MovieChat Forums > The Mystery of Natalie Wood (2004) Discussion > Since There's No Statute of Limitations....

Since There's No Statute of Limitations...

posted 20 years ago by bluegreen5555
13 replies | jump to latest

Since there's no statue of limitations on murder, I think that it's HIGH TIME something was done to re-open the investigation of Natalie Wood's death. I have just finished reading the book, "Natasha," on which the TV movie was based, and I am beyond appalled that people on a boat moored near Robert Wagner's boat heard Natalie calling for help the night she died, and two men's voices TAUNTING her and not helping her. Wagner's statements to the investigators were contradicted by his press release to the media. This is all an abomination, and seriously, something HAS to be done!

[radiant][laugh2]

[–] Carmelina 20 years ago

I agree. it's sickening. I've also been meaning to read the book Natasha, but I have to find it first.

~*I didn't say it was your fault. I said I was blaming you.*~

[–] joandchloe 19 years ago

The case was investigated fully and thoroughly at the time. The law enforcement authorities found no evidence of foul play. Hvaing seen a copy of Natalie's autopsy report, I would have to agree with them. There is nothing in the report to suggest that Natalie was the victim of anything other than a tragic accident, caused in part by the fact that she was intoxicated.

As for Finstadt's claims about the final night, her source was Dennis Davern, the skipper on the yacht. He changes his story as often as most people change their underwear! Basically, he's looking to make money out of his connection to that tragic night! If what he claims in the Finstadt book is true, why did he not try to save Natalie himself? Or tell the police at the time? Simple - he made the whole thing up! End of story!

Joanne

[–] sdblosom 19 years ago

She seemed so happy with her husband I hate to think that he had anything to do with it. I like to think that she was just intoxicated. If that guy DID hear her plees for help, I think it is suspicious that he didn't help. I hope his story is false, she has had such a rough life!

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] jamma_man69 16 years ago

most of the trouble has been caused by the version of events through Lana Wood's eyes.

She has contradcited herself a dozen times since her first statements--depending on who was paying and how much

[–] mausermike63 15 years ago

Detective Rasure's interview of Robert Wagner lasted a whopping six minutes that morning of the drowning. A timeline, which is a staple of any thorough investigation, was not constructed. The Sherrif's Department already concluded that morning of the drowning that it was no more than a drowning. These facts don't indicate a "fully and thorough" investigation. A truly thorough investigation would not draw conclusions so quickly.

The statements made by John Payne and Marilyn Wayne, the two who had heard a woman's cries of help that night were dismissed by Rasure as no more than an attempt at jumping on the bandwagon. But contacting Avalon for a search helicopter and then subsequently later that morning to the sherrif's office to tell what they had heard and not to the media don't appear to be characteristics of bandwagoning.

Also missed by the detectives was Warren Archer's claim that he heard over the radio of an argument or a fight going onboard the Splendour when he called to invite the Wagner party over to his boat. This was around 11:00pm not long before the cries for help were heard (beginning at 11:05pm according to John Payne). Wagner himself indicated a fight (his exact word) with his wife to the first searcher to appear at his yacht. Interestingly, Wagner's subsequent statements are void of any mention of an argument or fight. Any fight or heated argument just prior to any disappearance or death is usually a signal to any law enforcement to possible foul play that demands a thorough and time consuming investigation.

As to Davern's statements to Vanity Fair and to the tabloids, sure there was a profit motive involved. But profit motives don't automatically invalidate a story. If he were deposed in a court of law, it would be interesting to see if he would adhere to his statements made in the media or not.

If his statements are true, why didn't Davern make an attempt at helping Natalie? I'd say a lack of character that was exacerbated with being heavily intoxicated. He appears to be obsequious in his character, afterall he did end up living with Wagner for a few months after this episode, was paid what can be construed as hush money and hasn't done the right thing by approaching law enforcemnent. Instead he leaks out a story that may or may not be true.

I'd like to see him in court.

[–] cosmicly 12 years ago

The case was "investigated fully and thoroughly at the time." You're kidding, right?

Investigator Rasure, for years, maintained that if he had had ANY reason to suspect that Natalie's death was anything but an accident, he would have investigated it as a homicide.

When Rasure asked Wagner about the broken glass on the table and carpet, Wagner said that it was due to "rough seas," and that lie was corroborated by both Christopher Walken and Dennis Davern. So Rasure concluded that there was no reason to pursue the investigation--he assumed it was an accident, the stories backed up his "accident" theory, and the case was reported as an accident.

