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On November 28, 1981, the weekend after Thanksgiving, a notorious, very mysterious Hollywood scandal took place on the Splendour, a 60-foot yacht anchored off Catalina Island, about 20 miles from Los Angeles. On board were Natalie Wood, husband Robert Wagner, friend Christopher Walken, and Captain Dennis Davern. All four were heavily intoxicated, both aboard the ship and on land, after a dinner complimented by multiple bottles of champagne. At approximately 8:00 am the following morning, 43-year-old Wood was found dead in the water about a mile from the yacht. It determined an accidental drowning, despite the very suspicious circumstances of Natalie Wood's death. Many items on this list are confirmed facts. The world knows with absolute certainty alcohol and pills played a factor in the childhood-actress-turned-Hollywood-icon's death. It's also known Wood had a deep-seated terror of water and was fighting with Wagner that evening. Along with the facts are many questions surrounding her death. How did Woodwind up in the freezing water that night? Did she slip trying to retie the dingy to the yacht? Did she simply fall overboard? How did she get all of the scratches found on her body? What was the exact relationship between Wood and her Brainstorm co-star Christopher Walken? Weird celebrity deaths have fascinated the world for decades. The tragic mystery of Natalie Wood's death may never be solved. There are so many varying versions of the events on that fateful night. Who is lying? Who is telling the truth? Who, if anyone, can be trusted? Discover for yourself the bizarre night in 1981 that's essentially Rashomon come to life. The LA County Coroner Changed Wood's Cause Of Death 30 Years On Natalie Wood's death was ruled a drowning by the LA County Coroner in 1981. On January 14, 2013, officials released a 10-page addendum to her autopsy. The original 1981 coroner's report states the bruises found on Wood's face, wrists, knees, and ankles were from the actress trying to climb back into the yacht after falling over the side. When the case was re-opened in 2011, it resulted in a new coroner's report stating the bruises occurred before Wood went into the water. The medical examiner, however, could not conclude if the bruises were "non-accidental" and maybe the result of an assault. Wood's death was first ruled accidental. The new report ruled its cause undetermined. The location of the bruises had a lot to do with the amendment. "The location of the bruises, the multiplicity of the bruises, lack of head trauma, or facial bruising support bruising having occurred prior to entry in the water," the report stated. 2. Wood Had A Serious, Primal Fear Of Deep Water Although Wagner and Wood spent a lot of time on their yacht together, the Oscar-nominated actress had a fear of deep water. In fact, just weeks before her death, Wood told a journalist, "I'm afraid of water that is dark." The most common theory as to how Wood died involves her slipping trying to tie a dinghy to the yacht. Why would she have been in the dinghy alone - maybe escaping Wagner after an argument? - if she was so deathly afraid of deep water? According to Lana Wood, Natalie's sister, "She would never go near that dinghy." Wood's fear of water was sparked a few times during her career. While filming Splendor in the Grass in 1961, director Elia Kazan learned of Wood's phobia when she told him, regarding an important scene that takes place at a reservoir, she had a deep-seated "terror of water, particularly dark water, and of being helpless in it." She asked him if she could film the scene in a small tank inside a studio. Kazan declined her request because he wanted to use her terror to enliven the scene (directors can be big time jerks), but assured her she would be safe in the reservoir because it was shallow enough her feet would always touch bottom. Ever the professional, Wood did as instructed, but once the scene was shot, leaped out of the water and shivered out her fear before laughing hysterically. While filming The Star with Bette Davis in 1952 (ironically, off the coast of Catalina), director Stuart Heisler told Wood to jump over the railing of a private yacht and land in the water. He assured her there would be men in rowboats there to pick up her up after the jump. The actress reluctantly did the scene, but panicked and screamed when she landed in the sea. She was 14 at the time. The scene was so devastating to watch Bette Davis threatened to quit the production if they made Wood do it again. A double body was brought in for the reshoot, and when she hit the water, she got caught up in kelp and almost drowned. Despite the trouble, the scene was ultimately cut from the movie. 3. The Coast Guard Wasn't Called Until Nearly Four Hours After Wood Disappeared According to the coroner's report, Wood's stomach contained 500 cc of partially digested food, which puts her time of death around midnight. Wood was missing at 11:05 pm, yet a ship-to-shore call wasn't placed until 1:30 am and the Coast Guard wasn't notified until 3:30 am. Why such a long delay? Marti Rulli, co-author of the book, Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour told CNN, "There are many, many things that should be examined, but mainly the four-hour wait to call for the Coast Guard." If Captain Davern is to be believed, it's because Wagner was relatively unconcerned with Wood's whereabouts, whether she rode away in the dinghy or was pushed overboard by her drunk, enraged husband. 