48 Hours on 2/3/18 - is doing a story on Natalie Wood’s death

thanks for the heads up. i'll be watching that.

I got a deja vu feeling this so I Googled it. This is from March 2017:

[quote][bold]Robert Wagner’s Nightmare: Natalie Wood Probe Could Spark Grand Jury, Source Claims[/bold]

[quote]The bombshell results of a new investigation could finally solve the Natalie Wood death mystery 35 years after her death, RadarOnline.com has learned – and may even result in a grand jury for Robert Wagner!

[quote]Wagner is “sunk and will finally pay for what he did,” an insider told Radar. “Justice has been perverted from the very beginning.”

[quote]Now, however, there is said to be a “strong case file,” compiled with the help of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute (CCIRI).

[quote]On the case since last year, CCIRI has consulted experts in body language, underwater crime scene, domestic violence, statement analysis and criminal profiling to shed new light on what really happened to Wood.

[quote]Specifically, the group claims that marks found on Wood’s body could prove she was choked into unconsciousness and “rolled off” her yacht Splendor back in 1981, wrapped in a heavy down coat so she’d drown.

[quote]Wagner, now 87, “put the coat on Natalie to make it appear she’d left the yacht,” CCIRI boss Sheryl McCollum believes.

[quote]What’s more, Wagner’s alleged four-hour delay in calling for help — and refusal to turn on the vessel’s searchlights — “is very troubling,” she continued.

[quote]Meanwhile, Splendour’s skipper, Dennis Davern, claims that Wagner had a fight with Wood in his stateroom and that the quarrel continued on the rear deck, near the dinghy.

[quote]Wagner was reportedly jealous over Wood’s relationship with her hunky Brainstorm co-star Walken, who was also on the yacht that fatal night as they sailed off the coast of Catalina.

[quote]”Natalie was married to a jealous man, who ended up robbing her of life,” claimed investigative journalist Marti Rulli, who worked with CCIRI. He believes “that she went kicking and screaming, fighting for her life!”

[quote]The official cause of Wood’s death was initially ruled to be accidental drowning. In 2011, officials reopened the death probe, and the cause of death was changed in 2012 to “drowning and other undetermined factors” based on new evidence.

[quote]But the grand jury could finally put the lingering questions to rest.

*[italic]Reading[/italic] this

He killed her. I've always wondered about Natasha Wagner's take on that. In recent interviews she has said that he became her mom and her dad and they have always "hung on to each other". She HAS to have at least wondered with all the speculation...

Thank you! I am ready for this

These stories surface every few years and go nowhere.

Does Lana know?

It's the LA Sheriff's Department who have announced he's a person of interest, so this is a bit different than previous times when the story has come back up again.

[quote]Wagner was reportedly jealous over Wood’s relationship with her hunky Brainstorm co-star Walken

Any article that refers to Christopher Walken as hunky loses all credibility.

I think it's more likely she was jealous of Wagner, not the other way around.

I'm going to be heartbroken if Walken turns out to be involved.

I think this qualifies as hunky

[quote]Wagner was reportedly jealous over Wood’s relationship with her hunky Brainstorm co-star Walken

The reports I read were that Wood walked in on Wagner and Walken.

I wonder: Will Wagner be more worried about being called out for Wood's death or being gay?

This is saying she was unconscious when she hit the water. The speculation was always increased because passengers on nearby yachts claimed they heard a woman screaming “I’m drowning help”, they then heard Male voices shouting back at her. This corroborates the skippers version of events. Wagner always claimed Wood must have got up in the night and slipped overboard. He the said he didn’t know she was gone till the morning.

However, the skipper claimed Wood and Wagner had a blazing row as she had walked in on something between Wagner and Walken. There was a scuffle between Wood and Wagner, she fell overboard but Wagner (knowing she couldn’t swim and was terrified of water) said to leave her to teach her a lesson. If they had pulled her out at that point she would have been fine. But Wagner chose to leave her to flap about and panick.

Wood was then pulled outward away from the boat and into darkness and they couldn’t see her. She was screaming out then when silent. Wagner then made the choice to do nothing, realising she was likely dead and he would be questioned as to how she ended up in the water.

Ur, no, R11. That looks like a test-tube baby.

I agree with R4, he probably did murder Natalie Wood. I would not be surprised if the overrated Walken also knew or was involved and said nothing.

drunk woman fell off a boat

end of story

He did have a brief period where he could do "sexy" r14....

