Welcome To My Book Blog

A place to update and discuss facts surrounding the controversial, tragic death of legendary Hollywood film actress, wife and mother, Natalie Wood who drowned mysteriously Nov. 29, 1981 off Catalina Island. Thank you for visiting.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Top FIVE reasons to re-open the Natalie Wood Case.

I've deducted the top reasons to re-open the Natalie Wood Case down to five. I've explained as briefly as possible in categories the details of why the case warrants another look. Also, a top-5 list works better for the new foreword for "Goodbye Natalie Goodbye Splendour" and for media releases. Please look these over: your comments are welcomed. Thank you for all the comments in helping me to construct and condense this list, a difficult thing to do because the case is so complicated in spite of the fact it's so simple to recognize that the intitial investigation was botched!

1) Dennis Davern, former Splendour captain, is the only witness to the immediate circumstances surrounding Wood's disappearance. He has offered to testify under penalty of perjury in a court of law that the three survivors of the November 1981 cruise aboard Splendour—Robert Wagner, Christopher Walken, and Dennis Davern—all lied to authorities at the scene of Natalie Wood’s death. Dennis Davern has passed a certified polygraph test, including his vital claim that Robert Wagner was with Natalie Wood as they argued on the back deck of the yacht when she went missing. Wagner claimed at the death scene he had no idea how his wife and dinghy went missing. Wagner's initial vague statements are inconsistent with his later admitting his angry smashing of a wine bottle just prior to Natalie’s “disappearance.” Christopher Walken also witnessed the bottle smashing but has never admitted to it. The arguing and violence shortly before Wood’s absence changes the dynamics of the mood initially described aboard the Splendour. There was absolutely no interrogating of surviving witnesses, nor body checks to determine any bruising consistent with Wood’s body bruises.


2) There was never an effort to pursue how Wood received over 25 body wounds and bruises, nor an official effort to determine how or why she had left the yacht. The Chief Coroner, Thomas Noguchi, was fired for offering valid information to the public. Wood’s cause of death was moted as accidental drowning instead of “undetermined” as would have fit the known--and unknown--information  properly. There had been a rush to close the case to avoid valid media questions. Noguchi’s theory claimed Natalie's down jacket weighed her down. In fact, down jackets serve as buoyant life preservers and when wet weigh considerably less than Noguchi speculated. Noguchi theorized Natalie kicked toward shore and became bruised trying to mount a dinghy, yet she was found wearing socks. One simple “sock test” proves the improbability of Noguchi's theory. Wood's body bruises are consistent with domestic abuse.

3) Key witnesses were ignored by case detectives. Marilyn Wayne, moored next to the Splendour, could have offered vital information crucial to establishing a timeline that was never officially composed. Wayne was never interviewed by authorities even after calling and offering her account. Roger Smith, the Coast Guard Lieutenant who retrieved Wood’s body was never interviewed and was quickly transferred and demoted after being vocal about the Wood case. Former lead detectives in the case, Duane Rasure and Frank Salerno, refuse to accept and to report new, verifiable, vital information pertaining to Wood's death.

4) There was a drastic delay in calling for help from aboard the Splendour after Natalie was no longer on board. Wagner and Davern were fully aware of Natalie’s absence from approximately 11:05 P.M. on, yet a ship-to-shore, local call was not placed until 1:30 A.M. and the Coast Guard was not called until 3:30 A.M., a complete violation of maritime protocol. Davern wanted to call for help immediately but was forbidden by Wagner to do so. This inexcusable delay in reporting a person missing from a yacht was never officially examined.

5) The "banging dinghy theory" (what has become the unofficial explanation for Wood’s death) is a senseless theory, and can easily be proven invalid. The dinghy was tied securely at the STERN, with two lines. No questions were asked about dinghy procedure. Wagner has never volunteered the fact that the use of the yacht's swim step is unnecessary in securing a dinghy. Instead, he promoted the theory that Natalie, a woman deathly afraid of water, was in her nightclothes on a dark swim step performing a boat chore. There was no official effort to determine how, when, and by whom Splendour’s dinghy was released. Instead, the death scene was compromised. The dinghy was handled after being found, and detectives left Splendour under the watch of a restaurant owner. The restaurant owner and his employee entered and used Splendour while it should have been considered a sealed-off crime scene until determined otherwise. The master stateroom aboard the Splendour, despite being in peculiar disarray, was compromised rather than scrutinized.

