Natalie Wood Detective Says He Never Suspected Robert Wagner Caused Her Death (Video)

The case of actress Natalie Wood‘s mysterious death has been re-opened after 30 years, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department announced Thursday, Nov. 17. 

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Investigators  revealed Thursday, that new information was behind the decision to revisit the events of Nov. 19, 1981, when the actress mysteriously disappeared from her yacht, Spendour, which was floating just off the coast of Southern California’s Catalina Island. She was onboard with husband Robert Wagner, and Brainstorm co-star Christopher Walken. 

Since that announcement, both Wagner and the boat’s captain Dennis Davern have both spoken out.

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And now, the case’s detective, Duane Rasure, is joining them. Speaking with CBS’ 48 Hours, the retired sergeant of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau, said the during the investigation, he “never really got suspicious of a murder.”

He said that if he’d had evidence that her husband Wagner had been invloved in foul play, he would have arrested him personally. 

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“It was an accidental drowning, she just happened to be a famous movie star. She was a small lady. She drowned in short time, I’d say,” Rasure relayed.

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Rasure also said he believed Davern, who has indicated he believes Wagner played a part in Wood’s drowning, isn’t telling the truth. 

“He’s just made himself to look good in his book,” he said (Davern published Goodbye Nataile, Goodbye Splendour in 2009). “And obviously, he’s trying to sell a book and make money off of it. And I think that’s the whole purpose behind his writing this book.” 

He also revealed the entire investigation lasted about five weeks. 

On Friday, The Hollywood Reporter exclusively reported Walken had hired a lawer to represent him in the newly-resurrected investigation. The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department said they plan to examine the boat Wood, Wagner, and Walken were on, which is now docked in Hawaii. And, while Lt. John Corina said Wagner is not a suspect, he did reveal the department received new, credible information that prompted further investigation, saying, “We felt we should be responsible enough to follow up.” 

Watch Rasure’s interview below.