"As we've investigated the case over the last six years, I think he's more of a person of interest now.

'I mean, we know now that he was the last person to be with Natalie before she disappeared,' he said.

-- Quote from DM by Police Investigators

If and I stress if he ends up being charged and convicted this is going to reflect very badly on some Hollywood stars from the past and a few in the present who have stayed friends with him.

I believe she walked in on him and Walken or he walked in on her and Walken, and that a fight ensued. I also believe she was drunk and drowned. I don’t think he deliberately murdered her, however. What motive would he have for doing so? They had been married forever, had kids, didn’t appear to be on the brink of divorce, and both had plenty of money.

I think everyone on that boat had been drinking, and I think he fucked up royally by not getting her out of the water immediately.

It's about time 48 Hours reported on something worth seeing.

What r20 said.

WTF was Walken hanging-out with the Wagners anyway? They always socialized with Old Hollywood.

The fact that Walken was young, hung and full o' cum sorta points to Robert Wagner, and the bi rumors that always dogged him (which may be why Natalie divorced him the first time).

R20 The motive? It wasn't premeditated. Just a fit of rage.

Of course everybody on the bost is a person of interest.

This is such BS. They were all drunk and angry. Shit always happens in these scenarios.

[quote]These stories surface every few years

Unfortunate choice of words

It's Hollywood and Wagner is 87. They'll reveal it was him after he's dead and close the case. No Justice for Natalie Wood. Very sad.

R23 - Walken and Wood were in a film together -- "Brainstorm".

OP - thanks for the heads up. DVRing!

The autopsy diagram reveals Wood had a lower body lift.

I think Lana ALWAYS suspected Wagner, she knew her sister was terrified of water and would try like hell to avoid it. Wagner had a very detailed story - totally believeable. “We fought she went to bed. Her berth was next to where the dingy was tied and it banged against her wall, so she went out to move it, slipped and fell in.” The story stunk to high heaven - a woman that is terrified messes with a dinghy in a heavy coat? I forgot about other boaters reporting hearing her cries for help.

I hate him. There surely have been moments when her daughters had a glimmer, a flash of doubt about him. Long overdue for an inquiry. I would like to see him spend whatever time he has left behind bars. There is simply no way he didnt know she was up and about as he tells it. He killed her. Small boat, limited surface.

What about Walken?

wagner was drunk and in another area of the boat fighting with Walken.

Natalie was drunk as well. autopsy reveals high level of intoxication, drugs as well if i recall correctly. Why wouldn't she put on her coat to go out to secure the dinghy? She could have been full of shitfaced bravado.

At long last. As Natalie Wood 's #1 fan, I thought I would never see the day...

This website is fascinating, the author long suspected Wagner, the Captain refuted his lies about the dingy being moved, The drawing is extremely helpful in imagining the crime scene - the 60’ yacht was pretty nice - hardly ostentatious.

“Marti RulliDecember 19, 2010 at 11:08 AM Dennis says the same thing, Mike, but he is positive about where and how he tied the dinghy that night. It was drizzling, and there was no wind, and the water was extraordinarily CALM. He flushed it with the swim step TIGHTLY. They were in for the night, yes, but Dennis hopped up on the deck and tied the dinghy right there to the two cleats indicated in diagram. The dinghy was not tied port the night Natalie died. I went over and over this with Dennis, because he normally would tie the dinghy port, therefore recalls specifically that on this night it wasn't tied port. The weather was a factor in his decision.

If it were tied port, there would be no way the swim step would be necessary to re-secure it. Wagner says it was tied port yet says she most likely fell from the swim step while securing it. That's what doesn't make sense. It's odd because it's as if Wagner knows it was tied where a swim step would be plausible, yet says it was tied port to support the fabrication of it banging against the headboard in the stateroom.

Dennis pointed out to me the two cleats he tied the dinghy to that night, and he passed it on a polygraph test. I did question him about why it was tied at the swim step that night, and he says so it WOULDN'T bang against the side of the yacht and so that it would be ready for morning use if necessary.”

This was 36 years ago and Robert Wagner is 87 years old, can't we move on? He is never going to be charged with anything, that if he even did anything that he shouldn't have.

There was another theory NW tried to escape the fighting on board via the dingy.

