Author Archives: Garry Rodgers

About Garry Rodgers

After three decades as a Royal Canadian Mounted Police homicide detective and British Columbia coroner, International Best Selling author and blogger Garry Rodgers has an expertise in death and the craft of writing on it. Now retired, he wants to provoke your thoughts about death and help authors give life to their words.

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO AMELIA EARHART?

Amelia Earhart’s disappearance isn’t just one of aviation’s great unsolved mysteries—her vanish is one of modern history’s enduring human interest puzzles. Earhart was at her peak of fame, attempting the first around-the-world flight, when she and her twin-engine Lockheed 10E Electra went missing over the vast equatorial Pacific on July 2, 1937. Despite an extensive search and endless speculation, no conclusive or “smoking gun” evidence proves what really happened to Amelia Earhart.

Or… does it?

A 2018 paper published in Forensic Anthropology using modern Fordisc computerized forensic osteology and biometric science concludes with over 99% certainty that historical human bones found in 1940 on tiny uninhabited Nikumaroro Island in the Republic of Kiribati are, in fact, Amelia Earhart’s. It concludes Earhart crash-landed on this volcanic atoll after being off course, disoriented and low on fuel. Then, Amelia Earhart perished as a thirst-desperate castaway, chased down and eaten by aggressive hordes of giant coconut crabs—quite possibly while she was still alive.

Amelia Earhart was a woman ahead of her time in every way. Not only was she the sixteenth licensed female pilot in America, she was the first woman to solo-cross the Atlantic. Earhart was a savvy aviator, businesswoman and social celebrity. Her talents extended to being a fashion design icon and an early feminine activist. She also married wealthy book publisher George Putnam. This gave Earhart the capital and connections to fund her expensive aviation ventures.

Planning the First Around-The-World Solo Flight

At 40, Amelia Earhart had considerable flight time in different aircraft types. She was a competent aviator for having no military flight training, but had a tremendous self-confidence and a burning desire to exceed limitations. Some criticized Earhart for recklessly pushing the safety envelope, particularly because she had limited navigation and radio communication skills.

That didn’t prevent Amelia Earhart from setting aviation records. Although she was planning the first “solo” circumequitorial flight, she wasn’t actually doing this alone. Earhart intended to remain in the left seat which is reserved for the captain in command. However, she flew with a right-hand navigator who was also a highly-accomplished pilot. This was Fred Noonan who was a key figure in Earhart’s overall flight team. Other members consisted of engineers, mechanics, coordinators and media relations staff.

Amelia Earhart’s first plan to solo the equator started in Oakland, California on March 17, 1937 and headed westward toward Hawaii. After refueling at the US Navy Field at Pearl Harbor, Earhart took off for remote Howland Island located half-way between Hawaii and Lae in New Guinea. She never made it off the ground. Something went wrong while powering down the runway, and Earhart lost control with the Electra going into a sideways loop. The starboard, or right front, landing gear snapped off and the plane veered on its side with the right engine prop peeling the pavement.

Earhart’s Electra was severely damaged. The plane was salvaged, loaded onto a ship and sent back to the States for repair. It was modified for extra fuel tanks and special aluminum covers over fuselage Plexiglass windows. Also added was a 25-foot trailing antenna for finding directional radio frequency (DRF) signals.

Changing prevailing weather patterns forced Amelia Earhart’s second around-the-world attempt to change directions. Instead of an east to west approach, they elected to follow favorable season winds flowing from west to east. Earhart departed Miami on June 1, 1937 and hopped across South America, Africa, India and Southeast Asia. On June 29, Earhart landed at Lae, New Guinea in the eastern South Pacific. Noonan was with her throughout.

During the 28-day series, Earhart and Noonan traveled 22,000 miles without issues. However, the next leg from Lae to the Howland Island refill and rest stop was the longest yet. Howland was 2,556 miles east and an estimated flight time of 19 hours.

Earhart’s Electra left Lae at 00:00 GMT on July 2, 1937. It carried 1090 gallons of high-octane aviation fuel which was 70 gallons less than full capacity. Her engineering crew was confident Earhart had sufficient fuel for extra time and that her fuel/weight ratio was just right to give the Electra maximum distance performance. They allowed for course alteration time as well as slight navigation error.