31 comments:

  1. It's amazing how compact this list is Marti. It's filled with the vital information, yet peeks curiosity at the same time. Good job. I suspect you'll be condensing more, but this is all of it in the nutshell I see as the perfect size! Onward to justice for Natalie!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Most definitely the #1) reason is Davern's testimony, which he is willing to swear to under penalty of perjury in a court of law, and of which he has already passed one polygraph test, that Wagner was on the deck arguing with Natalie and in her presence when she went into the water, and then refused to do anything to help her for over four hours.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for the comments: I will re-word #1 to include Davern's willngness AND offer to testify under penalty of perjury in a court of law. VERY important. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I made a few wording changes to #1, stressing the point that Dennis is willing to testify

    I also corrected my typo about where the dinghy was tied (at the stern)in #5.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I guess there is no way of proving that Wagner and Natalie ended up on the back deck together, other than another polygraph test for Dennis, AND one for Wagner(which I know he wouldn't take) All the more reason for his guilt! I just can't imagine that big man beating the shi-- out of Natalie, who's what? five feet three one hundred twenty pounds? Then casting her away like that, it makes me sick!!! Thanks Marti for all your hard work, it WILL pay off, justice for Natalie, Lana, and the truth for Natalie's daughters as hurtfull it may be, but the truth.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I mentioned above what a big man Wagner is. My wife and I went to a show starring Wagner and JSJ (Love Letters) in Lowell Ma. ten years ago, my wife ran into Wagner in the hotel lobby before the show. She told me how big in stature he really is.(also he had a large face) After the show Wagner still performed. Earlier that day two police officers lost their lives in the line of duty. Wagner tearfully ackownledged their loss of life, it seemed to me he was looking for sympathy from the audience.What a loser. Just another act!!! I really hope he gets what he deserves. Again Marti THANKS SO MUCH!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Marti Rulli,

    You continually lead your reader(s) into thinking that the NW accidental drowning case will be re-opened. You, I, and others know that will never happen. The State of California is broke, the Governor is a movie star he will never allow the LA DA's office to proceed especially against a fellow movie star and a person along with all of his friends who bring so much revenue to the State. If there is a small chance in hell it is looked at Wagners lawyers will have Dennis thrown out in 5 minutes as a non credible witness, then all you will see from Wayne is her dust leaving the courtroom. Don't ever think that Lana will go against the Wagners or the daughters she will never, Lana knows her place, her loyalty is to Natalie first and second to the family, once again she knows her place. GNGS has served it's purpose, your mission is complete, quit giving false hope. Let Natalie RIP.

    My time my business.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Please. I don't know why I am bothering, and I will try to address you as respectfully as possible, "My time my business," but please know that you are only embarrassing yourself here where intelligent, rational people discuss this case with respect for one another.

    I doubt if even one of us ever even thought about Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's motivation or lack of it in regards to reopenig this case. Your mind is in over-time, slow down.

    I do NOT "continually lead readers." This case will be reviewed in one respect or another. The injustice to Natalie is not going away. What is going on behind the scenes right now is promising. You can "nay-say" all that you like but, honestly, your little mind scenarios border on absurd.
    Lana knows her place? Marilyn Wayne will leave a dust trail? Please.

    If your comment included more than just a tad of rational input, I would take the time to explain some things, but I know by your tone that I shouldn't waste my time.

    Yes, GNGS has served a purpose and it will continue to do so. While that transpires, if you have an agenda, take it somewhere else or write your own book. I've already written mine and it includes the facts that bring Natalie justice. It has been regarded by people who can and will make a difference.
    No one knows the obstacles in this case better than I do. I've faced them all directly and will continue to do so. You want to begrudge me that, fine, but do it in your own territory, not mine.

    I'm leaving your comment here because I want Lana to see it.

    Thanks for the additional motivation. People told me for 15 years that I would never be able to get GNGS published, but I did. So, please don't under-estimate its "purpose" or its future potential.

    Finally, my blog is not going to become a venting post for those unwilling to accept facts. If you have something rational to say without insulting us, fine, but any future absurd comments from you WILL be deleted.

    PS: "non-credible witnesses" don't usually agree to being polygraphed, nor do they usually pass them. But credible Dennis did both.

    ReplyDelete
  9. If one wants to discuss "non-credible" witnesses, how about the husband who lied to the police during investigation of his wife's death. He does not sound like essence of credibility to me. He sounds like someone who has something to hide.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I agree. The most obvious "non-credible" witness involved is the big fat liar, Wagner.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I apologize, Marti. I'm sorry I left the above comment calling Wagner a big fat liar. You wrote a respectable response to "my business" person and I went off and left an immature comment. I consider myself one of the rational people in this story, so I apologize. Wagner IS a proven liar though and it angers me so much that nothing is done about it, but your book actually did something about it, so I will respect your blog and act accordingly. You can erase my comment if you'd like.

