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Nancy Grace
Natalie Wood`s Death Case Reopened
Aired November 18, 2011 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
NANCY GRACE, HOST: Breaking news tonight. Hollywood beauty actress Natalie Wood dead in a boating accident off Catalina. For years, the case remains closed, believing Wood goes overboard by accident during a private cruise.
Bombshell tonight. In the midst of allegations Wood`s part of a volatile love triangle with both men on board the same boat the night she dies, a witness from a nearby boat swears under oath she hears a female in the water screaming for help. And another witness says the Hollywood star`s body still warm when pulled from the water.
In the last hours, the case reopened, cops full on the case of Hollywood beauty and movie superstar Natalie Wood. Suspicion, murder!
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The mysterious death of Hollywood legend Natalie Wood. Witnesses with new information.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Investigators have reopened that case.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Los Angeles County coroner tonight says Natalie Wood apparently slipped, hit her head and drowned.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Noguchi also said that a heated by nonviolent argument had ensued between Wood`s husband, Robert Wagner, and actor Christopher Walken, a guest on the yacht.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The captain of the boat when he said, quote, "I made mistakes by not telling the honest truth."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is fascinating.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Was the fight between Natalie Wood and her husband, Robert Wagner, what ultimately led to her death?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Detectives say that some people came forward claiming that they have new info about the actress`s death.
DAVID GREGORY, NBC NEWS: What is it that you were untruthful about?
DENNIS DAVERN, CAPTAIN OF YACHT: Just everything that took place that weekend.
GREGORY: Was the fight between Natalie Wood and her husband, Robert Wagner, what ultimately led to her death?
DAVERN: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Good evening. I`m Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being about us. Bombshell tonight. Hollywood beauty actress Natalie Wood dead in a boating accident off Catalina. For years, case closed, cops believing Wood goes overboard by accident during a private cruise. Well, in the last hours, the case reopened, cops full on the case of Hollywood beauty, movie superstar Natalie Wood. Suspicion, murder.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Homicide investigators in Los Angeles have reopened the Natalie Wood death case. The movie star drowned 30 years ago this month during a boating trip. Her husband, Robert Wagner, and actor Christopher Walken were on board at the time. The coroner ruled Wood`s death an accident then. But authorities say people have contacted them with more information now.
GREGORY: Was he responsible for her death in some way?
DAVERN: Well, like I said, I think we all made mistakes that night and...
GREGORY: Mr. Davern, that wasn`t my question. Was he responsible for her death? I`m not asking about your story.
DAVERN: Yes, I would say so. Yes. I did lie on a report years ago.
ROBERT WAGNER, NATALIE WOOD`S HUSBAND: What we think is that she went outside and slipped on the swim (ph) step and hit her head and was knocked unconscious and fell into the water.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: You`re seeing video of the boat`s captain and Robert Wagner from NBC`s "Today" show and ABC. That boat captain joining us shortly and taking your calls.
After 30 years of a cold case, the case deemed an accident, in the last hours, police reopened the case of Natalie Wood, Hollywood superstar, movie icon. Suspicion, murder. Allegations that Natalie Wood involved in a tumultuous, let me say, love triangle, and that evening, that night on a private cruise, both men on the boat with Natalie Wood, Wood found in the water dead early that morning. But according to the witness that pulled the body from the water, rigor had not set in. Technically, her body still warm under medical observations.
We are taking your calls. Straight out to Alexis Tereszcuk, senior reporter, Radaronline.com. You know, the one witness, Alexis, in a sailboat nearby, a female witness, says under oath to police that she heard a woman screaming for help in the water that night. And she`s not just saying it all these years later, Alexis. She said it at the time. She told cops at the time. She told everybody at the time she heard a woman calling for help from the water the night Natalie Wood drowned.
ALEXIS TERESZCUK, RADARONLINE.COM: You`re exactly right. And she might finally have other people to back up her story. She claimed that evening that she heard the screaming. It was quiet. There`s -- it`s a quite secluded island. There`s not a big city around or anything. So she heard the screaming. She told the police that immediately.
So now, with this new information coming forward 30 years later, this might finally prove her theory. But at the time, police said that that wasn`t the case, that it was an accident. And the theory that you`re saying that she was found warm -- a lot of people are saying perhaps she was floating in the water for hours after she fell overboard.
