I hope everyone has a nice Labor Day weekend and for those of you in the upper Northeast region, I sure hope Hurricane Earl passes you by. We're having mild winds in NJ but hardly any rain. We're more inland from Earl's path, but it's not looking so for Cape Cod at this point.
Production is in the works for the new release of "Goodbye Natalie Goodbye Splendour" and I look forward to announcing its release date soon.
Coast Guard Lieutenent Roger Smith's account is included in the new issue. As promised, I will tell you about the new information that is explained in more detail in the new epilogue for the book, but basically, when Roger got to the Splendour the morning Natalie was missing, it was past 5 AM. Roger was accompanied by Deputy Sheriff Knoll.
Roger was told in the phone call he took that Natalie had been missing since 1:30 AM. He didn't know at that time that she had really been missing since 11 PM. Roger was angry enough about not being called until after 3:30 AM for a woman missing for two hours. The actual 4-hour delay, had ANYONE mentioned it, might have made a difference in how Rasure eventually handled the surviving cruise members, but, as with most information about Natalie's death, EXACT and VITAL information was kept confusing and vague and/or UN-corrected, the way Wagner preferred it.
When Knoll and Smith arrived at the Splendour, Knoll asked Wagner why he delayed in calling the Coast Guard, and Wagner replied, “You’re a public agency, and I didn’t want this to become public. I have my image to think about. We thought she took off to go boat-hopping and was out screwing around because that’s the kind of woman she is.”
Roger was astounded and furious with Wagner at that point, and he was thinking she had been missing only from 1:30 AM!! Roger is who dove beneath Splendour to look for Natalie. He thought the water was cold, but not cold enough to cause instant death...in fact, he figured there was a good chance Natalie could still be alive (based on his false knowledge that she might've been in the water for only four hours at that point) if she was clinging to the missing dinghy or IN the dinghy. He set out immediately by rescue boat to start the search, but knew it would be a difficult task until full daylight would help.
An interesting information-discovery from Roger is that Wagner told Knoll that he and Natalie had been arguing...he also immediately offered up the banging dinghy theory to Knoll and said he REMEMBERED Natalie getting up to go adjust the dinghy!! This is SO DIFFERENT than the story he had available for Rasure, who, remember, did NOT press for information. Wagner told Rasure that he had no clue how or why his wife went missing. He said he and Walken had had a political debate and Natalie had gone off to bed in boredom. So how does he then remember her getting up to adjust a dinghy? (Just another one of the many lingering questions you would think the authorities would be concerned with.)
Roger Smith is 100% behind seeking truth and justice for Natalie Wood and will stand behind his information as he has tried to tell his account since 1981 only to be demoted, transferred and ignored, and treated like a troublemaker as all people who tell truth about the circumstances surrounding Natalie's death are. Roger Smith is a decent, caring, honest man who did not deserve to become another scapegoat in a scarcely investgated death case. Island politics and a husband desperate to not have truth exposed turned life around in an unfair and challenging way for an innocent Coast Guard Lifeguard/Paramedic who only cared about saving lives.
The L.A. County Sheriff's Department should be ashamed to this day for this embarrassment of a case.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
In light of Mr. Smith's story it is especially appalling that the Sheriff's department continues to stick their heads in the sand. Wagner's story reeks on so many levels. Natalie was a star who was used to having things done for her. Does it really make sense that she would attend to a "banging dinghy" in bad weather, herself? People who are terrified of the water don't go looking for opportunities to be near it. Dennis would have been called. That should be a no-brainer for anyone. I'll never understand why people give Wagner so much leeway. I don't believe he was ever remorseful. (fake grief aside) She went boat-hopping? Screwing around because that's the kind of woman she is? None of us would talk about a loved one that way. Not even if we were angry and trying to cover our butts. The man is a sociopath with a slick veneer. Nothing more.
ReplyDeleteI meant to ask, what was the official reason for his demotion and transfer? We all know who was behind it, but they had to put it on record why. What plausible excuse could they have used? Why weren't his superiors curious about the discrepancies or Mr. Smith's suspicions? Is all of Los Angeles subject to Hollywood's pressure?
ReplyDelete'Boat hopping......screwing around because that's the kind of woman she is'??!!
ReplyDeleteI am livid even reading those words.
How dare Wagner even part his lips to say such things about Natalie.
He has told so many different versions of what happened that night someone, the district attorney, the governor of Calif., etc. must look into this!
It is truly painful to discover how cheaply Natalie's life is considered by those who should have protected and defended her.
What a pity Wagner thought more of his ego and image than his wife's life.
If he had, I believe that Natalie would still be alive today.
While reading this, my mind wondered to Robert Chambers, another sciopath.
This is a nightmare that is like one of Dante's circles of hell.
Does Wagner have the entire state of Calif. in his pocket?
There has to be, must be, someone who can make him answer for what happened that night.
And since the LA County Sheriff Dept. does not seem to know what to ask Wagner, my suggestion is to use Marti's book as a guide.
Marti did something they did not.
She INVESTIGATED THE CASE.
She UNCOVERED FACTS.
She SPOKE WITH WITNESSES THEY DID NOT CARE TO LISTEN TO. EVEN AN EYE WITNESS WHO WAS ON THE YACHT FOR THE ENTIRE CRUISE.
Poor Natalie, may she someday have the justice she so richly deserves.
