A week after denying the reopened NATALIE WOOD investigation was a “cold case”, the LA Sheriff’s Office admits they’ve run smack into the deep freeze.
The L.A. County Sheriff's Department told the LA Times it has uncovered no new evidence of foul play in the 1981 drowning death of legendary Natalie Wood.
William McSweeney, the sheriff’s chief of detectives revealed that several weeks of new interviews and other investigative work has uncovered no evidence that Natalie’s tragic death WAS homicide.
At this juncture, the case remains an accidental death. Despite a lot of media ballyhoo, nothing new has been discovered to suggest changing that at this time, he said. Back in November 2011, on the 30th anniversary of Natalie’s death, the L.A. County Sheriff's Department had announced it was reopening the investigation into the mysterious death of “West Side Story” star.
As the legend goes — Natalie Wood drowned while yachting off the Isthmus of Catalina Island with her husband, actor Robert Wagner and her “Brainstorm” costar Christopher Walken on November 29, 1981. L.A. County Coroner, Thomas Noguchi ruled the drowning an “accident” but her death remained a great Hollywood mystery. After a grass roots campaign headed by Natalie’s sister, Lana and the author of Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour Marti Ruli which was based on Captain Dennis Davern’s revised account of what he heard that night.
In November, a sheriff's homicide detective said that new information about Wood's death was substantial enough to cause them to reopen the case. "As a homicide bureau, we are always open to receiving additional information about older cases and current cases," said Lt. John Corina.
Several sources had come forward with new information, he said, warranting “another look at the case."
Evidently, that new information did not pan out and despite long rumored claims of gay sex, drunken flights and a hedonistic, booze filled night capped off with an argument and Quaaludes nothing substantive has come forth from the Hollywood secrets labyrinth. Case closed?