GRACE: And to Dr. Bill Manion, medical examiner, renowned in his field, joining us from Philly. Dr. Manion, before I go any further, I want to try to determine -- this was November in the water, on the Pacific. If she had been in the water for all that time and she had been dead -- I mean, the water would have been freezing, I assume.
DR. BILL MANION, NEW JERSEY MEDICAL EXAMINER: Yes.
GRACE: I don`t see how rigor would not have set in. How could it possibly be that her limbs, even her fingers were still flexible when she was pulled from the water?
GRACE: It suggests that she had (INAUDIBLE) been in the water a short time when she was found. The water temperature was probably in the 40s, and just from hypothermia, from heat loss, you would expect a person to die in a few hours in the -- with the temperature of the water like that. If they found her, though, and she was still warm, that suggests that she had fallen into the water just a half hour before or an hour before.
GRACE: And Dr. Manion, while I`ve still got you, I want to go quickly through a couple things that I saw on the autopsy report -- very, very disturbing -- that she had abrasions, cuts to the face, and then her body was covered in bruises. What do you make of that?
MANION: Well, that may suggest a pattern of abuse, of wife abuse. And I think that`s why they`re going to exhume the body again. They -- if they didn`t X-ray the body the first time they did the autopsy, they should certainly do it now. If a person is being abused, sometimes you`ll find old fractures, rib fractures, for instance, and the person won`t go the doctor because they don`t want to cause trouble. And those will heal on their own.
So I hope full body X-rays were taken the first time. And with the suspicious circumstances of this case, that`s the kind of case the medical examiner should say it`s undetermined cause of death and let the investigators work it for another month or two. There`s no rush to (INAUDIBLE)
GRACE: Absolutely, Dr. Manion. Absolutely. Her body covered in bruises, abrasions to the face, Natalie Wood allegedly part of a very volatile love triangle between husband Robert Wagner and, allegedly, movie superstar Christopher Walken, both men on the boat with Wood that night.
Joining us shortly, the captain of the boat, Dennis Davern. We are taking your calls. I want to go through the timeline very quickly, Ellie Jostad. Hit me.
ELLIE JOSTAD, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: OK. So this is Saturday night, the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Walken, Wagner, Wood and the boat captain all go to dinner. They return back to the boat -- go to dinner on land, go back to the boat.
The boat captain says that at about 11:00 o`clock, he actually sees Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner on the open deck of the yacht. He says they are arguing. A short time later, he says Robert Wagner comes to him and says, I can`t find Natalie. He says that a few hours passed before they actually called for help. He says that it wasn`t until almost 3:00 o`clock in the morning that the harbormaster arrived.
GRACE: Ellie! Ellie! Ellie! Ellie! You`re leaving out so much. What about the alleged argument...
JOSTAD: OK...
GRACE: ... between Robert Wagner and Christopher Walken?
JOSTAD: Sure. OK. So what happens is Walken, Wagner, Wood all hanging out on the boat, drinking wine. Apparently, Walken and Wagner get into an argument. The boat captain claims that Robert Wagner smashed a wine bottle on the table and said, What do you want to do? Do you want to "F" my wife? And he says that this argument`s going on. Natalie Wood, in disgust, leaves, goes back to her stateroom. Walken shortly thereafter goes back...
GRACE: OK, wa-wa-wait! Wa-wait!
JOSTAD: Yes?
GRACE: What did you say about the wife?
JOSTAD: The wife, Natalie Wood goes -- when the -- after the smashing of the wine bottle, she apparently leaves in disgust, goes back...
GRACE: Wa-wait! Wa-wait! Back it up! Back it up! So Robert Wagner, Christopher Walken, Natalie Wood...
JOSTAD: Right.
GRACE: ... according to the boat captain, sitting around drinking wine. Nobody`s afraid of a cocktail here, all right?
JOSTAD: Correct.
GRACE: Let`s put that out there. Everybody`s boozing it up. Hey, that`s not a crime. So they`re all sitting around, the three of them...
JOSTAD: Right.
GRACE: ... and the boat captain can hear them. I got to figure out where was he at the time of this. So who smashes the wine glass and who says what?