Too much time has passed for anything meaningful to result from a new investigation. Nobody expects an 87 year old man to have a clear recolection of all that trnspired that drunken night.

Are they relooking at this case due to the MeToo# movement? Maybe no longer afraid of Hollywood royalty?

According to Lana the more up to date findings show that Natalie's lungs contained sea foam not sea water. That strongly implies she was dead or totally unconscious before she entered the sea.

Did Robert Wagner have particularly powerful and influential celebrity friends who could have leant on the authorities at the time to shut the investigation down in 1981 /1982?

' Did Robert Wagner have particularly powerful and influential celebrity friends who could have leant on the authorities at the time to shut the investigation down in 1981 /1982?' Seriously R38 ? You mean starting with Sinatra ??

Wood was afraid of the water - she wouldnt have gotten into that Dingy in the middle of night no matter what.

R38 Good point, NW was a darling of the RatPack and many of the powerful male actors and brokers. He could have used influence to shut this investigation down.

The boat captain Dennis has changed his story a few times and he too was drunk that day and night. He's not considered a reliable source.

Whatever happened, I don’t think anyone on Board intentionally killed NW. If anything, it’s manslaughter due to negligence. They were all pretty drunk.

Also, people who spend time on boats, in the water, out at sea, need to learn how to swim. I’m not victim blaming. I’m just pointing out that if I decide to purchase a yacht, it’s likely that I’m not terrified of water, and I know how to swim. Why the heck would I plunk down major cash for something that I cannot enjoy to the fullest? If I’m purchasing a kayak, or a yacht, you can bet your ass I know how to swim.

They reopen this case every 5 years or so. They better make a move soon cause Robert Wagner is only getting older and soon he won't be around to prosecute. Chris Walken, too.

If the truth ever comes out, it will only be after RW is dead. Someone is protecting him still.

I can hardly wait for his sagging aged ass to land in the slammer with the butt bangers.

R30 Yes yes yes to all of it.

There is home video(Roddy McDowall) of her running into the surf and playing around in the waves and there are photos of her swimming happily, so she was not 'absolutely terrified of water', it sounds as if she had a fear of drowning and that has been hugely exaggerated.

I didn't know he was good friends with Sinatra [R39] I knew he was friendly with his widow Barbara and gave her a eulogy at her funeral last year.

The Rat Pack women were Lauren Bacall, Judy Garland and Natalie Wood. NW was considered Hollywood Royalty having been a child actress of great distinction.

[quote]The Rat Pack women were Lauren Bacall, Judy Garland and Natalie Wood.

Shirley MacLaine was at the top of that list.

Thank you R31 I forgot to mention her, absolutely correct. Ill say one thing for these men, they really really liked smart, accomplished women And welcomed them with open arms. KInd of amazing when you think about it. Then again the guys one and all were hard core alcoholics so the women had a place as sympathizers.

I just can't see Wagner as a murderer. A "person of interest" is just someone they want to talk to, not necessarily a suspect. They were all drunk. Drunks fall off boats a lot. If he and Walken were drunk too they'd were likely passed out.

Let's also not forget drunks do extremely stupid shit.

The two official terms, "Person of Interest" and "Suspect," are separated by a very, very delicate line, a minute technicality in the Court of Law.

Wagner is, unofficially, a suspect in the death of Natalie Wood.

It's on now.

Mike Walker of the National Enquirer always implied that Wagner and Christopher Walken were involved--Wagner's bisexuality is no secret--but this show says he didn't like Walken.

He might not have done anything, but this boat captain seems shady as hell.

I don't think Christopher Walken could ever have been classified as "hunky", although his body was in shape back then.

I don't think there was any foul play involved in the death of Natalie Wood. It was a stupid accident; everybody was drunk and behaving badly. Everybody was doing the wrong thing.

I've always found it strange that NW died a couple of weeks after William Holden, Stephanie Powers' partner. I'm just going to go with RJ was obsessed with SP...and when WH died, he saw his chance to get rid of NW. SP didn't want him, so he ended up with her lookalike, Jill St. John.

Yes, I know it is bullshit...but I like the story, so I'm going to go with it.

Why the eff didn't Robert Wagner stay to identify his wife's body? That's heartless.

A lot of cover-ups don't necessarily involve murder, just an accidental death. But there's more to the story.

R61, guilty conscious.

