EXCLUSIVE: Calls for 'Psychological Autopsy' on Natalie Wood Could Have Solved Mystery of Her Yacht Death
Hollywood coroner Dr. Noguchi suggeste a psychological autopsy on Natalie Wood to determine why she wanted to leave the yacht the night of her mysterious death.
Jan. 16 2025, Published 12:36 p.m. ET
A psychological autopsy on Natalie Wood could have cracked the code on the actress' mysterious death.
RadarOnline.com has exclusive details from the chief coroner who examined the star's body after her 1981 drowning, revealing he was criticized for proposing a psychological autopsy to explain why she might have tried to distance herself from her husband, Robert Wagner, the night of her fatal plunge.
Wood died in 1981 when her body was found floating near Catalina Island on Thanksgiving weekend.
The new biography on Hollywood coroner Dr. Thomas Noguchi, written by Anne Soon Choi, offers a deep dive into the blurry night a Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department helicopter discovered the 43-year-old actress' body floating near Catalina Island.
Wood, known for her starring roles in films such as West Side Story, Miracle on 34th Street, and Gypsy, was found just off her family’s yacht – the Splendor – wearing a nightgown, wool socks, and a red parka.
The film star had been spending time on a yacht with her husband Robert Wagner, actor Christopher Walken, and skipper Dennis Davern.
Wood had been on a getaway with her husband, Wagner, actor Christopher Walken, and yacht skipper Dennis Davern.
Amid rumors of infidelity, Wood and Wagner's tumultuous marriage ended in divorce in 1961, but they remarried in 1972, becoming Hollywood's golden couple until Wood's tragic drowning.
After the Oscar-winning star's body was found off the island, two investigations began. Wagner told investigators that after a night out with Walken, he discovered his wife missing from their cabin.
Though initially not alarmed, he later realized the dinghy was gone and called for help, unaware that it was already too late.
Wood’s death remains mysterious, with questions surrounding why she left the safety of the yacht that night.
In Choi's book, she describes Dr. Noguchi's autopsy of the actress – explaining how he found bruises on her body, including a large one on her arm.
Despite noting her heavy parka most likely dragged her down, Dr. Noguchi was puzzled Wood didn't swim back to the yacht when it was so close.
The toxicology report also showed a blood alcohol level of .12, indicating alcohol also played a role in her death.
It was later revealed an argument had occurred between Wagner and Walken that night, leading Dr. Noguchi to wonder if a personal conflict contributed to her decision to leave.
At a tense press conference following her death, Dr. Noguchi stated there was no evidence of foul play and that her injuries suggested she fell into the water after striking the yacht.
He declared the cause of death an accident, not a homicide or suicide. However, his decision to continue speaking beyond that would later complicate matters for him.
Wood’s death remains mysterious, with questions surrounding Wagner and why his wife may have felt unsafe on the yacht that night.
Dr. Noguchi explained there had been significant drinking during the night of Wood's death, saying while it was unfair to claim intoxication caused her to fall into the cold water, he acknowledged it likely impacted her ability to react.
He also revealed after returning from dinner, Wagner and Walken had a nonviolent argument, but Wood was not involved in the dispute.
Dr. Noguchi walked reporters through his theory of Wood's death, suggesting she slipped while trying to get into a dinghy and drowned – saying she wasn’t "really drunk", though he thought otherwise.
When asked why she left the yacht, he suggested a psychological autopsy could explain why she felt the need to separate from her husband and Walken – sparking chaos.
Choi wrote: "When an NBC reporter asked why Wood had left the yacht in the first place, Noguchi responded, 'It would be important to learn through a psychological autopsy why she felt she should separate herself from her husband and Walken.'
"This caused an uproar. Later, Wagner called Noguchi a 'camera hog who felt that he had to stoke the publicity fire in order to maintain the level of attention he'd gotten used to.'"
During the press conference, Assistant Coroner Richard Wilson accidentally revealed there had been an argument between Wagner and Walken. He quickly clarified it wasn't about Wood and that there was no physical violence, but reporters seized on the comment.
Wagner's spokesman supported the accidental drowning ruling but dismissed Dr. Noguchi's theories about the argument as irrelevant.
New witnesses claim they heard Wood screaming on the yacht the night she vanished.
The next day, Sheriff’s Detective Roy Hamilton disputed Dr. Noguchi's claims, stating there was no evidence of an argument and accusing the coroner of exaggerating.
Wagner later admitted to a drunken argument with Walken over Wood's career. In response, Wilson softened the term "argument", but Dr. Noguchi stood by his findings about Wood's intoxication.
And remember Davern? The yacht skipper who accompanied the trio – he told police Wagner accused Wood of having an affair with Walken just hours before she vanished.
Davern claimed a raging Wagner then smashed a bottle of wine on a table and began brawling with Wood. At one point Davern said he heard Wagner scream: "Get off my f***ing boat!"
Wagner has been a person of interest in his wife's death since that night.
Last month, a new witness to Wood's death, who claims to have heard her cries for help, told us he first shared his story with investigators in 2011 but was ignored.
Now, he is urging authorities to convene a grand jury and indict Wagner for "murder".
The witness said he heard the star screaming for her life before disappearing from the yacht, adding: "She was pleading for someone to help her. She was screaming, 'Help me! help me!' Then a few minutes went by, and I could still hear her crying.
"And then she let out a (scream) 'HELP ME!'"
The witness, who was a 17-year-old deckhand on that fateful night, said he allegedly heard an earlier argument between Wood and Wagner.
He claimed: "Anybody within earshot could hear them fighting. It just jolted me. A man and a woman started yelling at each other at the top of their lungs...it was brutal.
"There were some F-bombs from the female saying at the top of her lungs, 'You will not f------ talk to me like that.' But most of the time, he would shout her down."
The man, now 60, said he was shocked investigators dismissed his account.
He explained: "I'm surprised they didn't present the case to a grand jury a long time ago. With all the signs of foul play, it's like, c'mon guys!"
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In November, confessions from two new witnesses claimed Wood was physically abused by the suave Hart to Hart star.
In an exclusive RadarOnline.com interview, author Marti Rulli said she believes the new smoking gun testimony will spark a grand jury investigation that will finally indict Wagner, 94.
Other confessions from witnesses claim Wood was physically abused by her husband.
Rulli said: "The case will remain open as long as Robert Wagner is alive because he is the suspect.
"I still hold hope the Los Angeles DA will see fit to let the strong previous evidence, and the new evidence I have gathered, bring justice for Natalie's murder."
Legal eagle Nancy Grace previously called out Dr. Noguchi for failing to scrape underneath Wood's fingernails during her autopsy, which could have revealed evidence she struggled with an attacker.
The new witnesses came forward after the case was reopened in 2011 and the Los Angeles County coroner changed the cause of death from "accidental drowning" to "drowning and other undetermined factors" the following year.
Dr. Noguchi has secretly confessed he "agrees with the new findings" of the 2013 supplemental coroner’s report that revised his own cause of death for the actress, according to a homicide cop now working Wood’s reopened case.
