EXCLUSIVE: Natalie Wood Death Bombshell 44 Years On — Police Files Reveal Motive for Murder and How Boat Captain Was 'Forced Into Silence'
Natalie Wood's mystery death is still baffling investigators.
June 13 2025, Published 10:45 a.m. ET
The Natalie Wood death case has been hit with yet another twist, as the potential motive for the tragedy may have been revealed, RadarOnline.com can report.
Investigators behind the mystery case pondered whether a wild affair Wood's husband at the time, Robert Wagner, is believed to have had could have been the first domino in what would lead to the iconic actress' death.
What Happened To Wood?
Wood's death still remains a mystery nearly 45 years after the tragic night went down.
Wood, 43 years old at the time, was last seen arguing with Wagner and screaming for her life while aboard the yacht Splendour off California's Catalina Island on November 28, 1981.
"Anybody within earshot could hear them fighting," a witness recalled. "It jolted me. A man and a woman started yelling at each other at the top of their lungs... it was brutal."
Meanwhile, skipper Dennis Davern revealed he lived in Wagner's Beverly Hills mansion following Wood's death and claims he was only allowed to leave when accompanied by the actor's "thugs," and he believes it was to keep him quiet about what went down that night.
Devern also claimed notable Bond Girl, Jill St. John, was over a lot.
Wagner's Other Woman?
Wagner is believed to have had an affair with Bond Girl Jill St. John while married to Wood.
He recalled: "She was at Wagner's house instantly, but I couldn't see what was going on because I was trapped in that room. She was always around. I think there was something else going on besides just feeling sorry for him."
Wood's cause of death was originally listed as "accidental drowning," but when the case was reopened in 2011, the Los Angeles County coroner changed the cause to "drowning and other undetermined factors" after investigators focused on bruises on the Hollywood star's body.
Wagner's lawyers deny he had any involvement in Wood's death, calling rumors of an affair between their client and St. John as "completely untrue."
St. John and Wagner would tie the knot in 1990.
Wagner and St. John would tie the knot 9 years after Wood's death.
According to St. John, she did not begin dating Wagner until Valentine's Day 1982, three months following Wood's death. Marti Rulli, an investigative journalist who co-wrote Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour with Davern, had her own thoughts on the shock rumors.
"If Natalie was the love of Wagner's life, the detectives were wondering why (he and St. John) went out on a date 10 to 11 weeks after her death. The detectives on the case left no stone unturned, and they looked into affairs on both ends of the marriage."
She continued: "They did uncover that Wagner was cheating on Natalie, and there was no evidence of Natalie cheating on him."
'Get Off My Boat!'
Wagner has always denied he had anything to do with Wood's death.
Davern previously told police Wagner accused Wood of having an affair with her Brainstorm co-star Christopher Walken, who was also on the yacht during the incident.
Davern claimed a furious Wagner smashed a bottle of wine on a table and began fighting with Wood just before she vanished.
According to Davern, he heard Wagner yell, "Get off my f------ boat!" and also claimed the Hart to Hart actor stopped him from turning on the searchlights or seeking out help until four hours after Wood went missing.
The movie star's battered body was found onshore the next morning.
Did Wood Drown?
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Celebrity coroner, Dr. Thomas Noguchi, still believed Wood's death was caused by drowning.
In the biography L.A. Coroner: Thomas Noguchi and Death in Hollywood, author Anne Soon Choi exposed how the famed doctor believed Wood's clothing played a key role in her drowning after performing her autopsy.
Choi wrote: "When he scrutinized the parka more carefully, he realized it weighed between thirty to forty pounds in its saturated state.
"Her sodden parka had caused her to drown. He was filled with sadness."
One witness claimed they heard a furious Wagner scream at Wood that night.
"The weight of her jacket had pulled her back down when she attempted to climb into the dinghy," she continued. Noguchi believed if Wood had "just taken off the jacket, she might have survived."
Dr. Noguchi quickly concluded "alcohol played a significant role in her death," Choi noted.