JOSTAD: Yes. Robert Wagner smashes the wine bottle. And he apparently says to Christopher Walken, What do you want to do? Do you want to sleep with my wife? Natalie Wood, apparently, is disgusted by this, this statement, this smashing of the wine bottle, so she decides she`s going back to her stateroom. the room she and Wagner shared.
GRACE: Let me ask you a question, Ellie. Let me interrupt and ask you a question.
JOSTAD: OK.
GRACE: Had Walken and Natalie Wood been co-starring in a movie at that time?
JOSTAD: Yes. Yes. They were in the midst of shooting a movie called "Brainstorm." They were both starring in this movie. And as I recall -- it`s been a long time since I saw the movie, but I think they play a married couple in the movie. So -- and Robert Wagner acknowledges in his book that he was jealous. He did have some jealousy feelings towards Christopher Walken.
So he acknowledges there was an argument, but he says it was more benign. It was just about a variety of topics. It was about your career, balancing that with your personal life, that kind of thing. He doesn`t admit, you know, that he made this accusation that there was an affair going on or that...
GRACE: Now, isn`t it true, Ellie, that Robert Wagner says the big argument between him and Walken was over how much of your private life you should give up to be a movie star? They got so mad about that, they smashed a wine bottle?
JOSTAD: Right. Right. That`s what he says the argument was about. And Robert Wagner says in his book that after the argument, he and Christopher Walken hung out a little bit longer together. He says Natalie Wood just went off to go to bed, get ready for bed, didn`t storm off, anything like that. He says that he and Christopher Walken hung out a little longer, cooled down, you know, got over this argument. And then when he went back to...
GRACE: And then?
JOSTAD: ... he discovered she was missing. Yes?
GRACE: Ellie, I`m hearing in my ear, joining us right now is the yacht captain of the Splendour. That`s Natalie Wood`s private yacht, Dennis Davern. He is co-author of "Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour." And he was on the yacht the night that Natalie died.
Dennis, thank you for being us. You know, this has caused quite a sandstorm. Tell me the basis of your belief that Natalie Wood may have been murdered.
DENNIS DAVERN, YACHT CAPTAIN: Well, I can`t actually say that I think that she was murdered. The only thing that I can say is I know everything that happened that led up to when she was missing.
GRACE: Everyone, after 30 years, the case of Natalie Wood reopened. Suspicion, murder.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was already determined to be an accidental drowning, but the information we received made us want to take another look at the case.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you planning to go to Hawaii? Are you planning to go to Hawaii to continue your investigation there?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We plan to go Hawaii and take a closer look at the boat.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) go to Hawaii to take a look at the boat? We`ll go wherever the investigation`s going to take us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did he tell you about the argument that Natalie Wood had with Robert?
LANA WOOD, NATALIE`S SISTER: Yes. Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did he tell...
WOOD: He did tell me about that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did he tell you that he heard noises and kind of a thumping type sound?
WOOD: Yes. He did.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What did they ask about that relationship?
WOOD: They asked me what it was like, and you know, if I felt that it was volatile.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Was it volatile?
WOOD: No, it wasn`t. It was -- I don`t know how to describe it, really. It was -- he was always very much into Natalie. He would make a big point of saying, you know, It`s what Natalie wants. It`s -- Natalie`s the star. Natalie this, Natalie that, kind of thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: You`re hearing Natalie Wood`s sister, Lana Wood, talking to TMZ about Natalie`s death. After all these years, the case has been reopened by police in the last hours under suspicion of homicide.
With me right now and taking your calls is the captain of the yacht, the Splendour, the night Natalie Wood died. Dennis Davern is with us, his new book, "Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour."
Dennis, what happened that night? Was there an argument on the yacht?
DAVERN: Yes, that night there was an argument that actually started the day before. But that particular night, in the afternoon, Christopher Walken and Natalie -- they had gone ashore to a restaurant, which was the only restaurant on that part of the island. And the tension was building throughout the whole weekend of Robert Wagner being jealous of Christopher Walken.
And that afternoon Robert Wagner and myself, we joined Christopher and Natalie at the restaurant for dinner. And we had dinner. We had drinks. Robert Wagner said it was time to return to the boat.
