Natalie Wood's sister, Lana Wood, and Dennis Davern, former captain of The Splendour, the yacht Wood owned with her husband, actor Robert Wagner, have asked the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office to re-open the case surrounding the star's mysterious death, CNN is reporting. The 'West Side Story' actress, who drowned in November 1981, allegedly fell overboard while trying to tie a dinghy following an argument with Wagner aboard the yacht. Authorities have not yet responded to the request.

At the time of her death, Wood, who achieved early fame with a starring role in 'Miracle on 34th Street' and went on to receive Oscar nominations for her roles in 'Rebel Without a Cause' opposite James Dean and 'Splendor in the Grass' with Warren Beatty, was vacationing with Wagner and actor Christopher Walken, with whom she was filming the movie 'Brainstorm,' off the California coast near Catalina Island.

On the night Wood drowned, Wagner and Walken allegedly began fighting aboard the Splendour because of Wagner's jealousy over Walken's relationship with his wife.

In Wagner's autobiography, entitled 'Pieces of My Heart,' the actor described how he had fought with Walken in front of Wood, breaking a wine bottle and causing Wood to head back to her room. Davern said he heard Wood and Wagner fighting inside their stateroom, after which the couple moved their argument to boat's deck.

However, Wagner's book tells a different story, which has led some conspiracy theorists to suspect foul play. Wagner has said that he and Walken stayed on the ship's deck while Wood was in her room. When he went to check on his wife, she was nowhere to be found, prompting him to radio both the Harbor Master and the restaurant where the two had had dinner to check if she had been seen by anyone.

The next morning, when the sun was up, the Coast Guard arrived and found Wood's body about a mile from the yacht, clothed in a nightgown, down coat and socks. The investigator on the case, L.A. County Detective Rasure, said that the official theory on the case is that while attempting to re-tie the boat's dinghy, Wood fell into the water and her mobility was limited by her heavy clothing. Wood's sister, Lana, disputes this theory, saying, "My sister was not a swimmer and did not know how to swim and she would never go to another boat or to shore dressed in a nightgown and socks."

While Lana Wood reportedly does not suspect that foul play was a factor in her sister's death, she has said, "I just want the truth to come out."

http://www.popeater.com/2010/03/08/natalie-wood-case-reopened/

Unfortunately, after all this time, I don't think we'll ever learn the whole truth. Personally, my gut feeling is that it was accidental. Natalie WAS legally drunk and had she not been, I don't think she would've ever put herself in such a dangerous position where she could slip and fall (as she had a notorious fear of drowning). Robert has always come across to me as so in love with her (and to some extent, I think he still is, even after remarrying) and even legally adopted her daughter with Richard Gregson so as not to be separated from her sisters. Again, that's just my theory - I could be wrong.

Now that I've read Marti Rulli and Dennis Davern's book Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour, I have to admit now that the evidence against Robert Wagner is very compelling. In this book, Marti Rulli stages re-enactments, weighs evidence with the autopsy report, and interviews the detectives assigned to the case and the witnesses. Dennis Davern also underwent polygraph testing and hypnosis.

After reading the book - I hope that Natalie's case is reopened. A lot of theories were debunked in this book (like the "banging" dinghy). It is a very straightforward tome - not salacious or anything. I highly recommend it to any fans of Natalie or those interested in the case.