



## Butterfly (Nov 9, 2020)

fmdog44 said:


> She was known to enjoy a drink so maybe she just fell. Anyone that has been on a boat on the ocean has slipped. We can solve the JFK case easier than the Wood case.



I agree.  We will never know what actually happened to her.  Too much time has passed, and there wasn't really any credible evidence of what happened anyway.  Lots of theories and conjecture, but no hard evidence.

I actually slipped off a small cabin cruiser in the Chesapeake Bay back in my misspent youth.  I was stone cold sober, by the way.  I've never been sure exactly what happened that caused me to lose my footing.  Obviously, they fished me out.  Sort of ruined the day, though.


----------



## RadishRose (Nov 9, 2020)

IMO she was drunk an fell in.


----------



## win231 (Nov 9, 2020)

fmdog44 said:


> She was known to enjoy a drink so maybe she just fell. Anyone that has been on a boat on the ocean has slipped. We can solve the JFK case easier than the Wood case.


LOL - "She was known to enjoy a drink."
I read both of Coroner Thomas Nogouchi's books.  He got in trouble for revealing how alcohol played a major part in her death (as well as several other celebrities' deaths).
Falling off the boat was just the beginning.  Being intoxicated caused her to make several bad decisions, starting with the fall, when she was too drunk to stand - especially on a boat rocking on the water.
She bumped her head on the boat as she fell, causing a wound that would not have been serious if her blood had clotted.  Excessive alcohol thins blood & can cause non-stop bleeding from an otherwise minor injury.
She couldn't feel how cold the water was; that much alcohol in her blood had a numbing effect.
She thought she could swim several miles back to shore.  (drunk people often think they can do things they can't.)
She was wearing a heavy down coat that weighed 5 lbs when dry, 150-200 lbs. when wet & it made it impossible to stay afloat.


----------



## Sassycakes (Nov 9, 2020)

Gaer said:


> From the words I remember from the  ship's Captain, it appears Robert Wagner purposely did not save her, maybe even caused her death but he will never be convicted.
> 
> i should add, IMO




*I agree with you Gaer. The captain said he heard Natalie and Robert arguing right before anything happened. The Autopsy also showed many bruise marks on Natalie's body. I guess we'll never really know what happened. Robert Wagner is 80yrs old now.*


----------



## Sassycakes (Nov 9, 2020)

*I just watched this and found it interesting.*


----------



## Aunt Marg (Nov 9, 2020)

Sassycakes said:


> *I just watched this and found it interesting.*


Shucks, video unavailable in our country.


----------



## Tish (Nov 9, 2020)

RadishRose said:


> IMO she was drunk an fell in.


Amen!


----------



## rgp (Nov 10, 2020)

Aunt Marg said:


> Shucks, video unavailable in our country.




 Try this ?


----------



## Sassycakes (Nov 10, 2020)

rgp said:


> Try this ?



*
Very interesting!*


----------



## Aunt Marg (Nov 10, 2020)

rgp said:


> Try this ?


Still no such luck, but thank you for trying RGP.


----------



## Lewkat (Nov 10, 2020)

Ok, without reading beyond the headlines of each comment, I was not going to get involved in this one for good reason.  StarSong and I have been chatting a lot about CA and where I lived and worked on here since her thread re: Wheel of Fortune.  I lived in Burbank, CA back in 1954.  I was a nurse at St. Joseph's Hospital which was located directly across the street from Disney Studios, a couple of blocks from NBC TV Studios and a couple of blocks up from that was Warner Brothers.  Universal wasn't far away and Republic were also in the area.  Scattered about were MGM and Paramount, so you can figure many of my patients were from the industry.  Or related to member of said industry.  The owner of my apartment house was also a manager of Natalie Wood.  We had a swimming pool in the front of the house and I was usually in it.  One day, he  approached me and asked if I was a life guard.  I had a bathing suit with a sewn on junior life guard badge and I informed just what that meant.  He asked me if I would teach Natalie to swim.  She was deathly afraid of the water, but we had a very shallow end for those who did not swim.  I told him that I was not a swimming instructor and that he should hire one, but he seemed to think I could get the basics over to her.  She was a teenager at the time and when you reach that age fearful of the water, it is almost impossible to convince someone that it is safe.  But, the money was great so, I gave it a try.  It did not work as I thought it wouldn't.  Further, her mother interfered continuously and this kid was so frightened at one point she nearly drowned me.  That did it.  Now when all this happened years later, and I read that she stepped out into a smaller boat in Catalina Harbor with a fur coat on no less, I thought, no way.  She was either plastered to the gills, or someone threw her out there.  I cannot for the life of me see RJ doing this at all.  He simply is not the type regardless.  But this I do know, if she was not impaired, she did not go off that boat of her own volition.  That harbor is rough seas I can tell you.  It would even deter me and I am a strong swimmer.


