Robert Wagner Is ‘Thinking of’ Late Wife Natalie Wood on 44th Anniversary of Her Mysterious Death

It’s been 44 years to the day since Natalie Wood was found dead in the water during a weekend yacht trip to Catalina Island with her husband Robert Wagner and co-star Christopher Walken. Wagner, 95, marked the somber occasion with a post on Instagram.

“Thinking of Nat today,” he captioned a black and white image of the couple, who wed in 1972, during happier times. “Her warmth, beauty, and love remain with us through our children and grandchildren. Forever missed, forever cherished. More than love!”

When Wood died in 1981 at the age of 43, she left behind two daughters, Natasha, now 55, and Courtney, now 51. Her death was initially ruled an accidental drowning, but remained shrouded in mystery, and the case was reopened in 2011 when the boat’s captain, Dennis Davern, came forward to reveal that he had heard Wood and Wagner arguing that night. Wagner was named a “person of interest” in the case in 2018, but was later cleared.

The National Enquirer previously reported that Wagner has been retreating from public life due to the ongoing interest in the unsolved mystery.

“There’s new scrutiny on the case that could have dire consequences for him,” said an insider, referring to the fact that Davern has stated that he believes Wagner was cheating on Wood with his current wife, Jill St. John, at the time of the incident.