4. Wood (And Everyone Else) Was Extremely Intoxicated The Night She Died Don Whiting, the night manager of the restaurant where Wood, Wagner, Walken, and Davern dined the night/night before Wood died, was concerned the four, who drank several bottles of champagne at dinner, were too intoxicated to make it safely back to their yacht in a dinghy. Whiting was so concerned, in fact, he asked Kurt Craig of the Harbor Patrol to make sure the group got back safely. The toxicology report released after Wood's death revealed the West Side Story star had a blood alcohol content of 0.14 percent, at which point you experience, according to University of California San Diego Student Health Services: "Gross motor impairment and lack of physical control. Blurred vision and major loss of balance. Your euphoric feelings may give way to unpleasant feelings. Your judgment and perception are severely impaired. You may become more aggressive, and there is an increased risk of accidentally injuring yourself or others. This is when you may experience a blackout." Motion sickness medication and painkillers were also found in the actress's system, which would likely have increased Wood's level of intoxication. 5. A Witness Claims She Was Ignored By Authorities And Received A Death Threat Marilyn Wayne, a retired stockbroker whose boat was anchored near the Splendour, said she received a written death threat three days after Wood's death. The note read, "If you value your life, keep quiet about what you know." Wayne was "disturbed" by the note and contacted her attorney. Wayne claims that, on the night of Wood's death, she heard someone cry for help around midnight. "My cabin window was open. A woman’s voice, crying for help, awakened John and awakened me, 'Help me, someone please help me, I’m drowning.'" Wayne insists she tried to contact harbor patrol but no one responded. She also called the local sheriff, who informed her a helicopter would be sent to the scene. However, Wayne said it never came. She also asserted she heard a man's "slurred voice" saying, "Oh, hold on, we’re coming to get you." 6. A Fight Erupted Between Wagner And Walken That Night, Accounts Of Which Differ Ship captain Dennis Davern said in the sworn statement to detectives he heard Wagner shout to Walken, "Do you want to f*ck my wife?" (who didn't at one point or another, though? Come on, she's Natalie Wood). Davern then heard a bottle of wine smash, just moments before Wood fell overboard. Wagner, who divorced Wood only to remarry her, confirmed in his 2008 memoir Pieces of My Heart he and Walken fought the night that Wood drowned. He wrote: "Chris began talking about his 'total pursuit of a career', which he admitted was more important to him than his personal life. He clearly thought Natalie should live like that, too. I got angry. 'Why don't you stay out of her career?' I said. 'She's got enough people telling her what to do without you.'" Wagner said the argument got heated and Wood left to go to bed. According to the account, he and Walken moved to the deck as "things were threatening to get physical," but the two "were calmed by the fresh sea air." 7. The Yacht Captain Claims Wagner Pushed Wood Overboard And Left Her In The Water Dennis Davern told 48 Hours and the Today Show in 2013 he initially lied to authorities about what happened that night. He now blames Wagner for Wood's death. Wagner, who has never been charged, claims to have had nothing to do with it. Lana Wood, Natalie's sister, told author Suzanne Finstad that Davern called her one night when drunk to confess Wagner had a hand in Natalie's drowning. As Lana told Finstad in recordings made for her 2001 book Natasha: The Biography of Natalie Wood: "He said it appeared to him as though shoved her away and she went overboard. Dennis panicked and said, 'Leave her there. Teach her a lesson.' Dennis said he was very panicky, that he was sitting and kept drinking and kept drinking. "And he’d say, 'Come on, let’s get her.' And he said was in such a foul mood, at that point, that he then shut up and was waiting for when, when are they gonna go to her rescue, until all the sound stopped." Lana went on to say Davern doesn't think Wagner intended for Wood to drown, but he didn't do anything to help her. "Even if he did not kill her, which is what I understand the guy’s saying, it was – you know, that it – it was an accident," Lana explained. 8. Wood Was Infatuated With Christopher Walken, And They May Have Had An Affair Wood and Walken starred together in the 1983 sci-fi thriller Brainstorm. Walken won a Best Supporting Acting Oscar two years prior to his role in The Deer Hunter and was a rising star in Hollywood. Robert Wagner was in his fifties, and although he made a successful transition to television with Hart to Hart in the 1980s, was certainly not as hot (fame-wise) as Walken at the time. Davern claims Wood became infatuated with Walken while filming Brainstorm and openly flirted with him. “When they were in North Carolina together, rumors were going around about Chris Walken and Natalie, so went down there,” Davern stated. “He had a few days off from Hart to Hart... but he wasn’t about to make a fool of himself over this.” Natalie's sister Lana also thought Natalie had a thing for Walken. In her book Natalie: A Memoir by Her Sister she wrote, "I don’t know if Natalie’s with Chris was imaginary or real, though my strong suspicion is that it was all in her mind and that perhaps she was only wishing it to be so.” Davern, who joined Wood, Wagner, and Walken for dinner the night Natalie died, claims that, throughout the meal, Wood "was definitely flirting with . They were like all giggling and touching. She was excited by Christopher—here’s this good-looking guy.” 9. If She Had Taken Off Her Jacket, Wood May Have Survived Wood's body was found about a mile south of her yacht, near an isolated cove called Blue Cavern Point, dressed like someone with no plans to go in the water. She had on a nightgown, knee-length wool socks, and a down-filled jacket. Her clothes were still wet 24 hours later, during an examination of the actress's body. The saturated weight of the wool jacket alone was between 30 and 40 pounds. Experts believe the weight of the wool jacket likely caused Wood to drown. Some evidence suggests she was in the water and tried to climb into a dinghy, but the weight of the wet wool pulled her down. The actress's blood alcohol level may have impaired her ability to reason. If she had not been drinking, there's a chance that she would have realized she needed to take off the jacket in order to climb back into the dingy. 