----------



## Ruthanne (Nov 10, 2020)

I really liked her in Splendor in the Grass.  I thought her death was suspicious but it also could be a case of just falling overboard and drowning while the others were either asleep or partying.  Even if she had bruises doesn't automatically mean she was killed by someone.  It's really hard to say but I hope the Police have been on top of this case.


----------



## dobielvr (Nov 12, 2020)

RadishRose said:


> IMO she was drunk an fell in.
> 
> I used to think RW had something to do w/it too, but now I think she was drunk, tried to stop that dingy boat from banging on the side of the boat and fell in.
> 
> ...


----------



## Lewkat (Nov 12, 2020)

I don't believe that for one moment, dobie.  He'd never tell the captain something like that.  So many lies from that captain as far as I am concerned, he should have been strapped to a lie detector.


----------



## Sassycakes (Nov 12, 2020)

*They even mentioned people in a boat next to the boat Natalie was on heard the arguements going on between Natalie and Robert.*


----------



## dobielvr (Nov 12, 2020)

Lewkat said:


> I don't believe that for one moment, dobie.  He'd never tell the captain something like that.  So many lies from that captain as far as I am concerned, he should have been strapped to a lie detector.


oh really...you think he was lying.  I just don't know.
I do know that when you've been drinking you sometimes do things you might not do ordinarily do when sober,,,,like get near water.


----------



## 911 (Nov 13, 2020)

This case has "suspicion" written all over it. I haven't read all of the posts, but I'm sure that most of what I know has already been shared here. I watched a show on ID about this case. I think it was either "People's Magazine" did an investigation on it or "The Enquirer."

If I remember correctly, it was stated that Ms. Wood could not swim and was extremely afraid of the water. Also, Mr. Wagner suspected that his wife and 
Mr. Walken were having an affair. If they (Ms. Wood and Mr. Wagner) got into a fight, it may have been likely that Mr. Wagner threw her overboard. This was one of the theories.  

The pathology report stated that Ms. Wood had numerous bruises on different locations of her body. This may have come from a confrontation with Mr. Wagner or from falling onboard before entering the water. This was another theory. BTW, it has been acknowledged that another couple on another boat some distance away from Mr. Wagner's yacht did hear a female yelling for help. 

What we do know for sure is that Mr. Wagner was with Ms. Wood at the time of the drowning, so stated the Captain of the yacht they were on at the time of her death. Mr. Wagner blamed the Captain. That didn't fly due to not having a motive. Mr. Walken was cleared of any wrong-doing early in the investigation, so that only leaves two possibilities. Either Mr. Wagner got into a fight with his wife and threw her overboard or she slipped and fell into the water. 

It's all in what you wish to believe.


----------



## Remy (Nov 21, 2020)

So many mysteries to ponder. I remember a co-worker was immediately convinced Robert Wagner was to blame. I've watched programs on this but really have not come to any real opinion.


----------



## Autumn72 (Jan 2, 2021)

Aunt Marg said:


> And another great addition to this forum!
> 
> Thank you for adding it, Sas.
> 
> ...


I agree money talks again as in the Beaumont children. Why do they say be positive? Police keeping the city safe, really...what a clever racket.....theres money in it yes.


----------



## Aunt Marg (Jan 2, 2021)

Autumn72 said:


> I agree money talks again as in the Beaumont children. Why do they say be positive? Police keeping the city safe, really...what a clever racket.....theres money in it yes.


Well said, Autumn72.


----------



## SCK (Mar 8, 2021)

Tish said:


> Amen!


Robert Wagner should be charged with something (involuntary manslaughter)? because he waited several hours before calling for help, even poured more drinks, and the captain was stunned, didn't know what to do.  He wanted to put on the search light but Wagner wouldn't let him, didn't want to attract attention.  Wagner was wasted and made very bad decisions.


----------



## Tish (Mar 9, 2021)

SCK said:


> Robert Wagner should be charged with something (involuntary manslaughter)? because he waited several hours before calling for help, even poured more drinks, and the captain was stunned, didn't know what to do.  He wanted to put on the search light but Wagner wouldn't let him, didn't want to attract attention.  Wagner was wasted and made very bad decisions.


Wow, I didn't know that, sounds a bit sus to me.


----------



## Autumn72 (Apr 1, 2021)

SCK said:


> Robert Wagner should be charged with something (involuntary manslaughter)? because he waited several hours before calling for help, even poured more drinks, and the captain was stunned, didn't know what to do.  He wanted to put on the search light but Wagner wouldn't let him, didn't want to attract attention.  Wagner was wasted and made very bad decisions.