The Fateful Flight’s Disappearance

Before leaving Lae, Earhart ran through all her airplane systems. All checked in order except for her directional finding antenna. She dismissed this as being too close to the sending signal at the aerodrome and proceeded on without any physical inspection. From Fred Noonan’s point as a navigator, the DRF antenna didn’t matter. He was trained in conventional navigation including maps, compass, landmarks and celestial navigation with his trusty Brandis-made marine sexton. Radio navigation was in its infancy and Noonan wasn’t experienced in it.

Part of the Lae to Howland Island navigation contingency was the US Coast Guard cutter Itasca being moored at Howland Island where it monitored radio voice signals. The Itasca prepared to send visual smoke stack signals to the Electra once they knew it was in range. Communications included transmissions on the long 6210 kHz daytime frequency and the shorter 3105 kHz nighttime frequency. Neither Earhart nor Noonan knew Morse Code. That was the standard aeronautical communication pre-WW2. They exclusively relied on English voice transmissions on these specifically designated frequencies.

Noonan’s navigational plan was to fly by compass bearing while monitoring time and ground speed indication. He had a fix on Howland Island and the route crossed the equator on a shallow south-north angle. Along with this, Noonan computed a time-distance chart. At night, he’d planned to use celestial verification with his sexton should the skies be clear.

Ultimately, Noonan’s navigation plan had a “fail-safe” back-up come sunrise. He intended to establish an event horizon plane from the breaking sun that ran from 157 compass degrees to 337 degrees. Once achieving this directional line, it seemed a simple matter to fly back and forth along it a north-northwest to south-southeast pattern and visually find Howland Island. The plan included getting guided radio messages from the Itasca and seeing its bellowing black smoke.

Earhart remained at the controls and on the radio at all times, ensuring she’d be recognized as the sole pilot. The Electra contained a modified Western Electric model 20B transmitter/receiver and used the call sign KHAQQ. She regularly checked-in with Lae at planned one-hour intervals, reporting position and conditions. Eventually, Earhart was out of Lae’s range and flying toward Howland Island where the Itasca waited to receive hourly transmissions. This is where communication breakdown began and Earhart’s path to disaster was sealed.

In 1937, ships and planes were not particularly compatible. That’s with exception of the military who were advancing in aircraft carrier technology. It wasn’t so with the Coast Guard where the cutter Itasca only had the ability to monitor Earhart’s frequencies. They weren’t able to transmit on 3105 and 6210. However, Earhart didn’t know that. She and Fred Noonan expected replies to her messages once approaching Howland, getting voice direction from the ship.

Itasca’s radio log clearly recorded numerous transmissions from Earhart. The first important call was at 7:42 am Howland local time on July 2, 1937. (Earhart crossed the International Date Line and the day reverted back to July 2). She broadcast on 3105, “We must be on you but cannot see you. Gas is running low. Been unable to reach you by radio. We are flying at 1,000 feet.” The Itasca recorded another Earhart message at 8:43 am stating, “We are on the line 157/337. We repeat this message on 6210 kilocycles.”

That was the last “official” voice transmission from Amelia Earhart. But, it certainly wasn’t the last signal from Earhart’s Electra. For the next five days, at least 57 credible radio receiving sources reported signals on 3105 and 6210 kHz.

Those channels were specifically reserved for Amelia Earhart’s around-the-world flight. All other radio users stayed on other channels. Some of those apparently credible sources recorded Amelia Earhart stating her name, her state of peril and describing her marooned location.

Searching for Amelia Earhart

The Itasca crew expected Earhart to land on Howland Island around 8:30 am local time. They also knew she’d allowed an extra hour’s flying time in case of headwinds or course alterations. The 8:43 message advising Earhart was on the 157/337 line was entirely normal. The Itasca wasn’t concerned about her not being able to hear the ship’s voice broadcasts. It wasn’t until several hours after the last transmission and well past the estimated fuel supply end that concern started.

Immediately, search efforts were uncoordinated and ineffective. There was no contingency plan for a search and rescue effort, and the Coast Guard cutter was the only vessel in the vicinity. Because the Itasca no longer received radio messages from Earhart, they made the worst-case assumption that she’d ditched at sea after running out of fuel—likely sinking.

The Itasca notified the US Navy, then began a best-guess surface search north and west of Howland along the 157/337 line dissecting Howland Island. There were no aircraft available at Howland and the US Navy’s nearest plane-equipped ship was the battleship Colorado that had flying boat auxiliaries. It was three days before the Colorado was close enough to start aerial searches and five days before the carrier USS Lexington joined in.