Natalie -- they wanted -- we all kind of wanted to stay a little longer, but R.J. said, No, we`re going to go back to the boat. So we all went back to the boat. I tied the dinghy up on the swim platform with a bow line and a stern line. And we all went inside the boat and opened a bottle of wine, put the kettle on for some tea because Natalie liked to have tea before she went to bed.
And the jealousy was just getting so, so tense that Robert Wagner picked up the bottle of wine and smashed it right in front of Natalie and Christopher on the coffee table. And at that moment, Christopher stood up and he went directly to his stateroom, and that was the last I seen of him for that whole night. At that point, Natalie was devastated and she went into her stateroom, and Robert Wagner had followed.
And they were arguing in the stateroom. And I was still in the salon, so I thought, Well, I`ll go up to the bridge and I`ll just turn on the music, so I wouldn`t hear the arguing. I didn`t want them to think that I was eavesdropping.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Natalie Wood`s mysterious drowning in 1981. Homicide investigators have reopened the case. This is fascinating. Detectives say that some people came forward claiming that they have new info about the actress`s death. The original report said that she had drowned at night, yachting with her husband, Robert Wagner, and actor Christopher Walken. Now, Wagner`s rep says that he supports reopening the case.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: After years of the case being cold and closed, in the last hours, police reopen the death of Natalie Wood, movie superstar. Allegation, homicide.
With me is the boat captain that was on her private yacht the night she died. You`re seeing "West Side Story" right now starring with Natalie. It`s off YouTube.
Back to Dennis Davern. You had just told us that that night, Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood -- a ferocious fight going on. You turned up your music so they would not think, in your mind, that you were eavesdropping or trying to hear them. But you did hear them.
DAVERN: Yes. Yes, I did. And I kept the music going, but I could still hear the arguing. And then the arguing went on to the aft deck. And moments later, everything became silent. So I thought that maybe they were making up and maybe they were going to go to bed and that was going to be the end of it.
So I waited for a little while. And I still had the music on. And I decided, Well, I`m going to go down below and just -- I`m going to go to the aft deck and just see if everything`s OK. Robert Wagner was standing there, leaning his back against the back of the boat, facing the boat. And he said that Natalie was missing and would I go search the boat.
So I immediately went to my stateroom, thinking that maybe she went to my stateroom because she felt maybe that she was safe there because the night before, Natalie and I had gone ashore and we stayed at a hotel because there was arguing the day before, as well.
So I came back and I told Robert Wagner that Natalie was nowhere on the boat. I looked in Christopher`s stateroom. I looked in the other empty stateroom. And she wasn`t there. So I said to Robert Wagner -- he said to me, he said, Well, he said, the dinghy is gone, too.
Well, I just knew that Natalie was so deathly afraid of the water and not really capable of taking that boat by herself. But he said the boat was gone and she was gone. So I thought, Well, let`s turn on the searchlight and let`s just see if we can see her. So after that, it was, like, he said no.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Homicide investigators in Los Angeles have re- opened the Natalie Wood death case. The movie star drowned 30 years ago this month during a boating trip. Her husband Robert Wagner and actor Christopher Walken were on board at the time. The coroner ruled Wood`s death an accident then. But authorities say people have contacted them with more information now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Which we felt was substantial, enough to make us take another look at this case. The case has been assigned to two sheriffs, homicide investigators who will be following up on individual information as well as any other additional information that may develop.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GRACE: With us live and taking your calls, not afraid of the harsh light of the camera, is the captain from the yacht the night that Natalie Wood died out in the freezing ocean waters.
Dennis Davern is with us. He`s the yacht captain of the splendor named after Wood`s the famous movie "Splendour in the grass" with Warren Beatty. He was captain that night of the Splendour. He is co-author of the new book "Goodbye, Natalie. Goodbye Splendor."
Mister Davern, you were right in the middle of telling us that there had been an argument brewing, festering for about two days. That the three members of the alleged love triangle, Natalie Wood, her husband, Robert Wagner and the alleged lover, Christopher Walken, also a famous movie star in his own right, both men aboard the boat with Wood. The three of them on a private cruise.
All right. Now, you said that that evening there had been a heated argument between Wood and her husband Robert Wagner. That you came aboard, above the aft, and you observed Wagner leaning back against the wall and he at that time said Natalie Wood was gone.
