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| Natalie Wood's drowning death reclassified by Los Angeles coroner | Natalie Wood's drowning death reclassified by Los Angeles coroner |
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| Los Angeles county coroners have reignited the mystery over Natalie Wood's death by concluding she may have been assaulted before drowning in the sea in 1981, a death which has haunted Hollywood ever since. | Los Angeles county coroners have reignited the mystery over Natalie Wood's death by concluding she may have been assaulted before drowning in the sea in 1981, a death which has haunted Hollywood ever since. |
| A report released on Monday showed that coroner's officials have raised the possibility of foul play because of previously overlooked bruises found on the actor's wrists and upper body. | A report released on Monday showed that coroner's officials have raised the possibility of foul play because of previously overlooked bruises found on the actor's wrists and upper body. |
| The report, released after a "security hold" by sheriff's officials, stopped short of classifying the death as a homicide, saying key pieces of evidence were missing. Instead of accidental drowning Wood's death is now classified as "drowning and other undetermined factors". | The report, released after a "security hold" by sheriff's officials, stopped short of classifying the death as a homicide, saying key pieces of evidence were missing. Instead of accidental drowning Wood's death is now classified as "drowning and other undetermined factors". |
| A sheriff's spokesman, Steve Whitmore, said the agency has known about the report since last year and that it did not change the status of the investigation, which remained open. | A sheriff's spokesman, Steve Whitmore, said the agency has known about the report since last year and that it did not change the status of the investigation, which remained open. |
| The star of Rebel Without a Cause and West Side Story was on a yacht off Catalina Island, a playground off the coast of Los Angeles, with husband Robert Wagner, co-star Christopher Walken, and the vessel's captain on Thanksgiving weekend 1981. | The star of Rebel Without a Cause and West Side Story was on a yacht off Catalina Island, a playground off the coast of Los Angeles, with husband Robert Wagner, co-star Christopher Walken, and the vessel's captain on Thanksgiving weekend 1981. |
| Wagner phoned authorities around 1.30am on November 29 to report his wife missing. The 43-year-old was found a few hours later in her nightgown and socks floating face-down in the water. | Wagner phoned authorities around 1.30am on November 29 to report his wife missing. The 43-year-old was found a few hours later in her nightgown and socks floating face-down in the water. |
| The death stunned Hollywood and made headlines around the world, putting her marriage to Wagner and the events of the weekend under a microscope. Wood, the daughter of Russian immigrants, had been film royalty, a child star in the 1947 Christmas classic Miracle on 34th Street who went on to earn three Oscar nominations and star opposite James Dean, Warren Beatty and other leading men. Her death generated enduring debate, books and a 2004 TV movie, The Mystery of Natalie Wood. | The death stunned Hollywood and made headlines around the world, putting her marriage to Wagner and the events of the weekend under a microscope. Wood, the daughter of Russian immigrants, had been film royalty, a child star in the 1947 Christmas classic Miracle on 34th Street who went on to earn three Oscar nominations and star opposite James Dean, Warren Beatty and other leading men. Her death generated enduring debate, books and a 2004 TV movie, The Mystery of Natalie Wood. |
| Detectives on the original case concurred with the autopsy finding that it was an accident. Wagner and Walken, who continued successful film and television careers after the tragedy, said the same. | Detectives on the original case concurred with the autopsy finding that it was an accident. Wagner and Walken, who continued successful film and television careers after the tragedy, said the same. |
| However Los Angeles sheriff's investigators renewed their inquiry in late 2011, prompting coroners to re-examine the evidence and add a 10-page addendum to the autopsy report last August. The report, details of which were broken by CBS News, was released on Monday. | However Los Angeles sheriff's investigators renewed their inquiry in late 2011, prompting coroners to re-examine the evidence and add a 10-page addendum to the autopsy report last August. The report, details of which were broken by CBS News, was released on Monday. |
| The first few pages of the 39-page document comprise the original 1981 report, which reconstructed events. It cited Don Whiting, night manager of the island's Doug's Harbor Reef bar and restaurant, recalling that the three actors and yacht's skipper, Dennis Davern, had a champagne-fuelled dinner the evening of November 28. "The entire group appeared to him to be intoxicated." | The first few pages of the 39-page document comprise the original 1981 report, which reconstructed events. It cited Don Whiting, night manager of the island's Doug's Harbor Reef bar and restaurant, recalling that the three actors and yacht's skipper, Dennis Davern, had a champagne-fuelled dinner the evening of November 28. "The entire group appeared to him to be intoxicated." |
