Cites specific new evidence, key celebrities as part of the case
Criminal law authority and author Samuel Perroni hand delivered a petition to the Los Angeles County Coroner/Medical Examiner’s office on Wednesday, asking for a new coroner’s inquest into the death of legendary film star Natalie Wood.
Perroni, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney in Arkansas, personally filed the petition, which cites significant new evidence uncovered in a years-long investigation into her death.
The Little Rock attorney was in Avalon in November to launch his book, “Brainstorm: An Investigation of the Mysterious Death of Film Star Natalie Wood.” The book takes readers deep into the various investigations into her death, explaining what was and, in his view, what was not done properly.
Even in 2021, Perroni said he had uncovered more than 30 instances of new evidence that were detailed in his book. “Brainstorm” also included the first ever public look at the crime scene.
At 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 9, at the offices of the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner/Coroner, 1104 N. Mission Road in Los Angeles, Perroni hand-delivered a letter outlining supporting details and critical evidence that he believes justifies an examination by a coroner’s inquest jury.
“In the interest of public transparency and on behalf of countless Natalie Wood fans, I hereby request that you convene a public coroner’s inquest so an inquest jury may determine whether Natalie Wood’s death was by ‘the hands of another person other than by accident,’” his letter begins.
Also, while there, in addition to the letter, Perroni filed a legal petition with detailed supporting evidence for a coroner’s inquest. Both documents included specific legal citations of California law supporting his case.
Perroni recently completed a six-year investigation into the tragic drowning death of the award-winning 43-year-old actress. In an earlier interview, the author/attorney said that he has no intention of profiting from Wood’s untimely death, committing to donate all the proceeds from book sales to charities in honor of Wood.
On Nov. 28, 1981, Wood disappeared from her yacht, Splendour, after what the yacht’s boat captain has described as a “cussing, screaming fight” between the star and her TV personality husband, Robert Wagner.
Wood drowned sometime during the early morning hours of Nov. 29, 1981. Academy Award-winning actor Christopher Walken was also aboard the yacht when the actor disappeared.
Perroni’s letter, according to a press release issued by his office, describes discrepancies among the accounts of Dennis Davern, captain of the Splendour, Wagner and Walken about the events surrounding Wood’s disappearance and death.
It draws a connection between the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department investigation into her death and Wagner’s friend, music legend Frank Sinatra, and actress Jill St. John, who has been married to Wagner since 1990.
The letter is addressed to Los Angeles’ Chief Medical Examiner/Coroner, Dr. Jonathan Lucas. It states, in part:
“As you know, Natalie Wood’s death was ruled an accident in 1981 by the LASD and Thomas T. Noguchi, MD, the chief coroner at the time. Then in 2012, as a part of a reopening of the investigation by the LASD, Dr. Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran (who by then had replaced Noguchi) changed the ‘cause and manner’ of death to ‘drowning and other undetermined factors,’” his letter continues.
“Leaving the circumstances and manner of death undetermined left more questions than it answered and rekindled the mystery of an already controversial death investigation. Furthermore, Dr. Sathyavagiswaran was not privy to numerous pieces of critical evidence which could be presented to an inquest jury,” said the letter.
“To be clear, I would not be making this request if it were not for my discovery of sound and probative evidence that Natalie Wood’s death was a homicide and the identity of the most likely perpetrator,” claims Perroni.
“In this petition, I will detail some of what I have found, but you should know that all the potential suspects on the yacht Splendour in 1981—Robert Wagner Jr., Christopher Walken and Dennis Davern—have either admitted making false and misleading statements to the authorities in 1981 or will be shown to have done so with witnesses who are ready, willing and able to give sworn testimony,” it said.
Perroni highlighted some of the evidence in his letter to Lucas, “to make certain there is no doubt about the probative nature of new information that would be available to an inquest jury for its consideration, the following constitutes some of the evidence I have uncovered.”