You searched everywhere. You couldn`t find her. Why did you believe that she may be in the state cabin? Why did you think she would go there?
DENNIS DAVERN, FORMER CAPTAIN OF SPLENDOUR: Well, I thought that maybe she would go into my state room because the night before Robert Wagner wanted to make the decision to move the boat at night which Natalie did not want to do. The weather was raining, cold, windy, and not a very good idea.
Natalie refused and decided that she wanted to go ashore. So that night before I had taken Natalie ashore in Avalon and we stayed at a hotel for that night. And we returned to the boat the next day hoping things would be a little smoother . So, Natalie and I returned back to the boat and she made a nice breakfast and then we moved the boat to the other part of the island where there was just only one restaurant. And --
GRACE: Why did Robert Wagner want to move the boat, Dennis?
DAVERN: I can`t answer that. I don`t know why because it was -- it wasn`t a very, very good idea. Maybe he was -- maybe he was angry and wasn`t sure what quite what to do. I`m not sure. But it was definitely not the thing to do.
GRACE: Dennis, you stated that an argument had been brewing for days. What was the argument about?
DAVERN: Well, it wasn`t so much verbal, but it was just the tension that was going on the whole time between Robert Wagner, Natalie and Christopher. It was just getting to a boiling point.
GRACE: That evening after you searched the boat, you could not find Natalie Wood. What happened next?
DAVERN: Well, I went back to Robert Wagner and said she was nowhere, nowhere on the boat. And I said, let`s turn on the search light, we had a very big search light. And I said let`s turn on the search light to see if we could see her. And he said we`re not going to do that. He said no. And I said, well, let`s call the, let`s call the restaurant. He said we`re not going to do that either.
So, we stood there and I was just devastated. I think I was actually in shock. And Robert Wagner poured me a drink. And it was like -- it was like torture that was going on. And after a couple of hours, I said we have to call the restaurant. So we called the restaurant, and right after that people from the restaurant came out to the boat and they said we should call the coast guard, we need to call the coast guard.
So the coast guard was contacted. And they were going to start doing their search. And by now it`s getting daylight and they came back to the boat and they said they found Natalie Wood`s body floating and the dinghy was somewhat nearby her.
GRACE: And isn`t it true, Dennis Davern, that the oars on the dinghy were still locked down? She had not been rowing at all?
DAVERN: Yes. The oars were still in place and the key was still in the off position in the dinghy.
GRACE: You know, Rupa Mikkiluneni , our investigative reporter, we keep hearing people say that the marriage between her and Wagner was not tumultuous. Let me repeat again Wagner and his family, they say publicly that they are in full support of re-opening the investigation into her death.
People say it`s not tumultuous. Hello. How can you be married to a man, get a divorce, marry another man, have a baby by the other man then remarry Robert Wagner. OK. There is obviously something tumultuous going on there.
RUPA MIKKILUNENI, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER (via telephone): That`s absolutely right. We`re talking about tumultuous. We`re talking about a potential love triangle.
Now, let`s go back to a time frame when they had been separated and almost divorced and she was dating movie star Warren Beatty. Now, actually Robert Wagner said in his book he even contemplated taking a gun and waiting outside of Warren Beatty`s house to shoot the guy.
Now, in the end, he didn`t do this. But this was a tumultuous and emotional relationship. But I think what people are referring to is that Robert Wagner, there`s no history necessarily of Robert Wagner being violent against Natalie Wood per se.
And I just want to go back to one other thing that Dennis Davern was just referring to. We were talking about her body being battered and bruised, 25 bruises of facial abrasions. The theory is that she fell on the water, how the way that she fell out of the water - in to the water out of the boat -- but she grabbed on the side of this dinghy. This dinghy is so big, Nancy. Big, round, rubber dinghy. She could only get her arms around it but she didn`t have the body strength to lift herself into the boat. So, she hung on for hours, Nancy, in the freezing dark, murky water.
GRACE: To our Fran Sherman, psychotherapist joining us tonight. Fran, having overcome a fear of water myself and having maneuvered boats and learned to dive as a matter of fact to overcome that fear, you know maneuvering a boat is very, very difficult when you`re by yourself, when you`re my or her height and weight, even a dinghy, as a matter of fact. And you know, pulling a boat and tying it up with the rope, you got to learn to do that. I know that Natalie Wood was deathly afraid of the water. And she stated that publicly that one of her greatest fears was the dark ocean water.