When Rasure learned, thirty years later, that Wagner admitted that he lied about the "rough seas" explanation, and that the broken glass was due to Wagner smashing a wine bottle during an angry and drunken argument, what did Rasure say? Rasure said that learning about Wagner's lie made Rasure "a little uncomfortable."

The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department has reopened the investigation of Natalie Wood's death. But with all of the Statutes of Limitation now passed for everything except Murder One, and with the reluctance to find celebrities guilty of anything, we will probably never know the truth.

People who idolize Natalie Wood will always suspect that her death was something other than an accident. People who idolize Robert Wagner will always believe that he can do no wrong.

But to declare that "The case was investigated fully and thoroughly at the time" is absolutely RIDICULOUS!

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] tmitch-1 9 years ago

I apologize in advance - this is really just a cut-and-paste of an earlier post - but I think it answers why there won't be any charges filed anytime soon.

By process of elimination, I really don't think it's that much of a mystery how Natalie Wood died.

Let's start with what is certain - based on the ear-witness testimony and the statements of Robert Wagner, Christopher Walken, and Dennis Davern over the years:

1) Wagner, Walken, Davern, and Natalie herself were all drunk and/or angry that night.

2) Wagner, Walken, and Davern all could have saved her - but didn't.

Now we'll move on to a couple of items that fall just short of being certain: it's ALMOST certain that none of the three meant for her to actually die; and it's ALMOST certain that none of the three are particularly proud of themselves for what they did or failed to do that night.

While it's clear all three men were callous jerks who failed to save her, the only way any of them committed an actual crime depends on exactly how she ended up in the water. Did she fall in - or was she pushed?

I personally have to rule out the theory that she was trying to secure the dingy to the yacht to keep it from thumping against the boat and waking her up. Sorry - but no one was trying to sleep that night.

That leaves two possible scenarios.

The first scenario is that someone - possibly Wagner - pushed her in. Probably not meaning for her to drown, but to 'teach her a lesson' that went way beyond what he intended. If this were in fact the case, then Wagner or whomever pushed her in would at least be guilty of manslaughter.

This scenario seems unlikely, however, because it wouldn't explain how the dingy became untied from the yacht.

The second scenario - the one I believe is most likely - is that in a drunken, attention-seeking huff, Natalie deliberately tried to board the dingy and separate herself from boat - and then accidentally fell into the water while Wagner and the others laughed at her. While her family has always insisted Natalie was too afraid of the water to even attempt to do this, you have to keep in mind that she was REALLY pissed off and REALLY drunk that night. You also have to keep in mind that her family would be reluctant to believe it was her own clumsiness that killed her - even if her own husband did fail to save her. Finally, it would explain why Wagner and the rest would be so callous. Up until she actually drowned, they viewed the entire episode as nothing more than a hissy fit.

When I replay the unseen (to everyone except Wagner, Walken, and Davern) events of that night, I see Robert Wagner going on a drunken rampage that was returned in kind by a drunk Natalie with quite possibly Walken joining in (Davern probably just stayed quiet). I then see Natalie saying something to the effect of "I'm getting off this *beep* boat!" to which Wagner and the others just laughed - in no small part due to the fact that she couldn't swim. I see RJ saying something along the lines of "Yeah right - where ya gonna go?" Determined to make him eat those words, she then jumped into the dingy, and managed to untie it from the yacht. Then as she was shoving herself and the dingy away from the yacht - she fell in. Her stand-up hubby and the others continued to laugh at her - mistakenly believing they had plenty of time to fish her out, and that she was probably still hanging on to the dingy. It's even quite possible that Davern or Walken started to go after her - but Wagner told them to let her cool off for a while, which would explain why Davern places the blame on Wagner. When she finally went quiet, one of them - again, probably Wagner - finally went over to get her, but to his horror realized she wasn't there. The laughter stopped, and the rest is history.

In the end, I don't think it's that much of a mystery. Robert Wagner, Christopher Walken, and Dennis Davern are most likely world-class jerks - but probably not murderers.

[–] talkinturtles 8 years ago

I have to agree with you. Very well thought out. No one intended on killing her that night.

[–] Stratego (29172) 6 years ago

No one's saying that Wagner intended to kill her. You clearly haven't been paying attention.

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Stratego (29172) 6 years ago

"This scenario seems unlikely, however, because it wouldn't explain how the dingy became untied from the yacht."

Uhm, how about Wagner untying the dingy because he didn't want to be convicted of manslaughter? Just like he first pretended there was no argument at all that night?

A drunk Natalie going into a dingy at night in just a nightgown while she was terrified of the water makes no sense. A drunk and easily angered Wagner pushing her into the water during an argument wanting to teach her a lesson makes more sense considering the witness statements. And it's basically what the skipper now admits to.