“Christopher Walken told the LASD in 1981 he was not aware of Natalie’s disappearance until the morning of November 29 because he was asleep all night. He reiterated that alibi two years later in an interview with The Face magazine,” said Perroni.
“I have discovered three witnesses who would establish Walken’s statement was untrue, and I have documentation that he admitted “searching” for Natalie immediately after she disappeared,” claims Perroni.
In addition, Perroni tells Lucas in the letter, “I have proof Robert Wagner’s close friend Frank Sinatra was remarkably close friends with Sheriff Peter Pitchess, the sheriff of Los Angeles County in 1981, and that both Sinatra and Pitchess were personally aware of and involved with Natalie’s death investigation.”
“And I have evidence that a Pitchess, Sinatra and Jill St. John connection with a mob lawyer and well-known fixer, Sidney Korshak, provides an important link in the outcome of the 1981 LASD investigation,” he said.
Further, “I have documentation showing Dr. Noguchi called expert strangulation and chokehold pathologists within his office to assist with Natalie’s autopsy. That is important to understand because my experienced forensic pathologist helped me identify [the following]:
• (a) a scratch in the midline of the Natalie’s throat and the likely cause;
• (b) Tardieu petechiae on Natalie’s lungs that corroborates Dennis Davern’s statements over the years that a screaming, cussing fight between Natalie and Wagner took place immediately before she turned up “missing;”
• (c) an explanation for numerous anterior and posterior leg bruises on Natalie’s body;.
• (d) that Dr. Noguchi intentionally failed to obtain fingernail clippings and nail scrapings; and
• (e) that a four-inch contusion on Natalie’s right forearm—a classic defense wound—was recent and sustained prior to her entry into the water.”
Moreover, “I uncovered critical motive evidence from Natalie’s probate file and North Carolina where Natalie was shooting the film ‘Brainstorm,’ including an argument between Natalie and Wagner in a hotel restaurant with Walken present.”
Perroni’s documentation also claims that “Wagner was in North Carolina the week before Natalie died, likely checking with spies he had watching her. Finally, I have proof from a good friend of Natalie’s that Wagner and Walken were arguing well before their Catalina Island trip started on November 27, 1981.”
“I conducted my investigation without legal process. At an inquest, as you are aware, witnesses can be summoned to testify, and records can be obtained through subpoena or other judicial process. After 40 years, Natalie Wood’s death deserves an unbiased inquiry unhampered by celebrity, cronyism, and ulterior motives,” he tells Lucas in the letter.
“Given evidence of undesired motives by those in charge of the investigation to date, a fresh examination by someone who is not employed by a government agency would be a welcomed event by the interested public. But the clock is ticking, and each day more evidence may be lost if something is not done soon,” says Perroni.
“My sole motivation with this request is to finally obtain a transparent official determination by a jury as to the circumstances, cause, and manner of Natalie Wood’s death,” said Perroni.
Accordingly, “I offer my services as an unpaid hearing officer or as a special deputy to the coroner’s office to assist you with who and what to summon for testimony or records and/or to examine witnesses under oath, if desired,” he tells Lucas.
“I am including my resume to demonstrate that I have the experience to manage an inquest. I have assumed responsibility for countless presentations to federal grand juries as an Assistant United States Attorney, and I have tried more than 100 felony jury trials,” said Perroni.
“I am retired and have the time to devote to your office to diligently complete the task at hand. Finally, if finances become an issue, I would gladly assist the county with the expenses associated with a public inquest.”
A petition to Dr. Lucas supporting an inquest investigation has also been started on www.change.org.
The Catalina Islander has reached to out the Coroner/Medical Examiner’s Office seeking a comment on Perroni’s petition. At press time, we had received no response.
Finally, in addition to the letter and petition, Perroni submitted a copy of his book, “Brainstorm” released in December 2021, and some of the recently acquired evidence, which Perroni describes as a roadmap for a new inquiry.
For more information on Perroni’s investigation, see www.nataliewoodbrainstorm.com.
