Natalie Wood was at the peak of her fame, a sexy movie star in such hits as West Side Story and Rebel Without A Cause. But behind the scenes, alcohol, pills and bad marriages were taking their toll on the star. Keep reading the article below to learn more about Who Killed Natalie Wood.

On November 29, 1981, the body of Natalie Wood was found floating in the chilly waters off Catalina Island. The Los Angeles County coroner ruled her death accidental drowning and hypothermia.
Natalie Wood’s husband, Robert Wagner, has long been a person of interest in the actress’s death. Her body was found on November 29, 1981, floating a mile from her yacht off the coast of California’s Catalina Island. At the time, investigators believed that she had fallen overboard while attempting to board or retie her dinghy. They also noted that she had bruises and a high blood alcohol level, which led them to rule her death an accident.
But, as it turns out, the truth is a lot more complicated. Wagner and Wood were never a perfect couple. While they walked red carpets and posed aboard yachts, their real life was far less glamorous. They struggled to find stability in their relationship and frequently fought.
Even after they remarried and had a child, things didn’t always work out. For instance, he was jealous of her success in her career and her relationship with Christopher Walken, which strained their marriage. Moreover, he felt like she was using him for his fame and fortune.
But, despite all the fighting and insecurity, he loved her. In a memoir, he wrote that she was his “best friend and soulmate.”
During the investigation into her death, Wagner refused to comment on how she died. His silence has fueled speculation that he had something to do with her death. In addition, his behavior in the months following her death has been suspicious. He stayed in the house where she was found and wouldn’t let the captain of her boat leave. Initially, his friends thought he was hiding information from them and trying to keep himself out of trouble.
Later, he offered the captain lump sums of money to keep his mouth shut. He claimed that he wanted to help his wife’s children, but they didn’t believe him.
The Los Angeles County Coroner has never released a definitive cause of her death. However, he has stated that she could have lived if she had removed her waterlogged jacket and jumped out of the chilly waters sooner. The star’s sudden decline in her late 40s coincided with her rocky marriage with Wagner and the end of her acting career.
Christopher Walken
Actor Christopher Walken isn’t a suspect in Natalie Wood’s 1981 drowning, but he’s also not made any public comments on the case. He hasn’t spoken about the incident at all, really, which is odd considering the fact that he was one of the last people to see the star alive.
On November 29, 1981, Wood was found dead in the water off the coast of California. She had been on a yacht trip with her husband, Robert Wagner, her Brainstorm co-star Walken and the yacht’s captain, Dennis Davern.
The cause of death was initially ruled accidental drowning, but it was later changed to drowning with undetermined factors. According to the autopsy report, propoxyphene was found in her system, which has a dangerous reaction when combined with Valium. It’s believed that she ingested both of those drugs before her death.
Walken, who starred with Wood in films such as Miracle on 34th Street and Rebel Without a Cause, has maintained that the death of his friend was not her fault. He claims that the pair argued throughout the night of her disappearance, and she left to go back to her room because she couldn’t sleep amidst the crashing noises of their stateroom.
When she didn’t return, Wagner searched for her and sounded the alarm on their dinghy, the Prince Valliant. The Coast Guard was called, and Wood’s body was discovered the next morning floating in the water, dressed only in her burgundy nightgown, socks and parka.
Over the years, Wagner has denied arguing with both Walken and Wood, and in his 2008 memoir Pieces of My Heart, he stated that no one knows what caused her to fall off the boat. He added that he stopped the searchlights and kept his phone turned off for four hours because he wanted to give authorities the time they needed to find her.
The Coast Guard
After decades of mystery and debate, one thing is certain: Hollywood’s golden girl died in a tragic accident. But the truth is a lot more complicated than that simple, albeit horrific, conclusion. From her privileged beginnings to her tumultuous romance with Robert Wagner, we’ll take an in-depth look at the life and death of Natalie Wood.
The day of her death, Natalie Wood was 43 years old and one of the biggest stars in show business. Her film career was skyrocketing, with lead roles in West Side Story and Rebel Without a Cause. Her marriage to the star of Hart to Hart and It Takes a Thief was also going strong.
That night, however, she vanished off her husband’s yacht on the waters of Catalina Island. Her body washed ashore the following morning, and her subsequent death has never been fully explained.
The case remains unsolved despite the efforts of many, including the LA coroner’s ruling of accidental drowning. In 2011, a witness spoke out for the first time since the case was reopened, claiming that he heard an argument between the couple and saw a dinghy being towed away from the yacht. The man was a 17-year-old worker on a fishing boat moored near the Splendour and spoke to author Marti Rulli about his account.
According to the witness, the evening of Wood’s death was tense and arguments erupted over her alleged flirtation with Walken. The witness also claimed that he heard Wagner yell at her to “get off my f***ing boat” and that Wagner stopped him from turning on the searchlights or calling for help for four hours.
This accounts for the four hours that elapsed between the dinghy being towed and her disappearance from the yacht. The man’s claims support those of the ship’s captain, Dennis Davern, who told police that a fight broke out on the deck as Wagner accused Wood of having an affair with her Brainstorm co-star. He said that he then saw her go down into the water and did not see her again until she washed ashore the next day.
The Dinghy
The story of Natalie Wood’s death remains mired in controversy. The actress was last seen alive during a boat trip off the coast of California’s Catalina Island in November 1981. She was sailing on her 60-foot yacht, Splendour, with husband Robert Wagner, Brainstorm co-star Christopher Walken and their skipper, Dennis Davern.
During an argument that evening between Walken and Wagner, Wood retired to her cabin. The following night, she disappeared from the yacht. The Los Angeles coroner at the time ruled her death an accident, but many doubt that she drowned accidentally.
According to a new book by former Radar journalist Lynn Rulli, a witness who was 17 at the time of Wood’s death has recently come forward with his account of what happened on the night she vanished. The witness, who works on a fishing boat moored near the yacht where the couple was staying, claims that Wagner got angry and smashed a bottle of wine against the table after the argument with Walken. He also says that Wagner stopped him from turning on the boat’s searchlight or calling for help until four hours after Wood went missing.
When the dinghy was found several hours later, it was empty. In his memoir, Wagner said that he knew it was out of character for Wood to take the dinghy out so late at night and thought she may have slipped off while trying to tie it up or get in. He figured she would eventually return to the boat.
After she didn’t, he called the Baywatch private coast guard. He told the operator that he had been looking for Wood and couldn’t find her. The coast guard responded and began searching the waters.
The dinghy was found the next morning in an isolated cove. It was not where Wagner had told the coast guard it was. According to Wagner, he believes she took the dinghy out to check on it and then slipped off while attempting to tie it up.
Wood was only 43 when she died, but her life was cut short in a whirlwind of fame and fortune. Her last will and testament named Wagner as executor and trustee of her funds and heir to half of her estate. Her career had just peaked with the release of Rebel Without a Cause, which brought her her first Oscar nomination and established her as a leading lady in Hollywood.