| Whiting was concerned enough to ask the harbour patrol to keep an eye on them as they returned around 10.30pm to the 60-ft yacht, the Splendour, which was owned by Wagner and Wood. | Whiting was concerned enough to ask the harbour patrol to keep an eye on them as they returned around 10.30pm to the 60-ft yacht, the Splendour, which was owned by Wagner and Wood. |
| Wagner later testified that he remembered last seeing his wife at 10.45pm. He and the other men continued drinking aboard, apparently assuming Wood had returned to shore. At 1.30am he radioed that she was missing. Her body was found 200 yards off Blue Cavern Point. A dinghy from the yacht was found nearby. The report noted numerous bruises to the legs and arms but concluded: "Foul play is not suspected at this time." One theory was that Wood suffered the bruises trying to clamber back into the boat. | Wagner later testified that he remembered last seeing his wife at 10.45pm. He and the other men continued drinking aboard, apparently assuming Wood had returned to shore. At 1.30am he radioed that she was missing. Her body was found 200 yards off Blue Cavern Point. A dinghy from the yacht was found nearby. The report noted numerous bruises to the legs and arms but concluded: "Foul play is not suspected at this time." One theory was that Wood suffered the bruises trying to clamber back into the boat. |
| Wagner said his wife was not suicidal, a view authorities shared, and many concluded Wood was trying to stop the 13-ft Zodiac dinghy banging against the yacht and tumbled overboard. | Wagner said his wife was not suicidal, a view authorities shared, and many concluded Wood was trying to stop the 13-ft Zodiac dinghy banging against the yacht and tumbled overboard. |
| Controversy dogged Wagner, especially after Davern claimed to have heard a loud argument coming from Wood's cabin before she disappeared. He had married Wood in 1957 when she was just 19 and he was 28. They became one of Hollywood's golden couples. They divorced in 1962 and remarried in 1972. | Controversy dogged Wagner, especially after Davern claimed to have heard a loud argument coming from Wood's cabin before she disappeared. He had married Wood in 1957 when she was just 19 and he was 28. They became one of Hollywood's golden couples. They divorced in 1962 and remarried in 1972. |
| The coroner's reevaluation, dated May 20, 2012, noted the concern of the chief medical examiner-coroner, Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran, "for non-accidental mechanism for certain bruises of the upper extremities". They "appeared fresh and could have occurred before she entered the water". | The coroner's reevaluation, dated May 20, 2012, noted the concern of the chief medical examiner-coroner, Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran, "for non-accidental mechanism for certain bruises of the upper extremities". They "appeared fresh and could have occurred before she entered the water". |
| Wagner's career survived the tragedy. He continued to star in the TV series Hart to Hart as well as the character Number Two in the Austin Powers trilogy. Walken, who had been making the science fiction film Brainstorm with Wood when she died, has enjoyed even greater screen success. | Wagner's career survived the tragedy. He continued to star in the TV series Hart to Hart as well as the character Number Two in the Austin Powers trilogy. Walken, who had been making the science fiction film Brainstorm with Wood when she died, has enjoyed even greater screen success. |
| The coroner did not dispute that she drowned and estimated the time of death, based on half-digested food in her stomach, to have been around midnight. | The coroner did not dispute that she drowned and estimated the time of death, based on half-digested food in her stomach, to have been around midnight. |
| The timing as well as the fact that she was wearing jewellery, was intoxicated, lacked a life jacket and that the dinghy appeared to not have been used prompted the observation: "This Medical Examiner is unable to exclude non-volitional, unplanned entry into the water." She appeared to have drowned swiftly. "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." | The timing as well as the fact that she was wearing jewellery, was intoxicated, lacked a life jacket and that the dinghy appeared to not have been used prompted the observation: "This Medical Examiner is unable to exclude non-volitional, unplanned entry into the water." She appeared to have drowned swiftly. "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." |
| Members of the original coroner's investigators were re-interviewed but several pieces of evidence, including the dinghy, were not located. | Members of the original coroner's investigators were re-interviewed but several pieces of evidence, including the dinghy, were not located. |
| Unanswered questions and limited additional evidence inhibited Sathyavagiswaran going further. "The manner of death should be left as undetermined." His report concluded: "How injury occurred will be listed as found floating in ocean. Circumstances not clearly established." | Unanswered questions and limited additional evidence inhibited Sathyavagiswaran going further. "The manner of death should be left as undetermined." His report concluded: "How injury occurred will be listed as found floating in ocean. Circumstances not clearly established." |
| Whitmore, the sheriff's spokesman, said Wagner was not considered a suspect in Wood's death. | Whitmore, the sheriff's spokesman, said Wagner was not considered a suspect in Wood's death. |
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