Oh good lord. Did we really learn anything new from the 48 Hours broadcast? New witnesses? 40 years later? The caretaker on the boat who changed his story and made money from selling his story. RJ sticking to his story. Walken remains silent. Of course 88 year old RJ isn't going to give any interviews. Even if they do have new evidence that shows he killed her they can't do anything about it. And would they really put an 88 year old through that? Let it go, folks. PS Lana Wood looks damn good for 71.

R60, did the police ever question her about where she was the night of Natalie’s death? Bitch moved in on him before the body turned cold!

i agree, r64. Just let it go. Move on, tampon!

R59, Hi R.J.

Didn't someone else die on his watch? RW, the kiss of death

48 Hours was weird, with the 'new witnesses!' angle and no mention of anyone talking to Walken since 1981. He knows what happened, obviously.

How could he not ? Yacht was fucking tiny. People react like it was Onassis yacht, did you see a pic of the ' splendour' ? It's a fucking canoe. everyone knew where everyone else was.

Inside the " yacht "

Kirk Douglas! You're next!

“Lana Wood” sounds like a John Waters character.

This blind from Crazy Days and Nights, which isn't actually blind at all, gives some interesting insight:

"The night this actress (long time A lister) and her hubby (probably permanent A- lister just because of his television and movie history and name) got together with this other actor (permanent A- list mostly movie actor) was the epitome of tragic. Too much booze, too much drugs, too much bottled-up hostility. She was drunk and angry. She mocked him and threatened to cuckold him, including about something she caught him doing years before which caused their split. That alone would've destroyed his career and life.

The fight was epic. The guest really did leave for bed, though he heard it all happen. As did the worker on board. The hubby was so drunk and angry, he really didn't remember it all. But according to his memories, and those of the long-silent guest, this is what happened:

Just the two of them, yelling and shoving. She retreated indoors, he went after her. When she got back outside, she demanded to be taken home - already had her coat on. She said she would call her lawyer and he can stay behind. Since the house and money were hers, she'd get the kids too. She had it with him, his cheating, and his drinking and pouting. He wasn't going to let her go at all. He actually reached to grab her when she pulled away, slipped and fell. He could've saved her right there.

That would've been easy and could've just been a spat. But he mocked her. She screamed, yelled, begged for help. He taunted her. The guest came to see what was happening and tried to help. The hubby told him she was just playing hysterics for attention - she could save herself he said. He escorted the guest back inside forcibly. She continued out there, cold, screaming - for several minutes. The worker had been yelling to her he'd help her. He banged on the hubby's door. He was told to go to bed and mind his damn business.

The three men argued. Then they realized - she wasn't screaming anymore. Hubby panicked, and they all went out to try and find her. She'd given up and was already gone. They said it happened so fast. Maybe in drunk time, but in reality? It was over 20 minutes. These three drunk men, very drunk and high. Nothing they did worked. The guest demanded to call for help or be taken home. The hubby threatened him, said he was part of it too. The hubby sat outside for hours, drinking heavily, crying. The scared, weak and stoned worker finally took him inside when he passed out.

When they awoke, they knew how deep of shit they were in. They tried to get their story straight. If one went down - they all would. The first call they placed was to wake up a legendary Hollywood attorney/fixer. He in turn called (permanent A+ list singer) who really was a friend to the actress. The hubby confessed all to him. It was the booze, the anger - he never thought she was in that much danger. He pleaded for mercy. That legendary singer/actor was angry, but he understood how it could happen. "

There you go. Thx R74

More from the Crazy Days and Nights blind. Even more interesting stuff here:

"The cover-up began instantly. There were tons of leaks in their story. But anytime a discrepancy popped up? The powers that be were reminded they were elected officials and stop digging because it won't bring her back. You have no idea how powerful (the A+ list singer) and his legal and illegal pals were in those days. They even had the White House, not to mention City Hall. No local yokels were gonna make waves. Besides, the hubby was so destroyed.

And he really was. He tried suicide many times. He confessed to her daughters, which nearly destroyed one of them. But they too realized that all this time later would not bring her back. But people knew the truth. They spoke. On the record. Even with varying degrees of murder or manslaughter, it's the cover up that'll get you. So no matter the final outcome of the case, even all this time, he doesn't have long to live naturally.

But that cover up? A lot of them are still around. That one long-silent guest? Not so silent. He too is up in age and cleared his conscience. Thing is - he did it in 1985. Yep. It's been on record since then. Way past time for this to come out. It's tragic for those young ladies now, but...Truth. Will. Out. Always.

