New twists in probe of Natalie Wood's mysterious 1981 death
Robert Wagner
Renewed interest came this week when the lead detective in the case said her widower  actor Robert Wagner  now 87  is considered a person of interest.
Wagner wrote in a 2008 memoir that he and Walken argued that night. Walken went to bed and  Wagner  stayed up for a while  he wrote. When he went to bed  he noticed his wife and a rubber dinghy that had been tied to the yacht were missing.
"There are only two possibilities "  Wagner  wrote  "either she was trying to get away from the argument  or she was trying to tie the dinghy. But the bottom line is that nobody knows exactly what happened."
FILE - This Nov. 30  1981 file photo shows the "Prince Valiant " the inflatable dinghy used by Natalie Wood  moored at the harbor in Avalon  Calif.  after it washed up on the rocks on Santa Catalina Island. Patrolmen discovered the actress' body 200 yards off Blue Cavern Point on Catalina Island  100 yards away from the boat after a seven hour search. Investigators are now calling her husband  Robert Wagner  a "person of interest" in the 1981 death of Wood. Mystery has swirled around Wood's death. It was declared an accident but police reopened the case in 2011 to see whether Wagner or anyone else played a role (AP Photo/Paul J. Harrington  File)
When the case was reopened  Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. John Corina said  Wagner  was not a suspect.
This week  Corina told CBS News that  he  didn't believe  Wagner  had told the whole story about what happened and called  him  a person of interest in the case.
Initially  a sheriff's spokeswoman downplayed the report Thursday and said there was nothing new in the case. But later  the department issued a statement confirming that  Wagner  is a person of interest.
WHAT WALKEN AND  WAGNER  TOLD INVESTIGATORS
Investigators made at least 10 attempts to interview  Wagner  again after reopening the investigation in 2011  including tracking  him  down in Colorado. But either  Wagner  or  his  lawyer refused.
FILE - In this Dec. 1  2013  file photo  Robert Wagner  attends The Caucus for Producers  Writers and Directors 31st Annual Awards in Beverly Hills  Calif. New witnesses have emerged in the 1981 drowning of actress Natalie Wood  prompting investigators to deem it a "suspicious death" and name  her former husband  87-year-old actor Robert Wagner  a "person of interest " Los Angeles sheriff's officials  said  Thursday  Feb. 1  2018. For nearly four decades  mystery and speculation have swirled around the death of the actress who was nominated for three Academy Awards and starred in "West Side Story" and "Rebel Without a Cause." (Photo by Todd Williamson /Invision/AP)
 Wagner 's attorney  Blair Berk  issued a statement five years ago saying neither  Wagner  nor  his  daughters had any new information and blaming people for trying to exploit the 30th anniversary of Wood's death.
" Mr. Wagner  has fully cooperated over the last 30 years in the investigation of the accidental drowning of  his  wife in 1981 " Berk said at the time. " Mr. Wagner  has been interviewed on multiple occasions by the Los Angeles sheriff's department and answered every single question asked of  him  by detectives during those interviews."
Detectives also interviewed other actors who knew  Wagner  and Wood to learn more about their relationship.
One witness described hearing yelling and crashing sounds coming from the couple's stateroom  she said. Shortly afterward  other witnesses heard a man and woman arguing on the back of the boat and believe the voices were those of Wood and  Wagner .
 Wagner 's publicist  Alan Nierob  declined to comment Thursday.
Renewed interest came this week when the lead detective in the case said [TGT]is considered a person of interest.
[TGT] wrote in a 2008 memoir that [TGT] and Walken argued that night. Walken went to bed and  [TGT]stayed up for a while  [TGT] wrote. When [TGT] went to bed  [TGT] noticed [TGT] wife and a rubber dinghy that had been tied to the yacht were missing.
"There are only two possibilities [TGT]wrote  "either [TGT] was trying to get away from the argument  or [TGT] was trying to tie the dinghy. But the bottom line is that nobody knows exactly what happened."
FILE - This Nov. 30  1981 file photo shows the "Prince Valiant " the inflatable dinghy used by Natalie Wood  moored at the harbor in Avalon  Calif.  after it washed up on the rocks on Santa Catalina Island. Patrolmen discovered the actress' body 200 yards off Blue Cavern Point on Catalina Island  100 yards away from the boat after a seven hour search. Investigators are now calling her husband  [TGT]  a "person of interest" in the 1981 death of Wood. Mystery has swirled around Wood's death. It was declared an accident but police reopened the case in 2011 to see whether [TGT] or anyone else played a role (AP Photo/Paul J. Harrington  File)
When the case was reopened  Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. John Corina said  [TGT]was not a suspect.
This week  Corina told CBS News that  [TGT]  didn't believe  [TGT]had told the whole story about what happened and called  [TGT]  a person of interest in the case.
Initially  a sheriff's spokeswoman downplayed the report Thursday and said there was nothing new in the case. But later  the department issued a statement confirming that  Wagner  is a person of interest.
WHAT WALKEN AND  [TGT]TOLD INVESTIGATORS
Investigators made at least 10 attempts to interview  [TGT]. But either  Wagner  or  his  lawyer refused.
FILE - In this Dec. 1  2013  file photo  [TGT]  attends The Caucus for Producers  Writers and Directors 31st Annual Awards in Beverly Hills  Calif. New witnesses have emerged in the 1981 drowning of actress Natalie Wood  prompting investigators to deem it a "suspicious death" and name  her former husband  87-year-old actor Robert Wagner  a "person of interest " Los Angeles sheriff's officials  said  Thursday  Feb. 1  2018. For nearly four decades  mystery and speculation have swirled around the death of the actress who was nominated for three Academy Awards and starred in "West Side Story" and "Rebel Without a Cause." (Photo by Todd Williamson /Invision/AP)
 [TGT] 's attorney  Blair Berk  issued a statement five years ago saying neither  Wagner  nor  his  daughters had any new information and blaming people for trying to exploit the 30th anniversary of Wood's death.
" Mr. Wagner  has fully cooperated over the last 30 years in the investigation of the accidental drowning of  his  wife in 1981 " Berk said at the time. " Mr. Wagner  has been interviewed on multiple occasions by the Los Angeles sheriff's department and answered every single question asked of  him  by detectives during those interviews."
Detectives also interviewed other actors who knew  Wagner  and Wood to learn more about their relationship.
One witness described hearing yelling and crashing sounds coming from the couple's stateroom  she said. Shortly afterward  other witnesses heard a man and woman arguing on the back of the boat and believe the voices were those of Wood and  Wagner .
 Wagner 's publicist  Alan Nierob  declined to comment Thursday.