Natalie Wood's drowning may have been caused by an unexpected item, according to celebrity coroner

Natalie Wood's tragic 1981 drowning whitethorn person been exacerbated by a parka she was wearing.

Dr. Thomas Noguchi, a renowned 'Coroner to the Stars,' believed the histrion 'might person lived' if she had taken disconnected the waterlogged jacket, according to Anne Soon Choi's caller biography, L.A. Coroner: Thomas Noguchi and Death successful Hollywood.

The Splendor successful the Grass prima shockingly drowned to death aft falling from a yacht disconnected Catalina Island during Thanksgiving play 1981, and her husband, histrion Robert Wagner, present 94, has remained a idiosyncratic of involvement successful her death. 

Dr. Noguchi performed the 43-year-old star's autopsy, noting she was wearing a flannel nightgown, wool socks, and a reddish parka astatine the clip of her death, which remains mired successful mystery.

'When helium scrutinized the parka much carefully, helium realized it weighed betwixt 30 to forty pounds successful its saturated state,' Choi wrote, arsenic per RadarOnline.

'Her sodden parka had caused her to drown,' Dr. Noguchi — who besides performed the autopsies of Marilyn Monroe and Robert F. Kennedy — thought, arsenic per Choi. 

While examining Wood's body, Noguchi recovered a ample bruise connected her close arm, a fig much connected her legs, arsenic good arsenic an abrasion connected her near cheek. 

When helium looked astatine her clothing, helium noted that adjacent implicit 24 hours later, her apparel were inactive soaking wet. 

Dr. Noguchi believed that 'the value of her overgarment had pulled her backmost down erstwhile she attempted to ascent into the dinghy.' 

He speculated that if Wood had 'just taken disconnected the jacket, she mightiness person survived.'

Even aft considering the interaction of the dense parka, Noguchi remained perplexed arsenic to wherefore Wood was incapable to aquatics backmost to the yacht, which was lone a abbreviated region away.

He past considered her intoxicant depletion successful the hours before, with toxicology reports revealing a humor intoxicant level of .12.

Dr. Noguchi past determined that 'alcohol played a important relation successful her death.'

He besides believed she seemed 'determined to get away' and considered the anticipation that she whitethorn haven been attempting to flight her husband. 

Dr. Noguchi was aboriginal informed by an researcher that an statement had taken spot betwixt Wagner and histrion Christopher Walken, present 81, who was connected the yacht arsenic well. 

'All of america were taken aback by the implications of this idea. It fell close into the hands of those who had been speculating that immoderate ungraded connected the yacht had contributed to the celebrated star's death,' Choi wrote of Dr. Noguchi's recollections. 

Although initially dismissed by Wagner's attorney, the histrion aboriginal acknowledged that helium and Walken had engaged successful an statement portion drinking, astir Walken's concerns regarding Wood's career.

'Wagner admitted that helium had shouted astatine Walken, "Why the f**k don’t you enactment retired of her career? She’s got capable radical telling her what to do,"' according to Choi.

'Wagner past picked up an bare vino vessel and smashed it connected a array successful a acceptable of rage.'

The circumstances surrounding Wood's drowning stay shrouded successful mystery. Crucial details stay unclear, including however she entered the water.

Wood's sister, Lana, antecedently emphasized her sister's lifelong fearfulness of h2o and inability to swim, and argued that Natalie would ne'er person voluntarily ventured into the h2o connected her ain by dinghy.

The coroner's study officially listed Wood's origin of decease arsenic 'drowning.'

L.A. Coroner: Thomas Noguchi and Death successful Hollywood is acceptable to deed the bookstores connected February 12, 2025. 

Many different theories person circulated regarding Wood's death, and Wagner has remained a idiosyncratic of involvement successful the case.

In November of 2024, it was reported that Wood screamed for her beingness while hurling accusations astatine her A-list histrion husband, 1 of the past radical to spot the West Side Story prima alive.

That caller relationship of 1 of Hollywood's astir shocking and scandalous deaths - on with 1 from a dying 80-year-old pistillate - was fixed to writer Marti Rulli, who shared them with RadarOnline.com.

Wood and Wagner were a astir unparalleled Hollywood powerfulness mates erstwhile the histrion shockingly drowned to decease successful 1981.

The stunning revelations from 2 caller witnesses person perchance painted Wood's 'Hart to Hart' TV prima hubby Robert arsenic her alleged killer, aft the lawsuit was reopened years ago.

Rulli told Radar she believes the caller accounts could warrant a caller expansive assemblage probe of Wood's decease successful the acheronian waters adjacent their yacht 'Splendour' disconnected California's Catalina Island astatine astir 11 p.m. connected Nov. 28, 1981.

She described 1 of the witnesses arsenic a California antheral who was conscionable 17 astatine the clip of Wood's drowning death, which, aft 43 years, remains mired successful mystery.

The teen, Rulli said, had been a idiosyncratic connected a sportfishing vessel moored adjacent the yacht owned by her husband, Wagner, wherever the Rebel Without a Cause prima was past seen alive.

Contacting Rulli past year, helium recalled proceeding Wood's screams - arsenic good arsenic an argument.

'It inactive bothers him and helium wanted to archer maine what helium knew,' Rulli told radar of the then-young witness.

'He heard an argument, and helium told maine helium heard Natalie's screams that made him consciousness uncomfortable. But helium didn't study it to constabulary due to the fact that helium thought it was an open-and-shut drowning case.'

Both accounts, Rulli said, coincided with ones fixed to constabulary by the boat's captain, Dennis Davern - 1 of lone 4 aboard the Splendour that night.

He was joined by Wood, Wagner, and a past 38-year-old Walken - each portion an alleged emotion triangle said to person sent Wagner into a rage.

The man's assertion supports grounds by Davern, who told constabulary the Thanksgiving play cruise turned convulsive erstwhile Wagner accused Wood of having an matter with her 'Brainstorm' co-star Walken.

Davern has claimed an irate Wagner, past 51, allegedly smashed a vessel of vino connected a array and began brawling with Wood conscionable earlier she vanished.

At 1 constituent Davern claims helium heard Wagner scream: 'Get disconnected my f***ing boat!'

Wagner has repeatedly denied and denounced the claims.

'The lawsuit volition stay unfastened arsenic agelong arsenic Robert Wagner is live due to the fact that helium is the suspect,' claimed Rulli, who is presently compiling grounds against the aging Hart to Hart prima aft the 1981 lawsuit was reopened successful 2011.

The adjacent year, Wood's origin of decease was changed from 'accidental drowning' to 'drowning and different undetermined factors' - decades aft cops had chopped Wagner escaped arsenic a suspect.

'I inactive clasp anticipation the Los Angeles DA volition spot acceptable to fto the beardown erstwhile evidence, and the caller grounds I person gathered, bring justness for Natalie's murder,' Rulli explained, keeping the names and details of the witnesses nether wraps.

Wagner, who was cleared by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department successful its renewed probe backmost successful 2022, has maintained Wood went disconnected successful a dinghy connected her ain accord and ne'er returned.

Lana Wood, Natalie's sister, has claimed successful the past that Wagner does not privation to beryllium interviewed due to the fact that she says helium cannot trust connected his representation immoderate longer.

He besides did not respond erstwhile helium was named a idiosyncratic of involvement by the LAPD successful 2018.

Wood and Wagner were joined successful 1957 and stayed unneurotic for 4 years earlier divorcing.

They went connected to each wed different radical and person much children earlier yet reconciling past marrying again successful 1972.