Seems there were some back-room politics going on at Catalina Island at the time of Natalie's death. A man named Dean Dana ran the Island, much like a mafia boss would run an organization (per an LA Times article shortly after Natalie's death). Dana got along well with Doug Bombard who handled all interests at the western part of the Island. Bombard resented Roger Smith, who fought cutbacks for safety issues. They had a private meeting (Bombard and Dean) after Natalie died and conspired how to get rid of "loud mouth Smith" -- they used budgetary reasons which made it impossible for Smith to fight, even with an attorney, but they all condemned Smith for talking about the senseless death of Natalie. NO ONE would listen to Smith...obviously, even the detectives. When an LA Times reporter got involved, she vowed to protect Smith, but apparently was soon ordered by her bosses to never speak with Smith again. Who came on strong to the newspaper is anyone's guess. Natalie's death goes deeper than we all imagined. It astounds me what I continue to learn. Money, politics, suspicious-death -- I'm beginning to believe myself that it all tied in together.
ReplyDeleteMarti, thank you for all the work you've done. There are Wagner supporters out there who say that you and Dennis are in this for the money, what else would we expect them to say? How predictable! By now, I would think that this endeavor into justice for Natalie is costing money rather than making money. Thank you so much for not giving up. Anyone can see that it's never been for the money, that it's for Natalie, for justice. Thank you so very much, Marti. I wish you all the best.
ReplyDeleteMarti, you should seriously consider writing a book about the investigation into Natalie's death, dig deeper.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Marti. I am going to repost it on my blog tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteRobert Wagner is an absolute snake saying those things about Natalie after he just made sure she was dead.
Looking forward to the release of the paperback version of your book! You're my everyday hero.
Thanks again,
Sharon
Channeling Ricky
Thanks, Everyone. The people who are offended by the true details of Natalie's death--the ones who want to accuse us of being in this for profit--can rationalize with any kind of excuse they want. There are so few of them and they are not important to this story and no longer bother me or shake my confidence one bit. What they say is untrue and I've put more into this mission than I could ever live long enough to have returned, but I do not have one regret. And the mission--the ultimate goal--is far from over. In fact, it is just beginning.
ReplyDeleteWagner REALLY said those words about Natalie. I suppose I influenced Roger too? No, the naysayers only embarrass themselves at this point.
Wagner hadn't acted like you would think a loving husband whose wife was missing at sea, desperate to find her, would act. Instead, he insulted Natalie. He KNEW she was in the water. He KNEW she had cried for help. He KNEW that the longer he waited that only one thing was likely to happen--death! That's what the authorities need work from, that Wagner KNEW!
Roger will NEVER forget those words! Roger knew little about Natalie other than her screen presence but had that gut feeling that she was married to a real jerk. He witnessed that Wagner's demeanor was not "right" and that something was terribly wrong about the entire night. Dennis was the one who appeared in shock and anxious to bring Natalie in safely ... Dennis was relieved when help showed up. Wagner talked about his IMAGE, just as he had to Dennis throughout the night.
None of the Islanders wanted their portion of Catalina marred, Wagner didn't want a scandal, Walken was worried about his career being affected by scandal, so much so that he called Rasure to thank him for not treating him like a suspect. Although Walken was not a suspect, he should have been treated as one... until truth was uncovered.
No one wanted scandal, at the cost of one very valuable life, the mother of two young daughters.
I'm glad that you can ignore the people who say you are in it for the money. It doesn't even make any sense. An author writes a book and then moves on to the next project. Does this sound like you have moved on? You're still pursuing the story and justice for Natalie. As for Natalie, I wish she was just married to a "snake" or a "jerk". A sociopath can be extremely charming, justify any of their actions because the other person deserved it, they are adept liars and recognize only their own needs and wants. Sound familiar?
ReplyDeleteMarti,
ReplyDeleteAfter reading these words; "Knoll asked Wagner why he delayed in calling the Coast Guard, and Wagner replied, “You’re a public agency, and I didn’t want this to become public. I have my image to think about. We thought she took off to go boat-hopping and was out screwing around because that’s the kind of woman she is.” I can barely set fingers to type as my entire body is shaking in rage and by all means as the sole owner of this blog you have the right to delete my comment for the profanity which will follow but I know of no other term that fits Robert Wagner other than the man is a Class A Son of a Bitch!
I am coming to the conclusion that Mr Wagner's relationship with Ms Wood was simply a means to an end for him. I don't think Mr Wagner--a man who could say and do the things that he said and did the night Ms Wood died--had any genuine affection for her.
ReplyDeleteHe acted in a manner far worse than I ever could have imagined.
"WE" thought she went boat hopping? Who was "WE"?
ReplyDeleteAlso, how odd is it that Wagner would use the "public agency" excuse and in the next breath, say something that he would definitely not want to be made public. Was he drunk at this point? He drank well into the early AM hours.
Anon above, Can you believe that statement? Here is a woman the entire world knew to be deathly afraid of water and her husband states "We thought she went boat hopping."?
ReplyDeleteThe supposed authority in charge believed him? How is that possible?
These are facts. No gossip or made up stories. Just the cold, hard facts and the authorities and RJ's fans have turned a blind eye to it?
Only in America!