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

So according to CDAN, Wagner has confessed and has been living in his own private hell since 1981. I'd still like to see him brought to criminal justice before he dies. And Christopher Walken isn't exactly clean in all of this, either.

Natasha gregson said recently in an interview that she knows what happened

R78, are you seriously basing your desire "to see him brought to justice" on a CDAN BI? Did you vote for Trump and believe Hillary sold our uranium to Russia while killing people at Benghazi?

Simple minds are their own worst enemies.

"Why the eff didn't Robert Wagner stay to identify his wife's body? That's heartless."

Maybe because he was so grief stricken that he couldn't bear the thought of seeing his beautiful wife lying disheveled and dead on a slab?

R80 Thanks for your input, Jill St. John.

Not much new input in that CBS story last night, sorry. And they didn't mention the Wagner going down on Walken rumour at all, did they. Funny thing to sidestep.

It really does still sound like a drunk (and angry) woman fell off the side of a boat. Odd that the Splendour is up for sale. Ewww, who would want that, even a Natalie fan? Maybe for a Macabre Tour.

And might Natasha Gregson be?, r79

R84 Uh, Natalie Wood's daughter.

Natalie 's daughter you dumbass R84

Thank you, r85 and r86.

I may be kind of new to this, but why is nobody here talking about the autopsy results on her body with all the fresh abuse marks all over body, in areas that indicate traditional assault? Drowning does not bring about those marks. A domestic abuse situation does.

The new witnesses say a couple was heard arguing and then nothing - no splash, nothing. Does this not indicate, along with the autopsy report, that she died on board and he dumped her body in the dinghy?

The first detective on the case was an idiot - he talked to Wagner two times and took everything for face value. It doesn't sound like anybody really did their job the first time around.

Wagner must have had friends in high places to divert this case away from people's attention. The Sinatra theory has a rancid ring of truth to it. That particular elite of Hollywood was dirty, sleazy and downright criminal.

Natalie Wood, Jill St John and Stephanie Powers all were friends from girlhood.

There is a picture of the 3 of them with 3 other girls taken at ballet class.

Wagner and Natasha Gregson hosted a Nat Wood night on TCM last year and they seemed very close. I believe she calls him Daddy Wagner and her birth father is Daddy Gregson. They both obviously adored Natalie. If she knew RJ had something to do with her mother's death then I don't know how she could even be in the same room with him. Whatever happened on that boat was an accident and everyone involved behaved irresponsibly. Tragic and sad but not worth obsessing over.

I am in love with R87

R81 No. How her grief stricken you are, you don't leave others to identify your beloved spouse.

Blunt force trauma or strangulation would have been easy to prove, even back then. Seems more like founds that could have come from hitting the side of a boat when falling or fighting to get back on. I remember seeing the autopsy reports in one of those creepy magazines they sold on Hollywood street corners (( had only lived there two months when Natalie's death happened).

I still don't know why Walken was on the boat in the first place. If Wagner didn't like him from the start why would he be invited? Why did he even go if he knew Wagner didn't want him there?

Someone wanted some Walken D. But which one?

Feelings mutual, r86.

I think he genuinely loved her, no matter what happened that night it obviously left him devastated. After he dies maybe the real truth will finally come out about what happened.

Chris Walken was a HUNK. And a much much better actor than RW. Not surprised there might have been "chemistry" between the two. Nat and Chris.

I remember The Deer Hunter and thought "who IS this guy?" when I first spotted Walken.

Perhaps "hunk" has been a poor choice of word. Walken had a strange sex appeal that was edgy and dangerous, intellectual and intense that separated him from your conventional leading man ... an appeal that didn't last long as he just retreated into oddballness than his sexuality (I always considered him more neuter than anything). His youth gave him a aesthetic advantage that aging took away.

"Hunk" applies more to the Burt Reynolds-Tom Selleck type (at the time), which Walken never was.

Robert Wagner LOVED Natalie Wood....and vice-versa. It was an accident plain and simple.

Tell me, r100 - Would Jean-Paul Sartre be your typical bedtime reading?

I understand the Walken-Wagner slant on the story since this is a gay site. but from the time this happened the gossip was always that Natalie and Walken had a very light and breezy on set affair while making Brainstorm and Wagner suspected as much. He loathed Walken and a lot of the loud arguing in the bar on Catalina was between the two men emboldened by alcohol. I was around 24 when it happened, and there was never any talk about Natalie catching the two men together.