FRAN SHERMAN, PSYCHOTHERAPIST: Absolutely. She was totally phobic about it and frankly, I love Natalie Wood. And I still remember the day she died and how devastating it was for all of us. And thinking back then how incredulous that she died in the water, a place she was phobic about. And it was - it was incredible to me and actually not believable because when people are phobic and so afraid, sorry --
GRACE: Yes, when they are phobic and so afraid it`s hard to believe she would go into the water in a dinghy in her nightgown.
Everybody, as we go to break, the Nancy Grace family album is back. Please share with us -- you`ve seen pictures of my twins. Now it`s time for your family photos. Go to ireportfamilyalbum. They could be featured on a special segment on our show. It`s at hlnTV.com/Nancygrace and then you just click on Nancy`s family album. Let`s see those family photos.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: L.A. homicide investigators are taking another look at the mysterious death of Hollywood legend Natalie Wood.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have re-opened the case in the Natalie Wood mysterious drowning in 1981.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The movie star drowned 30 years ago this month during a boating trip.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It drowned at night yachting with her husband Robert Wagner and actor Christopher Walken.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That they re-opened the case because Davern`s account which he detailed in the book he co-wrote two years ago.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The captain says the efforts that they should have taken were not taken that night.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Contacted police. He has said woods` death was as a result of a fight with Wagner.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is fascinating.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Heated but nonviolent argument had ensued between Robert Wagner and actor Christopher Walken.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GRACE: We are taking your calls. Natalie Wood investigation re- opened. In the last hours police say that they were investigating whether the Hollywood superstar was murdered. With us Dennis Davern. He was the captain of the private yacht, the splendour, the night that Natalie Wood allegedly went overboard to her death. He claims a simmering argument between Wood, Wagner and Walken had been going on for days. Davern, the author of a new book "good-bye Natalie, good-bye splendour."
Taking your calls very quickly.
Steve Kardian, former police detective, (inaudible).
Steve, I remember when I first started prosecuting one of the first cases I tried was a retrial of a case that had been remanded down, it was a murder, an assault. It was a very complicated case. It was 14 years old. That was hard enough to put back together 14 years later. What about this case? How hard is it to put together a closed case that`s been closed for years. How hard?
STEVE KARDIAN, FORMER DETECTIVE (via SKYPE): It`s going to be difficult based upon the information that we have developed now. Mister Davern, with information this, is news, not the story he told initially, now look -- this is an investigator and prosecutor`s nightmare taking this statement and now trying to make it believable. There will have to be a lot of corroborating information to enforce what he`s saying to overturn this investigation into a homicide investigation.
GRACE: Unleash the lawyers. Dwane Cates, L.A., Lorna Owen, Miami.
Dwane, what`s your advice to the other men on board minus Dennis Davern. He`s the one coming forward. He doesn`t need a lawyer. What do you think?
DWANE CATES, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, they should hire lawyers and they should keep their mouths shut about what happened about this. Now, there`s been a statement denying any guilt in this, I think this is a big publicity stunt. I mean, they are trying to sell books. There`s a big show coming out on "48 hours" mystery about this case.
And, you know, I think this is totally designed to sell books and it`s working. I mean Mister Davern has been all over the TV this morning and tonight on your show, and I think it`s totally designed just to sell books.
GRACE: You know what? Back it up just a moment to you Lorna Owens. You can say anything you want to about Davern, but this is what he told cops way back when and this is what the other female witness told police under oath way back when Wood died, a movie superstar. They are not just cooking this up tonight to be on our show and take calls.
No, no, no. They said this all along, so the case is barking up the wrong tree. Here`s your chance Owen, weigh in.
LORNA OWENS, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Not, withstanding, Nancy. This is a homicide investigation. The witness might have heard Natalie in the water crying for help. Davern might have had his story about this argument and that he kind of looked for Natalie. His timeline doesn`t make sense. His argument does not make sense. But at the end of the day, this beloved actress might have accidentally slipped in the water.
To date we have nothing that says Robert Wagner or anybody else on board had anything to do with her demise. This is a homicide and this is what you must prove that someone killed Natalie Wood. And I don`t see it.