Most search efforts focused on the 157/337 line to the northwest and southeast within a 100-mile radius—thinking was that Earhart reported “must be on you” and she was flying the line. Naturally, this made the most sense to search this grid. The question was how far along that line she truly intersected it.

By July 10, a Catalina flying boat from the Colorado expanded the 157/337 line out to 350 miles south-southeast of Howland Island and flew over a tiny atoll called Gardner Island. It perfectly dissected Earhart’s navigation line but was far, far off course. Gardner is now known by its Polynesian name Nikumaroro.

Search logs record the Catalina crew saw “clear signs of recent human habitation” on Nikumaroro. Exactly what these signs wasn’t documented, although Nikumaroro hadn’t been populated since the 1880s. However, searchers didn’t see any evidence of a downed airplane. Nor did they see anyone stranded and waving on the beach. After ten minutes and several circles around the two-mile long atoll that enveloped an interior lagoon, the Catalina left and wrote off Nikumaroro as a possible spot holding what remained of Amelia Earhart.

Amelia Earhart’s search ended on July 19. 1937. Most of the search time and effort focused on the 100-mile radius of Howland Island and tightly along the 137/337 diagonal compass line. Not a trace of her Electra or its contents was seen. Not an oil slick. Not a tire. Not a life raft. Not a floating seat cushion or a wooden sexton box. Nothing. Amelia Earhart was officially declared dead by a Los Angeles court and the official investigation concluded.

Amelia Earhart’s Radio Transmissions

There’s overwhelming information indicating Amelia Earhart continued sending radio transmissions for six days after disappearing from the air. This comes from a credible collection of sources including aviation radio professionals, amateur HAM radio operators and astute civilians glued to their shortwave radio receivers.

Pan Am Airlines maintained radio transmission posts across the Pacific to guide their expanding airline fleet making trips from continental America to Australia and Southeast Asia. These posts had state-of-the-art equipment depending on DRF technology to help civilian airlines navigate the wide-open Pacific. As well, the US military expanded their LORAN navigational system—its core principle being directional radio beam functions.

Pan Am stations in Oahu, Midway and Wake Islands all recorded radio beam transmissions on the 3105/6210 frequencies during the first six days after Earhart disappeared. These advanced stations had the ability to find beam location angle directions. Using each station’s source angles and applying simple triangulation, it’s shockingly obvious that all lines intersected on Nikumaroro or what was then called Gardner Island.

Someone on Nikumaroro (Gardner) was broadcasting on Earhart’s channels from July 2 to July 8, 1937. That’s clear. But what’s not clear is why authorities didn’t clue into this and share the information. The answer simply defaults to an immensely remote location and a lack of coordination.

Earhart’s record-setting flight was a private publicity stunt. It wasn’t a public-sponsored or military authorized operation. As such, there was no pre-planned contingency or even a will to properly investigate and coordinate incoming tips and drips of information. Although each small information point was well-meaning and probably accurate, these bits slipped through the cracks as the clock ticked. That included the credible tips about Earhart’s distress calls.

Betty Klenck’s Notebook

Teenager Betty Klenck of St. Petersburg, Florida was one of ten civilians hearing Amelia Earhart’s desperate radio pleas for help. On July 2, 1937 Betty tuned to her family’s shortwave radio listening for new songs and writing down lyrics so she could compose her own art. Over a one and three-quarter period, Betty heard Amelia Earhart calling for help and copied bits of Earhart’s messages in her notebook.

Immediately, you’d wonder how an American teen being thousands of miles from Nikumaroro could possibly hear Earhart’s radio distress calls when the Itasca­—only a few hundred miles away—couldn’t. The reason is hyperbolic wave skip. Shortwave frequencies like 3105 will bounce off the ionosphere and hit random places like Betty’s Florida set.

It’s not just that Betty Klenck recorded Earhart’s calls that are convincing. It’s what the messages said. Betty would have no way of knowing what the Earhart circumstances were, except she recognized the Earhart name and recorded live-time while Earhart broadcasted. Here are some of Betty’s notes:

  • This is Amelia Earhart
  • This is Amelia Putnam
  • SOS
  • 58 338
  • Send us help
  • Water rising
  • New York City
  • NYC NYC
  • NY NY NY

Betty Klenck reported she heard what appeared to be a desperate plea from a woman with an injured man in the background. The man seemed trying to get to the microphone, but the female broadcaster struggled with him, maintaining control. Betty included her father in listening which corroborated her information’s credibility.

