Dennis Davern Polygraph Tests Results: Conducted by Howard Temple, Court Certified Polygraphist, American Polygraph Association Member, over 25 years experience in criminal law.
RESULTS: Dennis Davern passed all questions and issues presented by Howard Temple.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Polygraphist Question: Did you tie the dinghy with two lines at the stern (rear) of Splendour after you returned from dinner at Doug’s Harbor Reef the night of November 28, 1981?
Davern: Yes.
Polygraphist Question: Did you hear Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood having a huge argument in their master stateroom that carried outside to the rear deck of Splendour near 11:00 P.M. on the night of November 28, 1981, and was Robert Wagner with his wife from his smashing of a wine bottle in the main salon until the time he told you she went missing?
Davern: Yes.
Polygraphist Question: Did you see or hear Natalie Wood in the ocean the night of November 28, 1981?
Davern: No.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Polygraphist: Issue 1: Robert Wagner suddenly decided to move the yacht Splendour to the Isthmus on late Friday night, November 27, 1981. Natalie Wood left the yacht with you, and you spent the night with her at the Pavilion Lodge (in Avalon), where you talked, listened to her express anger at her husband, drank wine, and then you slept with Natalie in her bed, with no sexual contact. Is this accurate?
Davern: Yes.
Polygraphist: Issue 2: The cruise resumed on the morning of Saturday, November 28, 1981, and after Natalie made breakfast aboard Splendour, later that afternoon, Natalie and Christopher Walken went ashore and you and Wagner followed a few hours later in the dinghy to meet them at Doug’s Harbor Reef Restaurant for cocktails and dinner. Is this accurate?
Davern: Yes.
Polygraphist: Issue 3: After the bottle smashing (by Wagner) on November 28, 1981, Christopher Walken retreated to his cabin and stayed there. You did not see Walken leave his cabin until early morning, November 29, 1981. Is this accurate?
Davern: Yes.
Polygraphist: Issue 4: When Wagner followed Natalie to their stateroom after the bottle smashing, you heard loud cursing and yelling, and what sounded like things being thrown or pushed around emitting from their stateroom on November 28, 1981. Is this accurate?
Davern: Yes.
Polygraphist: Issue 5: After Natalie was missing on the night of November 28, 1981, Robert Wagner told you he did not want to search for her because he needed to protect his image and did not want to draw attention to the situation, so he did not agree to your suggestion to turn on the searchlight. Is this correct?
Davern: Yes.
Polygraphist: Issue 6: After Natalie Wood was missing from the yacht Splendour on Saturday night, November 28, 1981, Robert Wagner asked you that very night to say nothing to anyone but attorneys about what you had seen and heard. Is this accurate?
Davern: Yes.
Polygraphist: Issue 7: In the months following Natalie Wood’s funeral, Robert Wagner paid for your attorney and for your therapy with his therapist. Is this accurate?
Davern: Yes.
Polygraphist: Issue 8: After Natalie Wood’s funeral, you stayed at Wagner’s home in a monitored atmosphere for months. Wagner’s employees would drive you to your fiancée’s house. One night, while visiting your fiancée, Wagner’s bodyguards physically removed you from your girlfriend’s house and dragged you down the sidewalk, while your girlfriend screamed. Is this accurate?
Davern: Yes.
Polygraphist: Issue 9: Reporters sought you for interviews since Wood’s death. Not until 1985 with the Star magazine did you approve an interview. In all following interviews you granted, you told the truth with details you offered about Natalie’s death, and you have been truthful with Marti Rulli through the years she has worked on a manuscript about Wood’s death. Is this true?
Davern: Yes.
Polygraphist: Issue 10: In discussing Natalie Wood’s death in January 1992 in what you believed was a private setting on the Now It Can Be Told magazine show, you and Marti Rulli were discussing facts about the story, and about why you wanted to discontinue the interview. Is this accurate?
Davern: Yes.
Polygraphist: Issue11: You did not release the dinghy, Valiant, from the Splendour after Natalie Wood went missing from the yacht on November 28, 1981. Is this true?
Davern: Yes.
Polygraphist: Issue 12: There is an investigator named Peter Rydyn who calls himself “the Retributor.” You have no knowledge of this person and have never had any contact or interaction with this person. Is this correct?
Davern: Yes.
Polygraphist Visit, October 21, 2008
Note: Polygraphist asked these two questions in three different formats, and Dennis passed all three versions.
Polygraphist Question: On the night of November 28, 1981, in the main salon where Wagner, Walken, Wood, and you gathered, did Robert Wagner scream, “Do you want to fuck my wife, is that what you want?” when he smashed the wine bottle?
Davern: Yes.
Polygraphist Question: On the night of November 28, 1981, after the argument between Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner carried out to the deck, did you see Natalie on deck wearing her nightgown?