After the 1:30 AM call to the Island for help, Wagner made several mistakes explaining himself to various people, obviously because he didn't know how things were going to unfold at that point. He didn't know if he was going to be accused, so said a few things that covered himself in that case, and kept quiet about things like the glass in the salon until it would come up. You would think his conflicting information would have been a bunch of red flags, but instead it all worked in his favor.
ReplyDeleteHis mistakes:
1) Screaming at Paul Wintler to "Find her, find her" as he did NOT do with Dennis. WIntler thought it was all an act.
2) He told Harbormaster Oudin that Natalie was wearing her nightgown (how would he know that if he hadn't been in the bedroom?) He tried to fix that in HIS book decades later by saying he saw her combing her hair.
3) He told Deputy Knoll and Roger Smith that he and Natalie HAD been arguing. (Later changed to arguing with Walken over polictics)
4) He mentioned his "image" to a deputy. Turns out people believed it was an honest excuse for a celebrity.
5) By the time they found Natalie, he smartened up a bit and went into visual full-blown grief (weakening of the knees, sobbing, etc) so the detectives asked the information from other people instead of from Wagner.
Because Wintler, Knoll and Smith weren't interviewed, what they knew never went on record. Bombard and Oudin felt guilty for not having called the Coast Guard so they kept quiet and implied a search began immediately (not focusing on the fact it was a makeshift search that didn't begin until over 2 hours after Natalie had been missing.) And, on top of this, when Marilyn Wayne saw the police boats at the Splendour at 5:30 AM and asked what was going on, she was told by Bombard's employee to mind her own business. She was never sought out for questioning so she called to VOLUNTEER her information: the woman who knew exactly what time Nastalie went into the water was disregarded by the lead detective! Marilyn called me about a month or so ago. She is willing to take a polygraph test for officials and/or the public: whatever it would take to show she has some important answers.
It all comes down to a horrible investigation into the death of Natalie Wood, which has evolved into such a convoluted mess that no one knows what to believe, but now we have concrete evidence, we have vital witnesses all willing to go on record. Natalie's death was not an accidental fall while adjusting a banging dinghy. All of this information, plus much more, is compiled and will soon be used accordingly.
"We" -- Wagner to this day uses the word "We"!!
ReplyDeleteWho "we" are is as confusing as every word and statement he has offered since the death of Natalie.
I think he uses "we" at this point as if the support of Walken exists (which it does by Walken's silence) but I think he used "we" immediately at the scene as if Dennis would stand behind Wagner's lies forever.
There was and is NO "we" -- Wagner called all the shots that night with everyone involved. Wagner is who fought with Natalie and knows how she ended up in the Pacific Ocean.
"We" could not have been Walken as Walken was in the stateroom, asleep. "We" had to have been Dennis. He assumed that whatever he said, Dennis would back him up.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Wagner will make a public statement about this. His silence is deafening. He painted the loving husband picture in his book. He told of how he was torn apart with grief, ripped open, all that dramatic bullshit! This torn, ripped man was dating only 11 weeks later. He took Jill out, on of all days, Valentine's Day. If he was as ripped open as he claims, he would not have been emotionally ready to be with anyone on Valentine's Day. His "date" on that night should have been with Natalie's daughters. He's a fake and phony and liar, how can anyone not see this. He even lied about that first date with St. John in his book. He said 6 months passed before he dated.
ReplyDeleteIn interviews about the book he was asked why it took him so long to write it. He said that he wanted to make sure he was remembering correctly, that it was all accurate. I guess he forget when he went on his first date after his wife died. According to Jill, it was on Valentine's Day, 1982. She said that is why Valentine's Day is so special to them. HMMM, I wonder why she did not tell him that what he wrote was not accurate. He had said that Jill was the person who checked the facts. The man is liar.
I will say it, defend it, and stand behind it CONCRETE PROOF of what a liar Wagner is.
ReplyDeleteWhen talking about their careers, Wagner once said that he sells soap, his wife sells tickets. Even back then I thought it must be hard for him to see himself in that way. Now that I am aware of his ego and his need to be a "movie star", you can almost imagine the seething resentment behind that statement. Poor Natalie had no idea what a powder keg she was married to. A man who starts a relationship immediately after the loss of another one has loyalty and feelings for no one but himself. That's why he could do the horrific things he did. He isn't like the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteIt is strange how in Hollywood sometimes life imitates art; Robert Wagner has turned out to be the character, Bud Corliss, that he played in the film "A Kiss Before Dying."
ReplyDeleteCould it be that is was a case of art imitating life?
I must say that the more Marti delves into and reveals to us, the more difficult it becomes to read, I just shake my head in disbelief!
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way, it is difficult to look at this as it actually was. I think most of us would prefer to believe that it was a tragic accident but with what Marti has uncovered, not by any stretch of the imagination was Natalie's death even close to being accidental.
ReplyDeleteMarti, was a murder committed that night?
ReplyDeleteMarti, was a murder committed that night?
ReplyDeletePerhaps you should be asking Wagner this same question in a court room and under oath?
Just returned from a Labor Day weekend in the Pocono Mountains that was fun, nostalgic (as we saw couples we hadn't seen in years), refreshing, and I closed out my summer ready to gear up for the next steps for GNGS. As soon as the new edition is available (very soon!) I will post to the blog and continue to post updates on our progress toward getting the authorities to take this travesty of justice seriously.
