No evidence of foul play in Natalie Wood death

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s chief of detectives William McSweeney told the Los Angeles Times that several weeks of interviews and other work have not uncovered any evidence the death was a homicide. It had been ruled as an accident.

Cold cases like Wood’s are never really closed and detectives are still looking at some aspects of the case, added Mr McSweeney.

The investigation was reopened in November, when detectives said several sources came forward with new information.

Natalie Wood died sometime after the evening of November 28, 1981, when the 43-year-old actress was boating off Catalina Island with her husband Robert Wagner and actor Christopher Walken.

The evening before the drowning, Wood, Wagner and Walken, who was Wood’s co-star in the film Brainstorm, had dinner at a restaurant on the island. Authorities said they returned to the yacht and that Wagner and Walken got into an argument.

Walken went to bed, according to Wagner, who, after staying up with captain Dennis Davern, went looking for his wife. He then noticed a dinghy attached to the boat – and his wife – were gone.

Lifeguard captain Roger Smith claimed in November the actress could have been saved if officials had been called sooner. He was alerted at 5.11am the next day.

Based on the condition of her body, Mr Smith said he believes she survived for some time in the water and was washed out to sea.