Natalie Wood’s death certificate was recently changed from “accident” to “undetermined”, according to the folks at TMZ. On Friday, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department says that an investigation in the actress’ death is currently “open and ongoing”. The bruises found on Wood’s body were reportedly inconsistent with those generally associated with drowning victims. As such, investigators currently cannot say whether or not the actress’ death was just an accident.
“We have received many calls from the news media today asking about the status of the Natalie Wood death investigation case,” the department said in a statement. “It remains an open and ongoing investigation. There are no further details.” The coroner’s department, meanwhile, said that the case is currently on “security hold”.
Natalie Wood drowned while vacationing off the coast of Southern California on November 29th, 1981, following a heated argument with her husband Robert Wagner. Wood, who had reportedly downed quite a few classes of wine before the incident, is thought to have attempted to depart from the boat via a rubber dingy. At some point, Wood tumbled into the water and drowned, though neither Wagner nor friend Christopher Walken were aware that she had fallen into the water.
Last November, yacht captain Dennis Davern released “Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour”, a tell-all book which recounted that fateful evening’s mysterious events. Although the sheriff’s department reopened their investigation into Wood’s death around the same time, authorities claim that Davern’s book had little to no impact on their decision to revisit the case.
Although the investigation is ongoing, TMZ has learned that Wagner is not a suspect.