GRACE: To Marty Rulli, co-author of "good-bye Natalie, good-bye splendour." Marty, this book actually triggered the re-opening of the death investigation. What prompted to you write the book along with Dennis Davern?
MARTY RULLI, CO-AUTHOR, GOOD-BYE NATALIE, GOOD-BYE SPLENDOUR: Well, Dennis had told me a completely different story than what had been put out there. And the bottom line is, is that Natalie Wood`s case has never really been investigated. All of this so-called new news isn`t new news. It is definitely old news. Old news that no one would ever listen to. And I have spent 25 years putting together all of these little bits and pieces that would bring this story to -- witnesses that substantiates Dennis`s claims. Marilyn Wayne (ph), heard cries for help from a woman that she truly believes was Natalie`s cries, no one else was in the water, at the same time Dennis heard them arguing on the back deck.
GRACE: Yes. That`s right, Marty. You`re absolutely correct.
Out to the lines, Rhonda in Oklahoma. Hi Rhonda, what`s your question?
RHONDA, CALLER, OKLAHOMA: Hello Nancy. I was just wondering, can you know the outcome of this investigation? I`m wondering if it is really possible for a high profile person to be found guilty when O.J. Simpson, Robert Blake (ph) and William Shafer (ph) have been acquitted.
GRACE: You know what, Rhonda, I agree with you but there`s always hope and lady justice will come through. Let`s see what happens.
Linda in Virginia. Hi dear, what`s your question?
Hi Linda, what`s your question dear?
LINDA, CALLER, VIRGINIA: Hi, Nancy. Since day one I always thought he threw her in the water and then he just released that dinghy to say save yourself and she could not do it. And my question is, has he formally made any type of response in this new investigation?
GRACE: So far, Linda, in Virginia, he`s publicly supporting re- opening the case. We`ll see how long that lasts. Tonight nobody has been named a suspect. Very quickly, CNN heroes.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LUCY LIU, ACTRESS: HI. I`m Lucy Liu. In 2008, I have the honor of presenting at CNN heroes in All-star tribute. As a UNICEF ambassador, I am committed to supporting UNICEF`s mission to ensure that 21,000 children dying every day from preventable causes becomes the number zero. Now, I am thrilled to help introduce one of this year`s top ten CNN heroes.
DERRECK KAYONGO, COMMUNITY CRUSADER: A child of war can be simply described as a kid caught between a rock and a hard place. We have about two million kids that die of sanitation issues, mainly because they don`t wash their hands.
I am Derreck Kayongo. I am from a refugee. Now, I help people fight disease with sanitation.
GRACE: Housekeeping.
KAYONGO: Eight hundred million bars of soap hotels throw away in the U.S. alone every year. We are able to get a lot of soap which we can process and make brand new soap out of it.
We clean it. Melt it. Then cut it into final bars. Box it and ship it.
CROWD: Welcome. Welcome.
KAYONGO: Being here in Kenya at this orphanage is coming full cycle, but with good news.
It`s very good to have the bars and use it to fight diseases.
Those are clean. That`s very good.
To have an impact on them? Yes, I think so.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRACE: Everyone, I want to thank you for your support for me and Tristan this season on "Dancing with the Stars." Both of us made it to the top five because of you, and even though we had our final curtain call, we will be back on Tuesday night for the big finale, and thanks to you, I will be able to give all of my proceeds, whenever I get paid, to the national center for missing and exploited children, and maybe you and I together can help just one child. Thank you.
(VIDEO CLIP PLAYING)
GRACE: Let`s stop and remember Army Private First Class Joseph Miracle. Just 22. Ortonville, Michigan. Killed in Afghanistan. Awarded bronze star, purple heart, a star running back and MVP in high school.
Loved running, working out, baseball. Remembered for being caring, his smile, his laugh. Two charity groups providing care packages for deployed troops made quits for wounded soldiers, naming them in Joseph`s honor.
Leaves behind parents Judith and Glen, four sisters, two brothers. Joseph Miracle. American hero.
Thanks for being with us and especially to our guests tonight. Everyone, see you tomorrow night, 8:00 sharp Eastern, where we in our own way will be seeking justice.
Until then, good night, friend.
END