ReplyDeleteTo answer the question, was a murder committed that night?, the answer to that question is for the law to decide but I wish I could include in the book all of the things I've heard from reliable sources who refuse to go on record. I will tell the authorities ALL that I know on the hope they will re-question some of the participants. For example, something that ties in with the blog comment above that life imitates art -- If some of you remember, OJ Simpson had learned in a movie how to "slit a throat" just before Nicole was killed. Isn't it ironic that right after Natalie died, an episode of Hart to Hart aired about a drowning victim? Now, I'm the first to tell you that that could be pure coincidence, but I'm also the one who heard about a supposed phone call that was made to the Newport Beach Coast Guard station by Wagner to ask about search and rescue procedures about a month or so before Natalie's death. We can't get our hands on the Coast Guard records to confirm or eliminate the claim, as they've said the records will remain sealed on the Wood case, but I've gone another route: the Coast Guard historical department works with authors that want to be accurate about information. It may be a way into the files. I will soon find out. The Coast Guarder who claims to have taken the call will not go on record, but let my source know that the call is on file.
ReplyDeleteNow, of course, had Wagner been working on a Hart scene about the drowning eopisode, that would be a perfect reason to have made such a Coast Guard call, but wouldn't a scriptwriter or fact-checker have taken care of those kind of tasks for the show? Regardless, the info would not hold its value in a court of law, but it is an interesting fact. I could not use it in the book because the person who took the call vows silence, but I can post it here at the blog. Was such a phone call made? Why? We talk about premeditation sometimes. How long had OJ Simpson been thinking about how to pull off the night he pulled off? Wagner flew to North Carolina to check on Natalie, remember? Did he come back angry? Wagner did NOT want to take the Thanksgiving weekend cruise. When Natalie insisted, did he go into anger-mode that culminated in refusal to help her even in a dire situation? How did she get INTO the water? We all know Natalie wouldn't have done any of the things he claims she did: tying a dinghy, going out to the swimstep, etc. He insulted her even when she was missing at sea? The death of Natalie REEKS of foul play, but professionals never gathered the proper information.
ReplyDeleteI do mention in the new edition that the Splendour was compromised, but because another witness fears to go on record, I could NOT explain HOW in the new version. Bombard allowed one of his waitresses and her boyfriend to sleep aboard the Splendour one night while it was moored awaiting FULL investigation. This comes from a reliable source AND from the horse's mouth, but she, too, is afraid to go on record. Even she thought it ironic that she would be asked to "watch over" the Splendour that night.
Bombard ran that part of the Island. His superiority truly factored into how the case was improperly handled. Rasure walked into a case he wanted to be easy because he was shorthanded. Everyone wanted Natalie's death to be an easy case. Here I am, an advertising representative in a small NJ town, 29 years later, shaking my head in disbelief over the work ethics of all involved in one of the most prominent mishandled cases of all time! If I have the ability to learn about these things, I'm sure CONCERNED professionals can dig deeper and give the public the answers they deserve, and Natalie the justice she deserves. I won't rest until they do.
Was a murder committed that night? Well, why would anyone be so hellbent on keeping information about an accidental death blanketed? Why won't more innocent bystanders come forward on record with what they know? Why are people still AFRAID of this case? Make no mistake about it, people ARE afraid of this case, and maybe I should be, too, but what I continue to learn leaves little doubt in my mind what happened that fateful night. BUT, our justice system allows for a judge and jury to decide such things, but what has our justice system done for Natalie thus far? They've allowed her to go down in history as a drunk partier who fell off her boat. It's SICKENING because that is as far from the truth as a justice system and its employees can get!
So, he called to ask about search and rescue procedures? That's interesting. Could he have checked to make sure how late was too late? I could understand if he made this call during peak boating season but during the fall season, a season in which they rarely used the boat? Good luck on finding out more about this, Marti.
ReplyDeletePlease make sure you and Dennis are extra careful in your daily lives. We all want you to be safe and protected. I would like to say that I am stunned by people being afraid this many years later but I'm not. I grew up during the Kennedy and Monroe years so I know a little something about the truth being stifled by powerful people. You would think there would be a time when the truth can come out but I guess power can have long-reaching tentacles.
ReplyDeleteIf Wagner were innocently concerned about search and rescue procedures, he would have called when they FIRST purchased the boat, not years later.
ReplyDeleteMarti, would you ask Dennis if in the months before Natalie's death did anything happen to set Wagner off? Perhaps Natalie decided to work more, a comment or fight about Walken, etc.?
I think that you are right on target about Natalie's death going even deeper than we all have thought.
I now think the incredible web of protection that covers Wagner is not just for his sake.
All along I have found it hard to believe a fading, third rate actor in his 70's or 80's had and continues to have the kind of power to just shut down a death investigation cold without help from some very powerful people.
If Wagner goes down, I think a lot of others, those who have tried so hard since 1981 to keep the facts of this case hidden, will go down as well.
Lots of people are protecting their own self interets.
Money changing hands, back room deals, favors owed, favors paid, threats, intimidation and who knows what else.
Just the knowledge that people are so afraid to speak the truth about this case after so many years gives us all an idea about how deeply this case is rooted.
you are so right, Anonymous 10:56 AM. Wagner was never a huge powerful star. If he were, he would have had the career to go along with it. There are others involved in this cover up. Notice that no one has said a word about the book. All of the people Marti named have been silent. They are all watching their own backs.
