Cold Case Investigations

First Tuesday

Calling all Las Vegas amateur detectives! Come watch a short video and then discuss and debate the facts of the case in an attempt to determine the killer(s).

June 2nd Natalie Wood

Facts of the Case

Date and Location: 

November 28–29, 1981, off Catalina Island, California, in the Pacific Ocean near the yacht *Splendour*.

Individuals Present: 

- Natalie Wood (age 43, actress) 

- Robert Wagner (her husband) 

- Christopher Walken (co-star in *Brainstorm*) 

- Dennis Davern (yacht captain)

Timeline (Key Verified Points): 

- Evening of Nov. 28: Group dined at Doug's Harbor Reef restaurant, with heavy alcohol consumption. 

- Returned to the yacht via dinghy around 10:30–11:00 p.m. 

- Wood was reported missing by Wagner sometime after midnight. A search began later. 

- Her body was recovered at approximately 8:00 a.m. on Nov. 29, floating about one mile from the anchored yacht, wearing a nightgown, socks, and a red down jacket. The dinghy was found nearby.

Official Autopsy Findings (1981, Dr. Thomas Noguchi): 

- Cause of Death: Accidental drowning, with contributing hypothermia. 

- Blood alcohol level: 0.14% (legally intoxicated). 

- Trace amounts of a motion-sickness medication (likely Dramamine) and a painkiller (likely Darvon), which potentiate alcohol effects. 

- Multiple bruises on arms, legs, and body; abrasion on left cheek. Initially attributed to possible fall from the yacht or struggle in the water. No major head trauma noted. Foam in airways consistent with drowning.

2011–2013 Updates (Reopened Investigation):

- Los Angeles County Coroner amended the death certificate in 2011/2012. 

- Revised Cause: Drowning and other undetermined factors." 

- Manner of death: Undetermined. 

- 10-page addendum (Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran, 2012/2013) noted: Some fresh bruises (e.g., right forearm, left wrist, right knee, neck scratch, facial abrasions) appeared to have occurred *prior* to entering the water. Multiplicity and location raised possibility of non-accidental injury, though not definitively provable due to limited evidence. No suicide indicators.

Investigation Status:

- Initially ruled accidental. Case reopened in 2011 based on new information (including Captain Davern's revised statements). 

- Robert Wagner named a "person of interest" around 2018 but never charged. 

- As of 2022–2025 updates: Wagner cleared of involvement; all leads exhausted; case remains open/unsolved with no new evidence. No charges filed against anyone.

Key Context: 

Wood had a lifelong fear of water and was a poor swimmer. The group had consumed significant alcohol. Conflicting accounts exist regarding an argument that night, but these remain unproven in court.

These are the core, documented facts from coroner reports, LAPD/LASD records, and official statements—no speculation added. The case stays officially undetermined due to gaps in evidence after 44+ years. 

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