Five things support Betty Klenck’s credibility:

  • She wrote in her notebook within other intermittent radio events.
  • She used SOS/Send Us Help with Amelia Earhart’s name.
  • She recorded coordinates 58/338.
  • She noted water rising.
  • She repeatedly referred to New York City.

On their own, each point might seem mute or even fabricated by an enthusiastic Earhart girl-fan overwhelmed by media reporting a celebrity’s peril. That’s not the case here. Betty recorded this information before Earhart’s disappearance was public knowledge.

Betty would have no idea what 58/338 meant. It’s slightly off the 157/337 line but so close that it can’t be a coincidence. Earhart was relaying this, probably with compass correction. These were true compass lines for a particular point on Nikumaroro.

Betty recorded “water rising”. This seems irrelevant. Yet, years later, the investigation revealed just how important rising tides were on impacting Earhart’s radio transmission times.

New York City? NYC? This is as close to the “smoking gun” in Earhart’s circumstantial evidence as you can get. Moving ahead, the suspected Nikumaroro crash site was beside the historical “Norwich City” shipwreck stuck on the only level landing reef on Nikumaroro. Earhart transmitted a known Nikumaroro landmark to help find her. Betty Klenck said Earhart stated “New York City” or something similar so many times that she used the abbreviation NY/NYC rather than writing it in full.

The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery

Credit for properly investigating Amelia Earhart’s disappearance goes to a private interest group called The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR). This dedicated bunch of civilian aviation sleuths has done an amazing job over 25 years. They’ve put together an Amelia Earhart file envious of any government, police or public forensic agency.

Ric Gillespie is TIGHAR’s articulate spokesperson. He’s also the leading influence in organizing a dozen TIGHAR expeditions to Nikumaroro Island. During these trips, TIGHAR volunteers uncovered some convincing physical and circumstantial evidence that Earhart’s Electra landed at low tide on a rocky reef and that she remained alive for some time. Here’s what TIGHAR identified from their investigations and excavations.

  • A Shoe Sole. This was positively identified as being a resole from a woman’s size 8 1/2 or 9 American-made Cats Paw Biltrite brand popular in the 1930s. The remnant also contained part of the metatarsal cover showing a brass shoelace eyelet. Researchers sourced known photos from Earhart’s 1937 venture that shows her wearing identical Blucher Oxford style re-soled shoes with those eyelets.
  • A Sextant Box. This wooden box was recorded in 1940 nearby where the original bones suspected to be Earhart’s were found at a location now called Seven Site on Nikumaroro. The black metal sextant was gone but the box bore the numbers 3500 in stencil and 1542 hand-printed in ink. TIGHAR researchers identified the number 3500 as being from the American Brandis sextant brand and the number 1542 as being a particular American Naval Observatory. This brand and numbering is entirely consistent with the sextant belonging to Fred Noonan.
  • A Jar of “Dr. Berry’s Freckle Ointment”. It’s well recorded that Amelia Earhart had a freckled complexion and was self-conscious about it. She carried this product as part of her make-up kit which was an important part of her public appearance preparation. Researchers surmise Earhart might have salvaged the skin cream to use as a sunblock, protecting her light, reddish-toned shin from powerful sun rays at the equator.
  • A Woman’s Compact, Dried Makeup and Mirror. Earhart also carried these items as part of her personal hygiene effects. She may have used them as a sunblock, too. The mirror may have served as an emergency signaling device.
  • A Benedictine Bottle. Earhart was fond of the social liquor Benedictine and had a supply on the Electra. The Nikumaroro bottle had the neck broken off, allowing it to have a larger scooping capacity. Researchers surmise it may have been modified as a water collection device.
  • Plexiglass and Aluminum Pieces. Two physical artifacts possibly associated with Earhart’s Electra were found on Nikumaroro. Both were oblong and 19 inches by 23 inches, entirely consistent with window covers made when the Electra was outfitted with long-range fuel tanks. The metal and plastic parts were the same material, thickness and shape as the window patches. Rivet holes were also consistent with those designed for the Electra’s modification.
  • Clam Shells, Fish and Bird Bones and a Cooking Fire. TIGHAR researchers identified Seven Site as having clear signs of temporary human occupation that is not consistent with a historical Polynesian native settlement. Charcoal residue and organic life evidence consistent with lagoon creatures showed someone had camped at Seven Site for possibly a week. Researchers assessed every potential campsite on Nikumaroro and determined Seven Site was the most logical place for a castaway to stay. The site’s name comes from the shape of a seven.