ReplyDeleteDear Marti, what are the legal steps one would follow to get the case reopened? Is it just a matter of sending in the petition? Does anyone send the LA Police Department updates from your website? How many other cases have been reopened and investigated? Thank you for all your hard work. I loved Natalie, and am sick over how this is playing out.
ReplyDeleteThis might interest you. I just heard on the radio that the arresting officer in Mel Gibson's DUI case is suing the LACSD. He says he has been denied promotions etc. because he wrote down all of the slurs Mel said in his report. (shades of Roger Smith fallout) Mel has donated money to the department in the past and is friends with one of the head honchos there. As long as these "trusted" institutions reside in celebrity pockets, justice will always be an uphill battle.
ReplyDeleteMany film stars have the LAPD in their back pocket. I am not referring to the fringe celebs like Lohan or Hilton who go looking for the publicity. I'm referring to the stars like Gibson.
ReplyDeleteThis dates back to when Hollywood was Hollywoodland. The LAPD is one of the dirtiest and most crooked in the country.
I'm beginning to think the entire law enforcement in the LA district needs investigating. It sickens me how the Wood case is treated. I gave Rasure PLENTY to ponder in GNGS and he had said he would be the first to help! Instead, he told the CNN producer we worked with that GNGS is a "piece of shit" (Rasure's quote word for word!) I would LOVE the opportunity to go detail for detail with him. He would never do that because he KNOWS he would be creamed. He should be ashamed of his work on Natalie's case.
ReplyDeleteCelebs often DO get special treatment. The stars DO donate, they DO make friends in the department. The Santa Claus that used to visit the Wagner home on Christmas Eves named Ernie was a retired high-ranking officer with the police department. Wagner had some friends, including Frank Sinatra who jumped into the mix with the letter that got Noguchi fired. And some people have the nerve to say Dennis was starstruck? That really amazes me.
Bombard wanted families like the Wagners to visit his end of the Island. It would attrack similar stars and celebrities as well as regular Island visitors who would know there might be a chance of spotting a star while visiting. I know for a fact that Wagner was friendly with the Island managers and personnel. Who knows what favors Bombard offered on his own just to stay in Wagner's good grace? Wagner stopped going to Catalina, but who knows if he stopped donating? No one thought it necessary to investigate!
Rasure I can't quite figure out. Dennis believes Rasure is as crooked as a mountain road. I gave Rasure the benefit of the doubt and I still don't know if old age is playing into his recollection of the purpose for the 1981 Thanksgiving Splendour cruise, but I doubt that.
As for the cop who chose to not tolerate Mel Gibson, how sad that he is affected for doing his job! There's an LA law theme: Look the other way!
Cops there just admitted they treated Paris Hilton with priviledge in her latest arrest, and their excuse was lame. They treat all mega stars with priviledge: Wagner was NOT a mega star, but think about this: NATALIE WAS! He actually got to feed off HER legendary status in the investigation of her own death that he had a huge part in! Sinatra hadn't been protecting Wagner as much as he may have believed he was protecting the memory of Natalie. I wonder what Sinatra would've thought of GNGS. Maybe he would've sided with the live Wagner still or maybe he would've been disgusted. Who knows?
How to get the case reopened? The petition WILL help and we're working on presenting an official inquiry. Beyond that, I don't want to offer too many details at a public blog, but the effort is alive and well. The late Rolling Stones, Brian Jones case, was just reopened and reinvestigated and he died long before Natalie did, so I don't see why Natalie's case will remain closed. One thing for sure, going through the retired detectives that handled the case is not the way to go.
As for Wagner's demeanor in the months preceding Natalie death, he was quite upset that she had gone to North Carolina to film a movie. He was suspicious about her actions in North Carolina and made a special trip to check up on her. It was the sole purpose of his surprise visit to her, and he TOLD DENNIS that was why he was going. When Dennis asked how everything was after he returned, he told Dennis that everything was fine. But, Wagner had been acting so out of character that Dennis was worried. It plays into WHY Dennis did not want to take the Splendour out that weekend. Dennis wishes he had listened to Dorothy (the marina manager) and come up with some excuse to not take the trip, but Dennis didn't feel right doing soemthing like that. It turned out to be the trip that would haunt so many for the rest of their days.
In his book, Wagner said that he heard rumors about Natalie and Walken but ignored them. That's another lie that he told in his "memoir". He had already told Gavin Lambert and a few others that he heard rumors and was very suspicious of an affair. In Lambert's book he basically came right out and said that he felt that there was an affair. On that topic his book was a complete contradiction of what he told Gavin Lambert. AGAIN, ROBERT WAGNER IS A LIAR.
ReplyDeleteMarti -
ReplyDeleteDid Dennis say in what way Wagner was acting out of character after he returned from North Carolina?
That plays right into his calling about search and rescue procedures a month or so before Natalie's death.
This is beginning to smell a lot like premeditation. Yet another twist in this nightmare!
Something must have happened in North Carolina to spark this horrible chain of events.
Have you considered trying to speak with 'Brainstorm' crew members?
From what I have previously read, Natalie normally had a good relationship with movie crews, especially the hair and make-up people.
She was so far from home and her friends, perhaps she unburdened herself to someone there.
