The mystery of screen siren Natalie Wood’s drowning death was never a closed case in her sister Lana Wood’s mind, which, she said, is why she welcomed the news of police reopening the investigation.
Questions have surrounded the late actress’ husband, Robert Wagner, and his handling of the incident.
“I can’t believe [Robert] would purposefully do something to hurt her,” Wood told TMZ.
Still, Wood said she did not buy the story Wagner told police that Natalie slipped, hit her head and fell into the water.Natalie Wood, who had a notorious fear of water, was found dead in the waters off Catalina Island following a booze-filled night spent on a yacht with only Wagner, family friend Christopher Walken, and Dennis Davern, the boat’s captain.
Los Angeles police said Wagner is not a suspect, however several sources with new information have spurred them to reopen the 30-year-old case.
Lana Wood told TMZ she has had many discussions over the years with Davern, which have led her to believe there is more to the story of her sister’s death.
“He said everybody was quite drunk and that a fight, or an argument, I should say, did break out and that Natalie was in the water and that he and [Robert] did nothing to pull her out,” she told the entertainment website.
According to Wood, Davern told her Wagner said: “Leave her there. Teach her a lesson.”
Davern admitted that he initially lied to police, but now says he remembers Wood and Wagner getting into a heated argument.
“Robert Wagner had taken a bottle of wine and smashed it on the coffee table in front of her and Christopher,” Davern said on “Good Morning America.” “Natalie went to her stateroom, and Robert Wagner followed and they carried on their arguing in the stateroom.”
Moments later, he said, Wagner told him Wood was missing, but urged him not to call the Coast Guard right away.
“I said to Robert Wagner, ‘Let’s turn on the search light, we’ll see maybe if we can’t see her out there,’” Davern said. “And he said, ‘No, we’re not going to do that at this time.’”
Wagner released a statement saying he supported the investigation, however he also suggested this may be a ploy for Davern to make money on his book and the 30th anniversary of Natalie’s death.
Still, Wood said her sister’s passing could have been prevented and she hopes investigators can finally provide her with closure.
“I don’t think she fell. I don’t know if she was pushed. I don’t know whether there was an altercation and it happened accidentally,” she told Piers Morgan on CNN. “She shouldn’t have died.”
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