Agree like murder


----------



## Linda (Apr 1, 2021)

I don't know but I really wonder about things like that.  She was a pretty lady.


----------



## ohioboy (Apr 2, 2021)

Sassycakes said:


> *I agree with you Gaer. The captain said he heard Natalie and Robert arguing right before anything happened. The Autopsy also showed many bruise marks on Natalie's body. I guess we'll never really know what happened. Robert Wagner is 80yrs old now.*



RW is 90 or 91, not 80. How can it be solved? By confession? No doubt the statute of limitations has long passed for any charge except murder, and that's not provable. No court will accept a guilty plea for murder in this case.


----------



## Aunt Marg (Apr 2, 2021)

Nothing about this case will ever convince me that this was an accident.

I can't stomach looking at Robert Wagner to this day.


----------



## Autumn72 (May 13, 2021)

Sassycakes said:


> *I agree with you Gaer. The captain said he heard Natalie and Robert arguing right before anything happened. The Autopsy also showed many bruise marks on Natalie's body. I guess we'll never really know what happened. Robert Wagner is 80yrs old now.*


Guilty bruises


----------



## Ronni (May 13, 2021)

We will never know at this point.

One thing that I don’t believe has been discussed here was the possibility that her going overboard was an accident. They were drinking and it’s quite possible that she just slipped and went over the side.

If she did, and it’s certainly possible given her drinking, then the real question is what happened after.  Did Wagner, inebriated himself, just freeze in shocked drunkenness before taking action to try and save her? Or was he sober enough to realize, after she’d fallen in, there was an opportunity he could take to be rid of her, and so he did? 

All that speaks to intent, and would dictate the charge. Murder or manslaughter. What’s lacking is proof of either.

At this point, only a deathbed confession will shed more light on the incident.


----------



## Angelina (May 19, 2021)

My opinion, after researching the incident, is that it was a terrible accident exacerbated by alcohol and drugs. If they hadn't all been drunk, she wouldn't have drowned IMHO......


----------



## Nathan (May 19, 2021)

Angelina said:


> My opinion, after researching the incident, is that it was a terrible accident exacerbated by alcohol and drugs. If they hadn't all been drunk, she wouldn't have drowned IMHO......


If it had been an accident someone could have said something.     Natalie has been at rest all these years,  If someone is culpable for her death, they have carried this around in their chest for over 40 years.


----------



## Angelina (May 19, 2021)

I don't understand. What do you mean "someone could've said something?"


----------



## fmdog44 (May 19, 2021)

No evidence, no witnesses=no case.


----------



## Aunt Marg (May 19, 2021)

Angelina said:


> I don't understand. What do you mean "someone could've said something?"


Had Natalie's death been an accident, chances are good someone would have said something, but in keeping with Natalie's death being a homicide, silence was golden.


----------



## Angelina (May 19, 2021)

Aunt Marg said:


> Had Natalie's death been an accident, chances are good someone would have said something, but in keeping with Natalie's death being a homicide, silence was golden.


As far as I'm aware, Robert Wagner has always said it was an accident.


----------



## Angelina (May 19, 2021)

Lots of people doubt it. Probably the majority of people, I would guess.


----------



## terry123 (May 19, 2021)

As I have said before I don't think it was an accident.  I think he got away with murder.  Just my opinion of course.


----------



## Devi (May 19, 2021)

Did Christopher Walken ever say anything about it? If not, I wonder why.


----------



## Keesha (May 20, 2021)

SCK said:


> Robert Wagner should be charged with something (involuntary manslaughter)? because he waited several hours before calling for help, even poured more drinks, and the captain was stunned, didn't know what to do.  He wanted to put on the search light but Wagner wouldn't let him, didn't want to attract attention.  Wagner was wasted and made very bad decisions.


And who doesn’t want to attract attention if their spouse is in serious life & death condition unless they  either have something to hide and / or don’t want to save their life.

Also, what a stupid idea this was to begin with. Who goes for a boat ride with their husband and ex lover when they can’t swim and everyone is intoxicated ? That’s crazy!


----------



## ohioboy (May 20, 2021)

SCK said:


> Robert Wagner should be charged with something (involuntary manslaughter)? because he waited several hours before calling for help, even poured more drinks, and the captain was stunned, didn't know what to do.


Simply waiting to report a death can not in any legal way fall under a Manslaughter charge.


----------



## Angelina (May 20, 2021)

Devi said:


> Did Christopher Walken ever say anything about it? If not, I wonder why.


He doesn't like to talk about it, or so I've read......


----------