I have also read Natalie was drinking during the filming to the point that her costumes needed to be let out.
Not normal behavior for her during filming.
Something must have been weighing on her heart and mind.
Thank you for all that you have done and are still trying to do.
I believe you wrote that you and Natalie never met, and while she is not related to you or Dennis, you both are behaving more like her 'family' than her blood relatives in your quest for justice.
She spent a lot of time with DonFeld who did the costumes. According to an interview he did shortly after she died, she was troubled by being away from her kids. That really bothered her. She talked about them constantly, they were mentioned in every conversation.
ReplyDeleteShe also talked to him about the trips that she went on with RJ and the kids. She spoke lovingly of them. I remember Feld said to her "You love them with all your heart, don't you." Her response was, "they are the best, Don, the best." She was referring to RJ, also.
According to Donfeld, she ate more than her normally did. He told the story of how they went to lunch and she ordered all low-cal foods. He told of how she kept reaching over and eating the goodies off his plate. He said nothing about drinking but when he talked to Lambert in "Natalie-A Life", Donfeld painted a very different picture of Natalie during Brainstorm. You would have never known that he was talking about the same woman. I think many people told Lambert what Lambert wanted to be told.
I think Lambert had an agenda that came directly from Wagner which was to paint Natalie as a troubled woman fighting her demons and also as a loose woman...the same way Wagner painted her to Roger Smith and Knoll when they showed up for a professional search.
ReplyDeleteSo many terrible things to process. Yes, Dennis, you are absolutely right. Rasure is crooked, I think we all sense that. His objections to GNGS and his expensive hobby all scream dishonest. A real policeman would have wanted to correct his mistakes, a sense of justice is why they took the job. As for North Carolina, perhaps Natalie told Wagner of her plans to invite Walken on a Thanksgiving cruise. If that set him off, it could explain his call to find out about rescue procedures. Of course, it also puts us back into that nasty territory of premeditation. Sinatra was Natalie's friend and I'm sure he was trying to keep any scandal away from Natalie's memory. Plus he fancied himself a Don of sorts and liked to "fix" things for his friends. Natalie was Wagner's ticket into the big leagues. Most of the stars he likes to brag about were friends of Natalie, he just benefited from the affection they had for her. That brings me to the most perplexing part of this story, where were her friends when this all went down? The minute they heard all of the stories about fixing dingys and boat hopping, they would have known he was lying. Why did no one come forward on her behalf? Crowley and all of her other supposed friends flocked to the "grieving widower" and stayed by his side. To me it's the ultimate betrayal. "Protecting her daughters" is a lame excuse when you know in your heart something isn't right. Only Robert Blake has gone on film saying the story was bullshit and she never would have done that. Unfortunately, his own circumstances make him a less than desirable witness. Sorry this was so long but it has bothered me for a long time that her "friends" remain silent.
ReplyDeleteIt was not only Sinatra who got involved. It was the Screen Actor's Guild who called for Noguchi's demotion.
ReplyDeleteI agree, where were all of these loyal friends, people Natalie was so kind and generous to? My theory is that he sang the same song to them that he sang to her kids. I told them that he is protecting Natalie's memory by not telling the public all that happened that weekend. Everyone bought it except the man who was there for most of it, saw most it or heard most of it, that being Dennis Davern. It's easy for those who were not there to buy RJ's story, more comfortable. Den was there, he knows that RJ is lying about so many things, he knows that RJ is a master con artist.
I guess you're right about people being more comfortable buying Wagner's story. Nobody wants to believe that there is a monster in their midst. However, time, rumors and this book should have raised many flags for people. From what I've read, she was very loyal to her friends. It will continue to bother me until that loyalty is repaid. Dennis got over his shock at what happened. Now it's their turn.
ReplyDeleteRasure is a big waste of time. I don't think he gives a damn about Natalie or the truth about the way she died. If he cared he would have done something by now. Frankly, I don't have any interest in anything he might have to say at this point.
ReplyDeleteI think we have done more to get at the truth than the LA Sheriff's Dept. ever did.
Seriously, from reading GNGS and Marti bringing new information to light via this blog--and our blog discussions--we have dug past the lies and false reports. I have a much clearer picture now of what actually happened that night on board the Splendour.
Lambert takes a lot of heat for his opinions and negative characterizations of Wood, but don't forget it was his inclusion of Crowly's story of Wagner's drunken, almost violent incident in Hawaii that point to a precedence regarding his drunken, maniacal behavior. I don't think Lambert would fabricate witness testimony in his book. There were other statements made by others than Donfeld that point to a possible affair between Wood and Walken. Wagner may have made inquiries to them, or he could have hired someone to watch the comings and goings of his wife. I think a possessive, controlling husband would do this, especially with the kind of money Wagner had at the time. It wouldn't have been difficult, Wagner knew where his wife was staying. It would explain why Wagner may have made premediative measures, a kind of feasibility study, of murdering his wife, long before Thanksgiving weekend.
ReplyDeleteMichael B
Lambert told a few stories in his book that were highly embellished, some were out and out lies. Lambert set the tone for the book.
ReplyDeleteHe set out to polish Wagner's armor. If he said
Wagner was heterosexual once, he said it a thousand times. LOL.