Davern: Yes.
Note: These questions and answers are copyrighted material from Goodbye Natalie Goodbye Splendour. Any publishing, posting, copying, or pasting of this material elsewhere is prohibbited by law.
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When reading the book some of these questions and their implications get lost because you're thinking about all kinds of things, trying to sort it all out. Seeing this test posted here isolates how critical Dennis' answers are. Whoever wrote these questions knew what was important and I suspect it was you Marti, but these questions say it all. Good job.
ReplyDeleteI believe these questions say it all, too. As you were leaving your comment, I was editing the post to be sure to let certain people know that this is copyrighted material. This test, however, is vital information for authorities. It reveals the type of questions Dennis should have been asked during an official investigation.
ReplyDeleteThis test alone tells the story.
ReplyDeleteI Googled Howard Temple. You made a good choice in polygraphers.
ReplyDeleteYes, we did. We really lucked out. I had a list of polygraphists to call, and started with the top choice. Thank goodness, I didn't have to go any further. Howard Temple was impressive. At first, I was a little intimidated, but that's what I wanted...someone who wasn't going to diminish the importance of the test. This man was "seasoned" -- he knew his work inside out. After decades of dealing with liars, he would've recognized our intent immediately, but Dennis really intrigued him because the story we showed up with was as mindboggling to Howard as it still was to us after 25 years: why wouldn't a husband want to search for a wife "lost" at sea? I could tell that the answer was rather apparent to Howard Temple immediately, but he still put Dennis through all the necessary steps to calculate his findings.
ReplyDeleteIt was a smart thing for Dennis to take a lie detector test. It shows he is willing to stand by his story.
ReplyDeleteAnyone would question why Wagner waited so long to call for a professional search because it simply did make sense. excep to Duane Rasure. Did he check this out on his own? Did he make any attempt to find out why Wagner waited 4 hours to notify the Coast Guard. Was he aware of Natalie's fear of water? Maybe Rasure should take a polygraph? In my mind and heart, he and Wagner are equally responsible for Natalie being robbed of justice. Wagner for lying to protect himself and his beloved image and Rasure for allowing him to without giving it a second look. There is more to this "investigation" than we will ever know.
ReplyDeleteooops "except".
ReplyDeleteI hold Rasure more responsible for Natalie's lack of justice. Wagner was lying to cover his rear end, his motives are clear. Rasure? His job is the truth and justice and he sought neither. Would he have done such a shoddy job if it was his wife? Even worse, he is now in possession of new facts and they have been presented to him. Does he act with outrage that he has been lied to and played for a dope? No, he stands by his bogus investigation and even takes the further step of making untrue embellishments to the story. Yes, I also believe that there is more to the "investigation" than we will ever know. Wagner did the initial evil deed, but Rasure continues to protect and throw up roadblocks to any reopening of the case. What kind of a public servant does that? He may have had a decent career up until this case but it has been forever tarnished by his part in this ugly cover-up. I hope he thinks about that when he looks back at his life in law enforcement. He has carved out his own shabby legacy.
ReplyDeletethere are so many skeletons in the closet of this "investigation". Was he played for a dope? Or was he totally aware of all of the lies that were being told? He has always said that Dennis struck him as being a liar. If that was the case, why did he believe Dennis' every word when he questioned him. If he thought Dennis was a liar why didn't he push and prod for the truth. Could it be because Dennis' words matched Wagner's words and that made it all dandy for him to accept their words and close the case within days of Natalie's death? After years of labeling the man who told the truth about the night Natalie died a liar, what does Rasure do? He makes up a truly dumb story about there being a celebration that Natalie learned to swim. That would be a lie, wouldn't it? I wish someone would do a detailed investigation into the "investigation" of Natalie's death.
ReplyDeleteI agree 100% with the previous 2 statements.
ReplyDeleteRasure was a detective, and a detective is supposed to assume he is being lied to--especially when a woman is found floating dead in the ocean in her nightgown and coat. A woman with a pathological fear of going into dark water.
The department that handled the case needs to right a wrong and actually investigate Natalie Wood's death. They never did.
Wagner got a pass on Natalie's death. That was wrong.
You've made some really good points. Especially, if he thought Dennis was a liar, why didn't he keep grilling him until he broke? That would be usual police procedure. No, he wanted to wrap things up quickly, so as you said, Dennis parroting Wagner made it all that much easier. Your points just bolster my belief, though, that Rasure is a major villain in this story for whatever reason.
ReplyDeleteI believe Rasure is a villian, also. Given the information told to him, he should be at the forefront of wanting justice for Natalie but instead he creates a story that she was celebrating learning to swim? This needs an investigation of its own. It's a pity the media isn't all over this story. I can't understand why they aren't.
ReplyDelete