The body of the star of ‘West Side Story’was found floating in her nightgown and a down jacket off the coast of Catalina island in California after a  boating trip.

Another celebrity death probe in the heart of Hollywood

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office announced that it would launch a new investigation into the events of the death of actress Natalie Wood on Thanksgiving weekend of November 28, 1981. The sheriff’s department has now assigned two murder detectives to investigate afresh how the actress died after a day of heavy drinking and arguments involving her husband, actor Robert Wagner and actor Christopher Walken.

The case has been reopened after Dennis Davern, the captain of the yacht Splendour, said that he had taken part in a cover-up at the request of Mr. Wagner, Wood’s husband. Police were quick to point out that the 81-year-old former star of the long-running series Hart to Hart television series is not a suspect (at least for now.)

Natalie’s sister, also an actress, Lana Wood said in an interview that “she does not believe her sister died as a result of foul play, nor does she believe that Mr. Wagner has revealed all he knows about the events that night.” She continues to assert that the Los Angeles coroner’s conclusion that Natalie slipped as she tried to secure or scramble into a dinghy late at night “made no sense” as her sister was so terrified of the water.

She goes on to say, “Natalie hated the water.” “She had a great fear of it. She didn’t go into her own swimming pool at home.” According to her, Natalie Wood’s acute fear of the open sea was because their mother once predicted that Natalie would die by drowning in “dark water.”

The body of the star of West Side Story, who was nominated for an Oscar three times—was found floating in her nightgown and a down jacket off the coast of Catalina island in California after a  boating trip. Her body was found after a seven-hour search floating off the coast of Catalina. Her autopsy revealed “numerous bruises” to her legs and arms and a facial abrasion on her left cheek. She was fully clothed except for shoes and her blood alcohol level was .14 percent.

It was ruled by investigators that Wood’s death was “accidental” after she fell off the boat. Her husband, Wagner maintained that at the time that Natalie drowned following an argument first between him and Walken, and later between him and Natalie. Wagner claims that the three actors were drinking on the yacht when Wagner and Walken got into an argument. In his 2009 memoir, Pieces of My Heart, Wagner admits to smashing a wine bottle to pieces, at which Natalie retired to her room.  He says that when he returned to their room, she was missing.

On the Today show, the boat captain, Davern now makes a startling claim that Wagner asked him not to make a call or turn on the boat’s searchlight immediately following Natalie’s disappearance, something he now admits to lying about in his initial report. When Davern was asked on the show if Wagner is responsible for Natalie’s death, he responded “yes.”

Wagner released a statement saying he “fully supports” the current investigation. He added that he doesn’t care to hear from those he feels are trying to profit off his late wife’s death—implying Davern. Walken has stayed quiet throughout and his initial police report has not been released to the public but has just hired an attorney to represent him in the case. His rep declined to comment on the re-opened case.

The death investigation of Michael Jackson as the world now knows concluded with a murder investigation and a subsequent guilty verdict for Conrad Murray of involuntary manslaughter. How this celebrity death investigation concludes will be interesting to see.