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Sister Wants Natalie Wood Case Reopened

Sister, yacht captain want 1981 case reopened

By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff

Posted Mar 8, 2010 10:16 AM CST

(Newser) – The official theory behind Natalie Wood’s untimely death is that the actress slipped while on her yacht—but Wood’s sister and the yacht captain want the investigation reopened, citing a fight Wood had with husband Robert Wagner prior to drowning. “I just want the truth to come out, the real story,” Lana Wood tells CNN, adding that she still doesn’t suspect foul play. Both Dennis Davern, the yacht captain, and Wagner himself have recounted the 1981 fight in recent books.

Davern misled investigators at the time, however, at Wagner’s request—and now says he regrets it, and believes there was a cover-up. One mystery involves the apparent delay before Wagner summoned authorities. And Wagner’s story—he believed Wood had just gone off partying—doesn’t ring true for her sister, either. “She would never go to another boat or to shore dressed in a nightgown and socks,” says Lana, adding that when she saw Wagner after the death, he said, “It was an accident, you have to believe me, it was an accident.”

1969:  Portrait of American actor Natalie Wood (1938 - 1981), wearing false eyelashes and thick eyeliner with a ribbed turtleneck and hoop earrings, posing outdoors.
1969: Portrait of American actor Natalie Wood (1938 - 1981), wearing false eyelashes and thick eyeliner with a ribbed turtleneck and hoop earrings, posing outdoors.   (Getty Images)
Actor Robert Wagner with wife Natalie Wood at the time of their second marriage.
Actor Robert Wagner with wife Natalie Wood at the time of their second marriage.   (Getty Images)
Lana Wood and her sister, the late actress Natalie Wood, right, when they were children.
Lana Wood and her sister, the late actress Natalie Wood, right, when they were children.   (Getty Images)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 16 comments
Cher
Mar 12, 2010 5:27 AM CST
It would be terrible to reopen this case. Think of her daughters. We already know the truth.
cornelison
Mar 9, 2010 11:04 AM CST
Perhaps Wagner & Walken were hiding or trying to get rid of something else - drugs. Wasn't the name of the yacht, "Splendor?" It would have been named after one of her best films, "Splendor in the Grass."
jbf0210
Mar 8, 2010 11:52 PM CST
Uh oh........
 

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