I still that interview with DonFeld. The Natalie he discussed in that interview was nothing like the Natalie he discussed with Lambert. Why didn't he tell Lambert how anguished Natalie was to be away from her kids? Why didn't he tell Lambert about the love she expressed for her family? Maybe he did but that's not the message Lambert wanted to deliver. Lambert had an agenda. He had the opportunity to interview her kids, to have them share their memories of their mother. Everything that he gave us from her kids was negative. Lambert made Natalie look like a nutcase in his book.
Wagner stated that Lambert asked him for his approval for doing a Natalie bio. That another LIE! Wagner asked Lambert to write that book because he knew he would the control that he did not have with Finstad. However, Wagner was furious over the Hawaii revelation.
I think Walken and Wagner have a lot in common. They both disguise their true sexuality with that mask called marriage.
ReplyDeleteMarti,
ReplyDeleteI think everything you tell about is interesting to the case, but you don't want to go too far into conspiracy theories and end up sounding like that Peter Rydyn (?) guy who was an embarrassment to this case. It's because of people like him that the pros won't take things seriously. Your information is valid important material as his was ridiculous stuff, and I appreciate the way you contain everything and relate things together. You sure did do a better job than the law but I want to assure you that anyone would be hard pressed to deny that what you've uncovered isn't important and meaningful to this case.
I don't think conspiracy theories is what she is implying. It seems that a motley crew of people were brought together that night by pure chance. Unfortunately for Natalie, they all had there own agendas and her chance for justice was lost that night. No one seemed to work in concert with each other yet the results were the same as if they had. Personal interest and self-preservation superceded the truth and Natalie ended up being collateral damage. Hopefully, that is soon to change. Forgive my opinion, I know Marti can answer for herself.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous above, I couldn't have said it any better. By pure coincidence, the information gathered--what little there immediately was--served Wagner's desire to keep everything simple and if added details came to light, the more confusing they were, all the better. Walken's choice to stay tight lipped -- and Dennis's choice to wait things out while he went along with the program, are the two largest mistakes made that hindered seeking the truth of Natalie's death. The three men aboard that yacht are the three who know various degrees of truth. All have remained quiet except for Dennis. The bottle-smashing episode would never be known if not for Dennis, and you would think Wagner's later verification of it is proof enough that Dennis set out on a course long ago to tell the truth of the fateful night for Natalie. Wagner still has never denied Dennis's story. What more could anyone want, especially the authorities?
ReplyDeleteWagner's supporter's paint Marti and Dennis as the big, bad wolves because the revealed the TRUTH and Marti did not stop at the truth, she went on to find more TRUTH.
ReplyDeleteWagner has been his own worst enemy. Just looking at the basic facts involved in this case would shed tremendous doubt on Wagner's word. When this tragedy occurred Wagner stated through his PR people and his lawyers and his daughter Katie in The Intimate Portrait, that he went down to the stateroom to check on Natalie and when he got down there he found that she was gone. BUT, when the search party went out looking for her they asked what she was wearing the last time he saw her. He described her nightgown in detail, colors and all. If she was not there when he went down, how did know what she was wearing? In his book he invented that scenario with the mirror claiming that he saw her before she went into the stateroom. He did not mention that in any other statement, any other interviews. Didn't anyone find that odd? Didn't anyone think that he just might be lying? It was not Marti and Dennis who came up with that scenario to make Wagner look bad. Wagner did that all on his own.
To be clear about something: GNGS is NOT "revised"... it only includes new important information.
ReplyDeleteI believe that when you have a group of people working together in concert,however few or many, with the same desired end, no matter how loosely or tightly bound together, the word 'conspiracy' is not out of place.
ReplyDeleteNo, I am not lost in the 'grassy knoll', just amazed at the sheer number of people involved in keeping a lid on this.
In this instance, more people than not were trying to serve their own purposes, again, for a shared desired end, that the facts about what really happened the night that Natalie died never come to light.
A quick, neat and tidy end to the senseless death of a woman who had so many fruitful years to look forward to.
Marti's investigation into Natalie's death could not be more removed from Peter Rydyn's ramblings than I am from the moon.
With Dennis coming forward and Marti constantly uncovering new facts, I for one am constantly thinking of new questions because now, we are all hearing the TRUTH for the first time.
Dean Tana? Without Marti's tireless work I never would have known he existed.
Hi, Marti:
ReplyDeleteI haven't been able to log on for several days, so this is the first time I've been able to see this new thread.
Deane Dana was one of the Board of Supervisors of Los Angeles County. He just didn't rule over Catalina Island. The island was included in his district. These five supervisors head up ALL of the departments of Los Angeles County, which, as you know, is a massive area.
The structure of this set-up has always been criticized as being an inefficient way to run a county that is bigger than some states. It is a behemoth.
So, essentially, Deane Dana was also one of Thomas Noguchi's top bosses. All department heads report to the board--can't go any higher than that.
And yes, it certainly sounds like Wagner's lawyers or someone else got some higher-ups at the newspaper to get involved and stifle the truth.
This is absolutely sickening to me.
And yes, I fully believe that there was a wide
Oops--my post got cut off! I was going to write that I believe that there was a more widespread cover-up than ever imagined. And that makes me even angrier.
ReplyDeleteWow, that explains a lot. Years back there was a petition (over a thousand signatures) to reopen the Marilyn Monroe case. I can't remember the name of the man in charge (his last name started with an A) but he took the petition seriously and asked to have the case reopened. It was the board of supervisors that stopped that from happening. They said it would be too expensive etc. I never understood at the time how they would have more say than law enforcement but now I know. Add the board of supervisors to the list of corrupt officials in LA.
