Natalie Wood Death Timeline: Events Leading To Robert Wagner Being 'Person Of Interest'

Investigators identified Robert Wagner Thursday as a person of interest in the 1981 death of his then-wife, Natalie Wood. The "West Side Story" star was visiting Santa Catalina Island, California, at the time for a weekend boat trip with Wagner, Christopher Walken and the boat's captain Dennis Tavern.

Wood's death was previously ruled as an accidental drowning. The investigation was reopened, however, and in 2011, her death was declared to be the result of "drowning and other undetermined factors."

Timeline

Nov. 28, 1981: Wood and her then-spouse Wagner boarded their yacht with Walken and Davern following a champagne-filled dinner at Doug's Harbor Reef.

Nov. 28, 1981: Wood went missing at 11:05 p.m. that evening.

Nov. 29, 1981: Following Wood's disappearance, a ship-to-shore call was made at 1:30 a.m. The Coast Guard was alerted thereafter at 3:30 a.m.

Nov. 29, 1981: Wood's body was discovered at around 8:00 a.m. in the water approximately a mile away from the boat. Her death was initially considered a drowning accident.

Sep 1, 1997: Walken offered a theory into the night of Wood's death in an interview with Playboy, saying: "Anybody there saw the logistics — of the boat, the night, where we were, that it was raining — and would know exactly what happened."

Oct. 6, 2009: In his 2009 memoir "Pieces of My Heart," Wagner wrote of an argument he had with both Wood and Walken during the 1981 boat trip over his jealousy. Later that evening, he detailed how he noticed the boat's dinghy was missing went he went to search for Wood along with Davern. The dinghy was later found about a mile away from the yacht and a mile away from the location Wood's body was discovered.

Nov. 17, 2011: The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department reopened their initial investigation into Wood's death after receiving "additional information" by persons who contacted the authorities.

Nov. 18, 2011: During an interview with "NBC's Today," Davern admitted to lying about Wood's death in the initial police report. He then claimed that Wagner was responsible for her death.

Nov. 18, 2011: Walken hired attorney Mathew Rosengart to represent him in the re-opened investigation.

Nov. 18, 2011: A spokesperson for Wagner claimed they supported the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's efforts in examining Wood's death once again.

Jan. 14, 2013: Wood's cause of death was changed from an accidental drowning to "drowning and other undetermined factors," according to a 10-page coroner's report. The change was made after investigators determined that some of the bruises found on Wood's body likely surfaced before she drowned.

Jan. 18, 2013: Wagner refused to speak with detectives despite not being a suspect, police said.

April 8, 2015: In an apparent letter obtained by RadarOnline.com, Wood's sister requested for Walken to reveal the truth behind the actress' death. Lana Wood wrote: "I'm pleading with you to be the brave forthright person Natalie found you to be … and tell what really happened."

March 1, 2016: The Enquirer published an alleged video of what appeared to show a confrontation between Wagner and Wood's sister at a hotel in Palm Spring, California. Wood's sister asked her former brother-in-law about his decision to not speak with detectives, to which Wagner responded: "Lana, why would you even bring up anything like that?"

April 12, 2016: Davern wrote an open letter about Wood's death, which was subsequently published to RadarOnline.com. He admitted that remaining silent on Wood's death was "the worst mistake" he's ever made.

March 28, 2017: A case file compiled with assistance from the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute (CCIRI) provided new clues into Wood's death. The CCIRI's main finding alleged that the actress could have been choked until she went unconscious and subsequently rolled off the boat.

Feb. 1, 2018: During an interview with CBS News' 48 Hours, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Lieutenant John Corina named Wagner as "person of interest" in Wood's death case.