    ReplyDelete
  12. As far as "non-credible" goes, how about a husband who should have been doing everything in his power to find his wife after she 'disappeared' from their yacht, but did not?Instead he did everything in he could to stop the one person, Dennis, who was becoming more and more alarmed, from doing anything to help Natalie?
    I would also like to know how Wagner could be so sure of what happened to Natalie?
    Trying to re-tie the dingy?
    Pardon my disgust at that lie!

    ReplyDelete
  13. How about a husband who makes a swift call to his (their) lawyer well before his wife's body is even found?

    I would like to hear someone defend Wagner on THAT. I CERTAINLY would be sure to make a call to a lawyer if my spouse were missing off a boat (or anywhere else), particularly BEFORE the body was retrieved.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Once again, Wagner's actions speak louder than all of the words written in GNGS.
    I would dearly love to hear why he lied to the police about the broken glass and why he waited 4 hours to call the Coast Guard to report his wife missing from a boat, at night. His wife who was petrified of deep, dark water, his wife whose swimming capabilities were limited to a dog paddle. Yes, I would love to watch him answer those questions.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Speaking of credibility, what sounds more credible: that an inebriated, jealous, narcissistic husband had a heated argument with his wife and "lost it," sending her overboard and then covering up what happened with lies to protect his "image," OR that a woman deathly afraid of dark water, would step out onto a swimstep in the middle of a cold night, in her nightgown and socks, to tie down a dinghy, when she had 3 men on board, one of whom she employed specifically to take care of such matters on the yacht?

    ReplyDelete
  16. It is time to delete the above moron's comments from the blog. We all know who this jerk is -- please do not allow him to infect your space here with his verbal pollution as he has done elsewhere.

    ReplyDelete
  17. We know for sure that you read the blog!

    ReplyDelete
  18. By the way, Lana Wood signed the petition to reopen the case (signature #103). So, obviously she does read the blog, and she wants the case reopened.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Yes, I know exactly who the man is. The comments I left about Lana Wood are for people that don't know she signed the petition.
    His nonsense dosen't bother me anymore. I'm sure that most of the regular readers know who he is.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I have deleted his latest comment because he's obviously too stubborn to recognize that every one of you formed your suspicions long before GNGS. As I said in the book, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this one out, but it does take people that care enough about justice to make it right. Thank you all for signing the petition and for caring about this case. It is so comforting to not be in this alone as I felt for so many years, as Lana felt, too.
    Lana cares, and she is with us, despite what anyone thinks.

    I'm glad we all know who the person is trying to annoy us. And I had no doubt all of you would see right through his ignorance. If he and others want to believe I've deleted him because he doesn't "agree" with me or what's in GNGS, that only proves their inability to grasp reality.

    Some people will never "get it." We all agree that there is a moon circulating the earth, for it's a FACT. Facts are facts. Most rational people know that you can't disagree with a fact without coming off as unstable. If we saw a man running around town ranting that there is no moon, we would think he needs mental help, and hope he's removed from town.
    Those who choose to continue twisting the facts in the Natalie case can do so all they want, but I prefer it not be done at my blog.

    FACTS: Robert Wagner was in a heated argument with Natalie on the rear deck when she went missing, he made no immediate effort to rescue his wife from the ocean, and he lied to the detectives in a death investigation.

    There's little to interpret about those facts.

    ReplyDelete
  21. It's not that they don't "get it". It's that they WON'T "get it". How can anyone not see what's as plain as day. They buy into the "he went down to check on her and she was gone", story that Wagner has been telling for years. They believe it because he said it but they don't believe Dennis because they say he is not credible and because he was intoxicated. NEWSFLASH! The hubby who LIED TO THE POLICE is not credible and suave, smooth Robert Wagner was drunk. Why is he more credible than Dennis? Why is his intoxication so insignificant to those who harp on Dennis' intoxication. PLUS, Wagner has a history of acting irrationally while drunk. Dennis does not. The Wagner supporters are wearing out the "Dennis was drunk" line and won't face the fact that their boy was very drunk and their boy lied in the official police investigation of his beloved wife's death. No, Marti, they won't get it. They refuse to "get it".