ReplyDeleteMarianne, thank you for this information. What I've learned about Dean Dana (that's how his name was spelled in articles I found...I'm curious if you've found that it includes an e on the first name)... Anyhow, I've heard he ruled with the pompousness and ego akin to a mafia boss. Chances are, he knew Sinatra, too. It's often difficult for me to believe that these kind of things really occur but as I delve deeper, and actually talk to the people who were affected, I have no doubt that "messages" were sent out to keep details about Natalie's death as subdued as possible. Dana's immediate mission was to "get rid of Roger Smith" as soon as possible, the one man anxious to get to the bottom of how Natalie ended up in the ocean -- and NEVER ONCE interviewed by an authority or the medical examiners. That's not coincidental, I have no doubt now.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 1:48 PM... I am not lost in the "grassy knoll" either. I continued to be astonished, therefore it's just another example of how naive I could be, what I like to call the comfort of innocence, I guess. But you are so right about what I've learned being light years away from "ramblings". For whatever reason the word conspiracy somehow ties in with this story, the fact remains that Natalie's death was and IS protected.
ReplyDeleteMarti, I don't doubt that Dana was a crook. After all, he was a politician.
ReplyDeleteI am pretty sure his first name is spelled with an "e." That's how I always recalled it. He was around a long time in politics here.
(pause)
I just looked it up--Deane Dana joined the Board of Supervisors in 1980. Yes, he was a supervisor at the time of Natalie's death. And he had the power to help cover it up.
Thanks Marianne. I want to make that correction now before the production starts....if I have time to. I'd like to spell his name correctly. Funny thing is, I had never once heard his name either until after GNGS was released. I wonder how many other names and characters know something they've chosen to never tell about Natalie's death...you know, a comment someone may have made, something RJ said or did, another person on a boat that heard Natalie but just didn't want to get involved...anything.
ReplyDeleteDr. Lyndon Taylor had been on his boat about a football field length away, and he was on his back deck for about and hour between 11 and midnight. He heard nothing. He said it was very still, but he claims Natalie would've been on the other side of Splendour the way the boats were positioned, but he knows he would've heard a splash had Natalie been thrown over the side of Splendour. He knows about boats, water, etc as he was an avid boater from childhood on. He believes she was "slipped in" at the swim step door. Otherwise, he claims, all the boaters in the immediate area (even if in their cabins) would've heard the kind of splash the sound of falling off a boat like Splendour would've made.
I'm confused. If they would have heard a body splash into the ocean, why did only Marilyn hear Natalie's cry for help? Surely, her terror would have carried across to other boats. I believe the music was off by then. It's too bad poor Dennis tried to protect their privacy with the loud music. Maybe without it other people would have heard the melee aboard Splendour. Then there would be even more witnesses to Wagner's "charm".
ReplyDeleteLyn Taylor says that Splendour is a big enough boat that the rear wall is high off the water. (Dennis was 15 feet above the water on the bridge.)
ReplyDeleteWhen Natalie was crying for help, she was directly inbetween Wayne's boat and the Wagner boat. Lyn was moored on the other side of that. The current immediately would've started pulling Natalie to sea, away from the boats, not toward the beach. As Splendour was the furthest boat out, Natalie was immediately distanced from the mooring area and other boats.
Lyn says that if one fell from the Splendour wall, it would create a loud splash, as the top of the wall would postion one even higher, possibly 6 to 7 feet above the ocean level at the boat's hull.
Lyn says that when people dived off boats or jumped into the ocean during daytime hours with other noise around, it could usually be heard...there's a distinctive splash sound when jumping off a boat that would be impossible to not hear on a still night, even hundreds of feet away. Lyn did not hear the music Dennis played either, but still claims he would've heard a splash. I questioned him many times on this because I can't figure it out either, but he told me that any boater would agree. I did ask another boater. In fact, I went out on a boat with the other boater, and, yes, there was a distinct splash made from jumping a mere three feet from his boat, which surprised me, but I was only a few feet away from the person who jumped. Falling into a pool is different from falling into an ocean from a 6 to 7 foot height.
Hi, Marti:
ReplyDeleteI have had the same thoughts as you--how many other people might have heard something or known something, but we don't know their identities? There could be others who did something underhanded to help keep this under wraps.
At first, I was surprised to see Deane Dana's name mentioned at the beginning of this thread. I thought, "What? He was on the Board of Supervisors! What role did he have in this?!"
Then I remembered that Frank Sinatra wrote to the BOARD OF SUPERVISORS to get them to shut up Noguchi. And he was successful. It was not a coincidence that Dana had a hand in getting rid of Roger Smith.
I realize that Dana is probably just one of several high-ranking politicians that had something to do with the injustice of Natalie's case. I believe that this is pretty far-reaching.
This is just increasingly disturbing and outrageous to me.
"We thought she took off to go boat-hopping and was out screwing around because that’s the kind of woman she is."
ReplyDelete[begin sarcasm]
When I go boat-hopping, I prefer to do it with no panties, no shoes, and a flannel nightgown on. In fact, I think that might be official "boat-hopping attire."
[end sarcasm]
from KB