A Los Angeles detective has come forward to make new claims about the tragic death of Hollywood star Natalie Wood, almost 40-years after the incident.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Detective Ralph Hernandez has alleged that Wood’s bruises were ‘consistent’ with being an assault victim.
In a world exclusive interview as part of a new podcast series – Fatal Voyage: The Mysterious Death of Natalie Wood’ – investigative journalist Dylan Howard speaks to the LA detective.
Det. Hernandez says, ‘As soon as we looked at the autopsy report and photos, the bruises just stood out.
‘You look at the bruising and she looks like the victim of an assault.’
Hernandez, a homicide veteran of 10 years, added, ‘The fact is that we have a lot of information as to the events of what occurred that evening. We have a lot of evidence that tends to point to a very suspicious death and would certainly indicate the possibility of foul play.’
Wood, 43 at the time of her death, and husband Robert Wagner, along with her Brainstorm co-star Christopher Walken, were on board their yacht, The Splendour, on November 28, 1981, when she mysteriously vanished.
Her body, dressed in a nightgown and socks, was found hours later floating facedown about 2kms from their boat.
The LA coroner initially ruled Wood’s death an accident by drowning and hypothermia.
Wagner has continuously refused to cooperate with detectives.
In February this year, detectives named Wagner an official ‘person of interest,’ noting that he was the last person to see Wood alive.
However, Wood’s case has not been ruled a homicide.
Hernandez says, ‘We’d love to solve this case. We’d love to come to the truth, whatever that truth might be. We would love to at least bring closure to the people that deserve to know the truth.’
Related: Natalie Wood shock audio tapes ‘blow case open’
Related: Robert Wagner confesses: ‘How Natalie Wood really died’
