Actress Natalie Wood's 1981 death to be reexamined
- 13 years ago
EDITORS NOTE - THIS EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL
It's been almost 30 years to the day that Hollywood icon Natalie Wood died in a mysterious accident.
Now the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is re-opening the case, citing fresh evidence that could shed some light on what happened that fateful day.
In 1981, Wood's body was found floating in a cove in Catalina Island, located off the coast of southern California.
She'd spent the night dining and drinking with her husband the TV star Robert Wagner and actor Christopher Walken.
At the time, her death was ruled an accidental drowning by the Los Angeles County Coroner.
But a statement released by LA sheriff's officials on Thursday (November 17) said:
"Recently sheriff's homicide investigators were contacted by persons who stated they had additional information about the Natalie Wood Wagner drowning...
"...the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau has decided to take another look at the case."
The LA County Sheriff told the LA Times newspaper that detectives wanted to talk to the captain of the yacht, the Splendor, about comments he made as the 30th anniversary of the actress' death approached.
The newspaper also said they received an anonymous letter saying the captain had new recollections about the case.
A family spokesman says they haven't been contacted by police but "fully support" the departments efforts.
A screen icon, Wood starred in some of the biggest movies of all time including "West Side Story".
She starred as a child in "Miracle on 34th Street", and later opposite James Dean in "Rebel Without A Cause" and "Splendor In The Grass".
Police declined to comment further on the case but a news conference will be held in LA on Friday morning (afternoon GMT).
Cindy Martin, Reuters
It's been almost 30 years to the day that Hollywood icon Natalie Wood died in a mysterious accident.
Now the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is re-opening the case, citing fresh evidence that could shed some light on what happened that fateful day.
In 1981, Wood's body was found floating in a cove in Catalina Island, located off the coast of southern California.
She'd spent the night dining and drinking with her husband the TV star Robert Wagner and actor Christopher Walken.
At the time, her death was ruled an accidental drowning by the Los Angeles County Coroner.
But a statement released by LA sheriff's officials on Thursday (November 17) said:
"Recently sheriff's homicide investigators were contacted by persons who stated they had additional information about the Natalie Wood Wagner drowning...
"...the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau has decided to take another look at the case."
The LA County Sheriff told the LA Times newspaper that detectives wanted to talk to the captain of the yacht, the Splendor, about comments he made as the 30th anniversary of the actress' death approached.
The newspaper also said they received an anonymous letter saying the captain had new recollections about the case.
A family spokesman says they haven't been contacted by police but "fully support" the departments efforts.
A screen icon, Wood starred in some of the biggest movies of all time including "West Side Story".
She starred as a child in "Miracle on 34th Street", and later opposite James Dean in "Rebel Without A Cause" and "Splendor In The Grass".
Police declined to comment further on the case but a news conference will be held in LA on Friday morning (afternoon GMT).
Cindy Martin, Reuters