RJ bisexual? Where is this info? According to this site, who isn’t bi or in the closet? I believe RJ and Natalie had a deep and true love. They were married twice. If there was any foul play I would suspect that it was an accident and someone panicked. Unless there is some sort of confession, I don’t think this is headed anywhere. In my opinion, none of them are credible witnesses. They were all drunk.

R87 How would you describe yourself ? I am 40 and some, very fit, slender handsome, hairy, dark italian type. Ricky Martin type if you will. Endowed. Very hungry bottom

[quote]about something she caught him doing years before which caused their split.

Yes, sucking cock.

If the water was rough, why would she stay on a small yacht ? Sounds miserable to me.

[quote] [R80] Thanks for your input, Jill St. John.

Jeez, if you're going to fantasize about me why can't I be Stephanie Powers rather than that tacky chorus girl looking St. John. Please reconsider.

Jill saint john was in ' the Roman spring of mrs stone '. Vivien Leigh never spoke to her. Not once during the entire shooting. And that stupid twat tells it herself in the dvd bonus...

Who knew that Natalie fucking Wood would turn out to be the Laura Palmer of 2018? So many secrets.

Well, this was on a par with the "scandalous new details" 48 Hours revealed about Aaron Hernandez.

About a year or two after Natalie's death, they were shooting an episode of "Hart to Hart" in the parking garage of where I worked. By that point I was already jaded about that stuff but I still looked inside. Robert Wagner was all smiles and had one of those small flat asses that always baffles me (how do they even sit for long periods of time) but was still handsome -- not like when he was a kid but still hot.

Stefanie Powers already looked like she had a knob on the back of her head that they turned before each take.

"I may be kind of new to this, but why is nobody here talking about the autopsy results on her body with all the fresh abuse marks all over body, in areas that indicate traditional assault? Drowning does not bring about those marks."

If she'd fallen off the boat was was frenziedly trying to get back in it then that could account for the bumps and bruises. If they'd been made by some kind of abuse I think those types of wounds would have been easily discernible from accidental ones.

Maybe the Harts can solve he mystery.

Looking at the size of the boat, her bruises, and all the reports about drunken fights, it seems ridiculous to think that she just fell in the water and no one noticed.

Closeted, r105.

If it's really true that Christopher Walken backed off while Wagner was mocking Natalie when she was in the water then he should be ashamed of himself. Who does that? your immediate reaction should be to help someone who's in critical danger like that.

Has any interviewer tried to ask Walken what happened?

No one appears to, r118. It's kind of surprising since this whole thing has blown up the last couple of days. Maybe he's gone to ground to avoid the press.

R118, see R76.

In 2011, the Hollywood Reporter cited a 1997 interview with Walken who said he had been asleep, but I can find nothing from 1985

Gayle King tried to ask him but he shut her down.

A few months after Natalie's death i saw RJ in Palm Springs alone at the bar in a restaurant my parents took us to. He was slumped over his drink and stayed that way until we left.

He ooked hot but pathetic. I would have sucked him to make him feel better.

If both Wagner and Walken were both drunk as shit then it's entirely plausible that they may have not taken seriously any cries they heard, that is, if they heard them in the first place.

I really don't believe Natalie Wood walking in on a :"sex romp" between her husband and Christopher Walken. It's the National Enquirer for God's sake, a tabloid that will say anything to sell issues.

From the other thread... read this article. I think the real story is Sinatra fixed it, and the detective gave him a pass. The current detectives wont allow that to happen again.

Re the Vanity Fair article from several years back- did anyone else notice the reference to Frank Sinatra as a “Hollywood Fixer?”

Wagner dated Tina Sinatra - imagine Frank thought him a “mans man - taller than Sinatra and masculine handsome” everything Frank wasnt. So Wagner and Wood were a welcome part of the Rat Pack.

Reading that FS led community outrage against the ME that described William Holden as “fall down drunk” and eventually had him fired. I can certainly see R.J. going to Frank and saying “it was an accident! She gets drunk, i smacked her - it was nothing Frank! I didn’t mean to kill her.”

What was suspicious was the way the lead Detective didn’t push Wagner for an interview under controlled circumstances, and a detective only gets one pass so they have to make it a good one. Then the ME sort of overlooked all his remarks it looked like a violent fight had aoccured.

