Investigators Name Robert Wagner as a 'Person of Interest' in Natalie Wood's Suspicious Death
Investigators have named Robert Wagner a "person of interest" in the death of Natalie Wood in 1981. The actress died of suspicious drowning in 1981, and Wagner, her then-husband, was the last person she was with prior to her disappearance.
In an interview with CBS' "48 Hours," investigators from Los Angeles County revealed that Wagner is now a person of interest in the death of Wood, whose dead body was discovered floating in the waters of Santa Catalina Island on Nov. 29. 1981. The last time she was seen on the night of Nov. 28, 1981, she was aboard a yacht drinking and dining with Wagner, actor Christopher Walken, and the boat's captain.
"As we've investigated the case over the last six years, I think Wagner's more of a person of interest now. I mean, we know now that he was the last person to be with Natalie before she disappeared," said Los Angeles County Sheriff's Lieutenant John Corina.
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In U.S. law enforcement, "person of interest" is a term used to refer to someone believed to possess information that might help a probe but has never been detained or formally charged with a crime. A person of interest is not necessarily a suspect.
Investigators initially ruled Wood's death as an accidental drowning. However, they amended her death certificate in 2012 to add "undetermined factors" among the list of her demise's causes. On that same year, a new report revealed that Wood's arms and wrists had bruises and scratches, indicating that she somebody must have assaulted her before she drowned in the water.
Since authorities reopened the case, the attention has reportedly fallen more and more heavily on Wagner, whose version of the events leading up to Wood's death has changed over the years. "His version of events just don't add up," said Corina.
