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Robert Wagner Refuses to be Interviewed About Natalie Wood's Death After New Findings Reopen Case
Robert Wagner Refuses to be Interviewed About Natalie Wood's Death After New Findings Reopen Case
January 18, 2013

The harrowing case of late actress Natalie Wood's mysterious death over 30 years ago surfaced again earlier this week after a new report released Monday, Jan. 14, called the actual cause of death into question once more.

The only problem is, the one man that authorities are hoping to talk to -- Wood's husband, actor Robert Wagner -- is still refusing to open up.

According to Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. John Corina, Wagner, now 82, is the only person who was on the boat the night of Wood's 1981 death that is refusing to speak with authorities about the revived investigation.

"We reached out through his attorney and got rebuffed. We went to his home and he refused to talk us, and we sent him a letter, so I say it is fair to say he has declined to be interviewed, repeatedly," Corina said Thursday, Jan. 17, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Wagner sat down for three interviews with detectives about the case when it first happened more than three decades ago.

In the new report, released by the Los Angeles County Coroner's office, it is stated that "there were recent bruises to the back of the left thigh. A few day old bruises were on the back of the right thigh and knee but there were fresh bruises and scratches to the right posterior leg."

The significance of these newly discovered bruises, the coroner's office noted, was that "the location of the bruises, the multiplicity of the bruises, lack of head trauma, or facial bruising support bruising having occurred prior to the entry into the water."

Wood, who was 43 at the time of her death, was previously believed to have died by accident the night she, Wagner, and actor Christopher Walken celebrated the completion of Wood and Walken's film Brainstorm with a trip out to Catalina Island.

The actress' lifeless body was found floating about a mile from the yacht the next morning, on Nov. 29, 1981.

In a 2008 memoir, Wagner recalled that he and Walken had argued the night of Wood's death, but he didn't discover that his wife and the dinghy attached to the yacht were missing until much later that evening.

"Nobody knows," he wrote. "There are only two possibilities; either she was trying to get away from the argument, or she was trying to tie the dinghy. But the bottom line is that nobody knows exactly what happened."

The case was reopened in November 2011 and investigators have since interviewed more than 100 people.

On Thursday evening, Wagner's attorney, Blair Berk, released a statement that defended her client's decision to refuse further interviews.

"After 30 years, neither Mr. Wagner nor his daughters [Natasha Gregson and Courtney Brooke] have any new information to add to this latest investigation, which was unfortunately prompted by those seeking to exploit and sensationalize the 30th anniversary of the death of his wife and their mother," Berk said in the statement.

This article originally appeared on Usmagazine.com: Robert Wagner Refuses to be Interviewed About Natalie Wood's Death After New Findings Reopen Case

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I also heard Walken and Natalie either had a special friendship, maybe not a full blow affair, but definitely sparks and Wagner knew...argument, accusations, pulling and pushing, etc...Walken has remained quiet ..true she couldnt swim, had been drinking,. fed up, she wanted to get away....so damn sad, she was my favorite actress growing up, my favorite movie was This Property is Condemed with Robert Redford....definitely the guys caused her to do something that in the end killed her...
Posted by DollyT January 20, 2013, 11:06 pm
According to her family, Natalie couldn't swim and the coroners report sais she was wearing pajamas. Why would she get into a small boat in open water at night? She must have been terrified and desperate to get away from whatever was happening. Shame on them.
Posted by Mommybelle January 20, 2013, 5:07 am
According to the original statements made at the time of her death...the 3 had been drinking there was speculation that Natalie was having an affair w/ Walkin and that night Wagner let on that he knew about it and confronted them w/ it. Walkin has never said a word. Denies interviews...I think he is the culprit.
Posted by odette January 19, 2013, 9:10 pm
30 years ago they Didn't have the technology they have today, and I believe it's called Cold Case, when they Don't have New Info to prove they're case of Foul Play ...that Doesn't mean the Case is (Closed), Suspicion of Foul Play, is Never Closed....
Posted by Bbthumper January 19, 2013, 5:32 pm
@bronxs.if the dead woman was your mom or sister with so many unanswered questions remaining how would u feel? 30 yrs gone by.so what.she is a real person and truth needs to be justfied for her family and kids.
Posted by ripetomato January 19, 2013, 5:06 pm
if she were my loved one, i would want the case open again! the question is why did the case close!
Posted by Dazzlingeyes January 19, 2013, 4:43 pm
Why reopen a case that is more than 30 years old just let it be guys i mean really people shes been dead more than 30 years ago why dig open old wounds i just hope they are not going to try blame her husband for her death because that would wrong to do maybe she was trying to get away from the fight maybe she was tying the thing and lost her footing and she went over and hit her head or just maybe there was someone else was on board that they maybe didnt know was there and wanted to hurt her something i guess we will never know will we who ever did is dead by now anyway so let it be
Posted by Bronxs January 19, 2013, 2:48 pm
Why is he a free man!
Posted by funtimes4 January 19, 2013, 1:26 pm
There is nothing new to add to this sad death. They are playing on her name and the drama of it and dragging it out again. She was drunk. She drown. Happens all too often. Mr. Wagner and his family should be left in peace.
Posted by dontdoit January 19, 2013, 11:50 am
If they were on the boat alone, how could he be argueing w/walken.
Posted by *Venture Life* January 19, 2013, 10:13 am

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