I think Sinatra had more pull in Hollywood than anyone knew, Mob connections, mob in Hollywood connections, flaunting WH connections in his youth. Then tight with Reagans - he had power at his beck and call. That the detective totally whiffed any interview pretty much says it all. Sinatra called it off.

Re Gayle King: an innocent man, after so many years would have a ready answer. The last thing to respond with is a flat out know - he has to surely understand how that looks to the public. Instead he answers with hostility and rich white male priviledge. All the tell.

They showed the Gayle King clip this weekend. Walken didn’t across as hostile, just unwilling to discuss the matter. I assume he was on the show to talk about something else so he had every right to refuse.

This article totally nails all the BS Wagner has spun over the years to hide his guilt in her death.

I think Wagner is deeply concerned her daughters will learn the brutal truth about his 3 decades of lies about their mother. In another interview his attorney even mentions this “Mr. Wagner and his daughters have no interest...” in other words he STILL is using his own kids to obscure that the truth about HIM is the issue.

While it is possible that the issue of Domestic Violence was not as recognized then as now, his behavior was stunning on its face of Calculated indifference. He had someone cover up for him - the cheesy cops that made a half hearted effort the ME that failed to do his job. Sinatra was THE Fixer in the entertainment world. There was too much hands off from people that would have been huge fans of Wood - it makes no sense.

Just catching up on this...

The author of the Vanity Fair article does love his adjectives -- "stunning", "staggering". And 48 Hours is a little heavy handed on the music, editing, and sound effects.

Dateline >>>>>>48 Hours & 20/20

Th 48 Hours episode was a little on the biased side in my opinion. I know this has been ignored for a long time, but it would have been better if they had tried to be more impartial. Also, they didn't seem to investigate what Christopher Walken actually saw that night. He claimed to have been asleep, however, it's been claimed that he's confessed over the years to have witnessed the argument between Wagner and Wood, and, actually been prevented by RJ from trying to help Natalie when she was in the water.

Can't we move on, this was over 36 years ago.

R132 No I won't rest.

I was a tech assistant during an interview done with the director of the movie Natalie was working on when she died. He is much older now, no longer making movies, instead doing a lot of work with new 3D projector technology That what our interview was mainly about. We had a recorder for the whole interview which is standard practice and he was fully aware of it. And at one point when the interviewer started going over his old work, to our shock and dismay, he blatantly told us he knew for a fact that the studio had Natalie killed. Everyone in the room was stunned to silence. He laid out his whole explanation for the situation in great detail. Eventually the interviewer I was assisting recovered and changed topics. My involvement in the project ended that day since all that was left was to write up the story. As you could all probably guess, the final story made no mention of it at all. I had never heard of Natalie before that day (I'm 26). I assumed he was just a crazy old man. I looked her up a day or two later and was pretty freaked out to read about the inconsistencies. This all happened in 2014

Dementia

"And at one point when the interviewer started going over his old work, to our shock and dismay, he blatantly told us he knew for a fact that the studio had Natalie killed."

Sounds like the blatherings of a senile old man to me.

What's your problem, r80? It was known in her circles that NW was fearful of DARK water, not mere water. There is no way the Official Story is the true one.

r134, You had never heard of Natalie Wood, yet you worked in movie production? Did you never actually, you know, WATCH movies? Or read of them?

R138 It was just a simple summer job for a popular movie critic blog. I had no interest in a career in movies haha I was a math major. A good friend got me the gig for the summer after college and it was a cool few months.

Your Director clearly has dementia. Pretty hard to kill her when there are only 3 people aboard and all 3 were awake though in diff places on the yacht. This was clearly a case of Violent Domestic Abuse.

Another friend of Natalie's speaks out

In case I was unclear, I was an assistant for the blog. My boss was there to do the interview. Neither of us had ever met the director before. Although my boss was very familiar with his work.

The friend was one from her earliest childhood but I don't know whether the two stayed in close contact.

I don't expect Natasha or Courtney to ever speak out against RJ. I don't even think they're in touch with Lana? Wasn't Courtney arrested a few years ago and said to be a drug addict? Shame neither of them got Natalie's looks. The actress who portrayed Natalie in that ABC biopic is a deadringer for Natasha though.

What's the only kind of wood doesn't float? Natalie Wood!