    ReplyDelete
  22. There is a waitress from Doug's Restaurant who claims that Wagner was not drinking much the night at the restaurant, but Wagner indeed had been drinking ALL DAY, and he did drink at Doug's. Had this waitress stared at their table all night? Just because Wagner didn't order a lot a cocktails, doesn't mean he wasn't drinking. He drank the Soave Bolla Dennis had retireved from the yacht.

    So many people have their own peculiar ways of interpreting facts, but there are some facts that need little attention because the fact speaks for itself. Wagner was drunk, jealous, and angry. All known evidence proves it, and he lost it that night. The result is the loss of a woman who didn't deserve the death she experienced because of it.

    It's so frustrating that some people won't see this. It's as if having a vendetta with me or Dennis overrides the fact that a woman lost her life unnecessarily, through no fault of her own. I've seen comments where people have tried to blame Natalie for her own death. That kind of a sick approach is mindboggling, especially after Wagner himself has admitted his responsibility (albeit without details).

    One can't down-play the smashing of the wine bottle no matter how you think you can soften it. It was a violent act. Any one of those in the main salon could have lost an eye -- the glass shattered like bullets through the air. It was a shattering, not a bottle broken in two or three pieces. It put a dent into the table (and Dennis still has the table!). Dennis also still has the beeswax candles that Natalie lit as soon as she entered the main salon. They were new candles that hardly burned, as the bottle smashing occured so quickly after their return from the restaurant. Dennis blew-out the candles when Natalie stormed off to the stateroom. In reality, there wasn't enough time for a "banging dinghy theory" to even remotely fit into this night's happpenings. All of this happened within a half hout of being back from the restaurant!

    Anyone who can believe that the bottle smashing ended the tension and that Natalie was missing when Wagner went to check on her is delusional. If Natalie had been an avid dinghy user and unafraid of water, she still wouldn't have bothered dressing into a nightgown to leave with no shoes or underwear.
    There was no banging dinghy.
    People who can't recognize this night for what it is obviously have a different agenda in mind, and I want nothing to do with them. That's my perogative.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I am probably quite new to your blog and therefore do not know who this person is that keeps pestering you, can you fill me in?

    ReplyDelete
  24. Deborah,
    According to my knowledge, it is a person who for years has stalked and cyber-bullied people involved in this subject matter, not only at Natalie Wood sites, but also at Wagner fan sites.
    Believe me, I am more than willing to address any rational opposition in regards to GNGS, but this person is frightening, and I just deleted another of his posts, and I will contact authorities if I suspect he is visiting my blog again.
    The laws protecting us from cyber bullying are strengthening daily, and I will use them.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Woof!
    What's going on here people?
    This site is about trying to get justice for Natalie Wood.
    Marti Rulli and Dennis Davern have spent their time and money trying to do just that for years. Dealing with threats, lies and heaven only knows what to try and bring a shining light into the darkness of this case.
    Let's all try and remember what this site about.

    ReplyDelete
  26. To "My Business My Time"

    I deleted your last post. Please do not use my blog again for your personal agendas. I am quite secure with the people I "deal with" -- I will use the law if necessary. This is my final post to you.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Marti, keep records of this. He sounds a bit unbalanced.

    ReplyDelete
  28. He gets it Marti. He knows exactly what went down on the Splendour that night. This man has been leaving comments like this for a long time on various sites. I don't like to let him confuse new readers, so I always correct his false statements.
    I think he gets some sort of kick out of leaving these kinds of messages. On one site, he went back and erased all of his comments. It seems to be all for show. Strange to say the least.
    Can you block him?

    ReplyDelete
  29. This man is more than a "bit" unbalanced. He truly is ill.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Don't block him. Turn his IP address over to the proper authorities with copies of all his posts and let them handle it. Of course if the authorities are anything like the Keystone Cops who handled Natalie Wood's "accidental drowning", I'm sure this stalker will roam free much as Mr. Hollywood has for almost 29 years.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Thanks, all. I will never lose sight of what this blog is about, so thanks for all the support. I won't let anyone infiltrate this blog with their "ideas" and misinterpretations of facts. They can start their own blogs and say all they want there. You would think they'd give it up as they must know they will not flip anyone here. The people who can see through this case are not going to change their minds about it over the flimsy excuses these people make for Wagner. They are the minority and that is also a fact. They are diehard fans unwilling to deal with facts. They know that even with Dennis taken out of the picture, the Natalie case is still suspicious. An investigation was not conducted properly. These are the ABC's of this case.

    ReplyDelete