Local actor who appeared in Natalie Wood's last film speaks out on new twist in her death

Wood's last on-screen performance was in a move filmed in the Triangle and other parts of North Carolina. Her body was found floating in the water off Catalina Island in the Los Angeles area on Thanksgiving weekend of 1981. Mystery and speculation have swirled around the death of the 43-year-old actress who was nominated for three Academy Awards and starred in "West Side Story" and "Rebel Without a Cause."

Authorities said initially that Wood's death was an accident but investigators reopened the case in 2011 to see whether Wagner or anyone else played a role after the boat's captain said he heard the couple arguing the night of her disappearance. The coroner's office amended Wood's death certificate the next year to include "drowning and other undetermined factors."

In a statement Thursday, Los Angeles County Sheriff Department spokeswoman Nicole Nishida said new witnesses interviewed since the case was reopened gave statements that "portray a new sequence of events on the boat that night."

One of the witnesses described hearing yelling and crashing sounds coming from the couple's stateroom, she said. Shortly after that, separate witnesses heard a man and woman arguing on the back of the boat and believe the voices were those of Wood and Wagner, Nishida said.

The statements differed from the original version of events provided by witnesses, including those who were on the boat, she said. The sheriff's department said Wagner, now 87-years-old, is considered a person of interest.

"Do we have enough to make an arrest at this moment? No," Nishida said.

Ira David Wood, who is not related to the actress, but worked with her during the filming of "Brainstorm," is speaking out about the new information in the case.

"Brainstorm," was mostly filmed on location in the Triangle, Pinehurst and the Outer Banks. It was a sci-fi thriller that was near the end of its field production when Natalie Wood died.

Ira David Wood is a local actor and theater director, and says the crew suspected they had not heard the whole story when they learned of the death of Natalie Wood.

Ira David Wood hopes this will help, in his words, "put everything to rest."