Robert Wagner Named Person of Interest in Natalie Wood Investigation

Back in 1981, actress Natalie Wood drowned off the coast of Catalina Island.

The beloved star of such film classics as West Side Story, Miracle on 34th Street and Rebel Without a Cause was just 43 years old.

In the decades since Woods’ death, the suspicion that she was murdered by husband Robert Wagner has persisted – and with good reason.

In 2014, Wagner was questioned by police in connection with his wife’s death.

In 2016, it was widely rumored that the actor would be taken into police custody, but the arrest was never made.

Speculation about Wagner’s possible motives has varied widely over the years, but the most popular theory these days seems to be that Wood walked in on her husband in bed with friend Christopher Walken while the three actors were on an overnight yachting expedition.

Wagner chased Wood on deck, the story goes, and she either slipped, hit her head, and fell in the water, or he struck her and dumped her unconscious body overboard, where she drowned.

It may sound outlandish, but it’s not just tabloids and social media gossip hounds who are still interested in the details of that fateful night.

In 2011, the investigation was re-opened, and Wood’s cause of death was officially changed from “accidental drowning” to “drowning and other undetermined factors.”

On Saturday night, a new 48 Hours special entitled “Natalie Wood: Death in Dark Water” will debut on CBS.

The episode features conversations with some of the authorities who have been investigating Woods’ passing for six years now – and they say they’re ready to interrogate Wagner:

“As we’ve investigated the case over the last six years, I think he’s (Wagner) more of a person of interest now,” says John Corina, of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

“I mean, we know now that he was the last person to be with Natalie before she disappeared.”

Public suspicion of Wagner and Walken began shortly after Wood’s death when it was revealed that they claimed she unexpectedly set out by herself in a dinghy in the middle of the night.

When family and friends revealed that Wood had a crippling fear of water and drowning, the actors changed their stories.

“I haven’t seen him (Wagner) tell the details that match all the other witnesses in this case,” Corina says.

“I think he’s constantly changed his story a little bit. And his version of events just don’t add up.” 

The special also features an interview with Detective Ralph Hernandez. who recently evaluated Wood’s autopsy report and confirmed that the actress had fresh bruises on her body at the time of her death.

“She looked like a victim of an assault,” Hernandez says.

Producers of 48 Hours say Wagner declined their request to comment on the story.

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Robert Wagner to Be Arrested For Murder of Natalie Wood?

It’s been almost 35 years since Natalie Wood drowned during a boat trip with husband Robert Wagner and friend Christopher Walken.

Despite the fact that decades have passed since Wood lost her life under mysterious circumstances off the coast of Catalina Island, there’s been a renewed interest in the circumstances of her death in recent years.

The case began making headlines again back in 2012, when Wood’s death certificate was officially changed to include “mysterious circumstances” as one of the causes of her passing.

Shortly thereafter, rumors that Wood caught Wagner and Walken in bed together on the night of her death began to circulate online.

In December of 2014, Walken was questioned by police in connection with Wood’s death, but insiders say the interrogation produced no new information.

Several members of Wood’s family have remained persistent in their efforts to get to the bottom of what really happened on that fateful night in 1981, and the campaign to get all parties involved to participate in the ongoing investigation led to a videotaped confrontation between Wagner and Wood’s sister last year:

Natalie Wood: Late Actress’ Sister Confronts Robert Wagner Over Murder Investigation

Now, a private detective firm called Cold Case Investigative Research claims to have assembled sufficient evidence to offer to convince police to arrest Wagner for Wood’s murder.

CCIR investigator Mark Rulli recently revealed to Radar Online that the firm has turned a file containing their findings over the Los Angeles Ounst Sheriff’s Department, which reopened its own investigation into Wood’s death in 2011.

“Natalie was married to a jealous man, who ended up robbing her of life,” Rulli tells the website.

While he’s unable to confirm the rumors about Walken and Wagner being involved in a sexual relationship, Rulli says he’s been able to prove conclusively that Wagner was carrying on two simultaneous affairs while Wood was still alive.

In order to avoid compromising the investigation, Rulli declined to offer forensic details, but an insider familiar with the case has assured Radar that “a bust is looming.”

A spokesperson for the LAPD confirmed that the department is “fully aware” of CCIR’s findings, but did not offer any further information.

It remains unclear if police have any intention of pressing charges against the 86-year-old Wagner.

We’ll have further updates on this story as more information becomes available.

Natalie Wood: Late Actress" Sister Confronts Robert Wagner Over Murder Investigation

It"s been almost 35 years since actress Natalie Wood drowned after falling from a boat off the coast of Santa Catalina Island in California.

In the decades since, the mysterious circumstances surrounding Wood"s passing at the age of 43 have remained a topic of interest for tabloids and conspiracy theorists alike.

In recent years, the demand for answers from Wood"s family and friends has led to the original case being re-opened, with her then-husband, actor Robert Wagner, at the center of the investigation.

In 2014, The National Enquirer reported that Wood caught Wagner and friend Christopher Walken in bed together on the night of her death.

Walken has since been questioned by police and cleared of any suspicion of wrongdoing, but Wagner has consistently refused to investigate with authorities. 

Now in a shocking video obtained by Radar Online, Natalie"s sister, Lana Wood, confronts Wagner and accuses him of 

"You have accused me of murdering her,” Wagner snaps. "It"s incredible. I can"t believe you would do something like that."

Woods sister goes on to accuse Wood of changing his story and refusing to provide straight answers to questions about what took place that fateful night in 1981.

Authorities have officially changed Wood"s cause of death from accidental drowning to "undetermined factors," but Wagner not officially considered a suspect, and at the age of 86, it seems unlikely that he"ll willingly offer up any new information.