A New Suspect In The Natalie Wood Case Could Put Hollywood’s Greatest Mystery To Rest

It was a story that could have come from a movie. A beautiful actress vanishes from a private yacht — only for her body to be discovered the next morning in the sea. But this horrible tragedy really happened to Natalie Wood. And for years, people have wondered: was it an accident, or was it murder? Natalie’s own sister has since spoken out, and what she had to say may finally put the mystery to bed.

The four

There were four people on the boat, the Splendour, that night. There was Natalie, of course, and her partner Robert Wagner — known to some as “R.J.” The others were actor Christopher Walken — still a star to this day — and Dennis Davern, the boat captain. But as for what actually happened on board? Well, different people have said different things.

The ruling

We do know the exact date Natalie was pulled from the ocean: November 29, 1981. We also know the official verdict on her death. Dr. Thomas Noguchi, who has been called “the coroner to the stars,” ruled that the incident was an accidental drowning. Then the case was officially closed by the authorities.

Bruises

Noguchi explained in his summary why he believed it was an accident. Though the body had “numerous bruises to [the] arms and legs,” he said, they were “superficial and probably sustained at the time of drowning.” He concluded, “No other trauma noted, and foul play is not suspected at this time.”

Suspicious

But despite that ruling, many still thought there was more to Natalie’s passing. Then, as time went by and the internet came into being, amateur sleuths and theorists were more easily able to share their thoughts. And in 2011 the case was reopened. The official verdict on Natalie’s death was changed to “suspicious” seven years later.