Dead in the Water: A Hollywood Affair
/
Natalie wood, 1973
It was Thanksgiving weekend of 1981, and Natalie Wood and her husband, Robert Wagner, had planned to spend their holiday aboard Wagner’s yacht, the Splendour (you know, as rich, white people usually do). Wood had been working on a film called Brainstorm with fellow actor Christopher Walken, and so the couple invited him to join them on their vacation. The Splendour, along with its Captain, Dennis Davern, set sail for Santa Catalina (an island off the coast of Southern California) on the evening of November 28th, planning for a weekend of whatever it is that Hollywood actors do on yachts (we’re assuming getting drunk off of expensive champagne). No one except those on the boat that night will ever truly know the events of that night, but what happened the next morning shocked the world.
Natalie Wood was found dead at 8 AM on November 29th, one mile from the Splendour, with an inflatable dinghy beached nearby. The story Wagner told his attorney was that Wood had retired to their cabin before him, but when he came back to the room later to join her, she was gone, along with the dinghy. After 10-15 minutes of her not returning, Wagner decided to search for her on his cruiser, to no avail. He then contacted the company owning the cove they had visited, who contacted the harbor patrol, who sent out boats to search for the missing woman.
Wood’s cause of death was officially ruled an accident, from either drowning or hypothermia, stating that intoxication was likely a factor (her blood alcohol level was 0.14 percent, just 4 percent over the legal limit for driving in California). Though the authorities seemed sure Wood’s death was an accident, there was an alarming amount of evidence that suggested foul play: her body and arms were bruised, and there were witnesses that said they heard a woman scream for help during the night. Even stranger, while Wagner stated that Wood often took the dinghy out alone, Wood’s sister Lana alleged that the woman couldn’t swim and was terrified of water.
Natalie wood and husband robert wagner, 1980
Despite the suspicious circumstances of Wood’s death, the case was put to rest--or so we thought. It was in November of 2011 that a guilt-ridden Davern gave authorities a reason to reopen the case, stating that he had lied during the initial investigation. He stated that there had been an argument between Wood and Wagner that night. According to Davern, Wagner had been in a jealous rage, believing that Wood had been flirting with co-star Walken. Davern had tried to intervene but was told by Wagner to leave them alone. Minutes later, Wood was missing, and despite Davern’s suggestions to call for help, Wagner asked him not to. When asked if he believed Wagner was responsible for Wood’s death, Davern said: "Yes, I would say so. Yes."
In 2012, Wood’s cause of death was amended to “drowning and other undetermined factors.” In 2018, Wagner was finally named a person of interest in Wood’s death. To this day, the case remains unsolved.
Sources:
Lewis, H. (2018, February 1). Robert Wagner Named Person of Interest in Natalie Wood's Death. Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/robert-wagner-named-person-interest-natalie-woods-death-1080858.
Natalie Wood's death certificate amended. (2012, August 22). Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-19341547.
Sherwell, P. (2011, November 19). Natalie Wood was too 'terrified' of water to try to leave Robert Wagner on yacht by dinghy. Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/8901179/Natalie-Wood-was-too-terrified-of-water-to-try-to-leave-Robert-Wagner-on-yacht-by-dinghy.html.
Thackrey, T. (1981, November 30). Natalie Wood Found Dead Off Catalina. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4364745-Natalie-Wood-Found-Dead.html#document/p1/a402011
TodayShow. (2011, November 22). Boat captain alleges actor Robert Wagner responsible for Natalie Wood's death. Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://www.today.com/popculture/boat-captain-alleges-actor-robert-wagner-responsible-natalie-woods-death-2D80555795#.UqIX-_RDt7g.
Kira Frazer
The 30 rats in a trench coat that form the entity known as Kira Frazer emerged from the sewers on Halloween of ‘97, and have been wreaking havoc upon humanity ever since. She hopes to be the first rat-formed-entity to get a college diploma.