10. Natalie And Robert Had A Violent Fight That Night During a police interview, Davern said after the group returned to the boat following dinner, they continued to drink heavily. He described Wood's and Walken's behavior: "So we’re sitting there, and Chris and Natalie are giggling and carrying on, the same as before, totally forgetting that me and are there. I’m saying to myself, 'Oh my God, this is getting to be too much right now.'" “All of a sudden,” Davern says, “ grabbed a bottle of wine and smashes it right on the table in front of them. Glass goes flying all over." “‘Jesus Christ,’ says to Christopher, ‘what are you trying to do, fuck my wife?" Davern said both Wood and Walken went to their separate rooms while he stayed with Wagner. Eventually, Wagner left to talk with his wife and he could hear the couple "fighting like crazy... I’d never in a million years seen them fight like that before. I just couldn’t believe it... You know, stuff getting thrown around.” He added it was “so hot and heavy that it got carried out into the cockpit” at the rear of the yacht. Davern claims he next heard “the dinghy being untied—you can hear the ropes, the bowline being tugged on.” Davern then said he heard nothing, it became silent. When Wagner returned, Davern said he appeared "tousled, sweating profusely, as if he had been in a terrible fight, an ordeal of some kind." The two men continued drinking together before Wagner went to check on his wife at around 1:30 am. It was then Wagner told Davern Natalie was missing. This testimony contradicts what Davern said many years later, though both stories articulate the same basic idea: Wood and Wagner had a huge fight, he drove her away and turned his back on her in favor of alcohol. Of course, they all did drunk, and maybe high on pills, it's unclear how accurate any account of the night would be from any of the individuals involved. 11. Christopher Walken Didn't Make A Public Statement Until Two Years After the Incident Walken kept completely silent following Wood's death. Two years after the incident, he finally spoke, in a clear effort to stop all the rabid speculation. "The people who are convinced that there was something more to it than what came out in the investigation will never be satisfied with the truth. Because the truth is, there is nothing more to it. It was an accident.” Walken's police statement contradicts this and falls in line with Draven's accusations of Wagner's involvement in Wood's death. According to Walken's testimony, Wood leaving the boat was the result of two days of fighting and drinking from the couple. When Wood's case was reopened in 2011, the actor once again opted to stay silent. When asked how he felt about the case reopening, he replied, "I don't know." 12. The Public Will Probably Never Know What Happened to Wood The Night She Drowned Christopher Walken, Robert Wagner, and Captain Davern three different accounts to police investigators about the night Wood died. Despite the varying testimonies, the police concluded two weeks later it was a case of accidental drowning. Duane Rasure, from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Homicide Bureau, was brought in to investigate. He believes in the most probable theory that Wood slipped while trying to retie the dingy to the yacht, which begs the question, what was she doing in the dinghy in the first place, especially given her abiding fear of water. Rasure admits he can't be sure what really happened. However, the former detective doesn't think Wagner had anything to do with Natalie's death. He told CBS during an interview on 48 Hours in 2012 there was no evidence of foul play. He said, "It was an accidental drowning, she just happened to be a famous movie star. She was a small lady. She drowned in short time, I'd say." Rasure further stated he doesn't believe Davern's amended version of events. "He's just made himself to look good in his book." (Davern published Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour in 2009). "And obviously, he's trying to sell a book and make money off of it. And I think that's the whole purpose of his writing this book." There are, in fact, glaring issues with Davern's log of events. He admittedly lied to the police the first time around, then totally changed his story. Besides selling a book about Wood's death, he has also sold his story to various news outlets, and made an embarrassing appearance on Geraldo Rivera’s "Now It Can Be Told" in 1992, where it became clear Davern's story might be compromised, as his version of the events of the night in question appear to change from publication to publication. What really happened? Despite reopening the case decades later, police seem to be no closer today than they were in 1981. No one has been charged with Natalie Wood's death, and it doesn't' seem likely anyone ever will be. Credits: ranker.com Share this story on Facebook with your friends.

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