The Bevington Photograph

TIGHAR researchers place a lot of weight on what’s known as the Bevington Photograph. It’s a historic photo taken in October, 1937 (three months after Earhart disappeared) by British Colonial Service officer Eric Bevington. He was part of a British survey party who arrived at Nikumaroro to scout Loran navigation sites as part of the Pacific expansion.

Bevington took a snap of the long, flat tidal reef where the Norwich City wreck lay stranded. In the left side of the photograph, some foreign dark object extends from the water surface. It appears no flaw in the photo, rather Bevington captured the image of what could be the tire and broken landing strut of Earhart’s Electra.

TIGHAR researchers located the original Bevington photograph in British archives. They contracted credible forensic photography experts to review and enhance the picture. Without question, the Bevington photo is authentic and not altered in any way. Digital enhancements support that the object is man-made and consistent with an Electra’s landing gear.

Researchers also identified an eyewitness to the original object in the water. Emily Sikuli was a little Fijian girl who lived on Nikumaroro in the 1940s while the island was a commercial coconut farm. Sikuli stated her father pointed out aircraft wreckage on the reef near the Norwich City wreck and speculated it came from Earhart’s lost plane. Sikuli’s placement of the aircraft parts is precisely where the object in the Bevington photo sits.

It’s important to consider what’s known about a Lockheed 10E Electra crash landing. When Earhart originally crashed on takeoff in Hawaii on her first trans-world flight attempt, the starboard or right side landing strut and tire snapped off. This was a common Achilles Heel flaw with the Electra which has a tail-dragging tricycle landing system.

Making an assumption that the Electra’s left or port landing gear stayed intact if Earhart crashed on Nikumaroro’s low tide reef, then the plane would stay semi-upright with the port engine and propeller being clear from the ground and low-tide waterline. This is a highly-important conjecture given what TIGHAR researchers found out about how Earhart’s suspected radio transmissions interacted with known tide times during the first week of July in 1937.

TIGHAR Tide and Transmission Analysis

The TIGHAR organization attracts some of the world’s most experienced and enthusiastic aviators. TIGHAR also attracts some of the most analytical aeronautic technicians who should have been detectives and professional forensic investigators. Combined, these dedicated folks formed a compelling case that Earhart was able to transmit timed radio messages that coincided with low tide periods on Nikumaroro.

TIGHAR experts point out that Earhart’s Electra’s electrical generator was installed on the port or left engine. A working generator was vital to keeping the airplane’s battery charged so she could broadcast distress calls. To do that, Earhart would have to fire the generator engine periodically to charge her battery. That could only be done when the tide was low as there’s no safe way to run the engine while the propeller was buried in water.

The TIGHAR team meticulously researched high and low tide times on Nikumaroro from July 2 to July 7, 1937. These were the dates that stations recorded radio calls on the 3105 and 6210 frequencies and triangulated them to Nikumaroro. Given that there are two high and two low daily periods to the world’s tide systems, the times and heights of Nikumaroro were known. The team then extrapolated radio transmission times and found they perfectly fit with low tide times on Nikumaroro.

Tide height and times predictably vary with monthly cycles. Certain times of the month have small tides which progressively increase to cyclical big tides. Graphs indicate that the low tide cycle period on Nikumaroro occurred at the beginning of July, 1937. By the second week of July, the mean high tide level increased by 1.4 meters or 4 ½ feet. Then, daily tides wouldn’t drop enough to let the Electra’s engine run.

Gillespie and the TIGHAR investigators surmise that by July 7, rising tides and surf washed the Electra free from the reef where it slid down a steep underwater slope extending over 1,000 feet below the surface. While the main part of the plane was gone, it’s entirely likely that the severed landing gear remained trapped in a reef crevice for a number of years. Finally, wave, wind and water forces took the remaining wreckage to the depths.

Underwater Searches for Earhart’s Electra

TIGHAR volunteers have organized four different underwater search expeditions in attempts to locate Amelia Earhart’s Electra wreckage. Based on a high degree of probabilities and the preponderance of information/evidence, they conclude that Earhart’s Electra was washed off the reef and came to rest somewhere along an underwater slope. That could be anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand feet deep.

These high-technology ventures aren’t cheap. TIGHAR raised several million dollars in donations and employed top scientists equipped with state-of-the-art underwater search vehicles. These remotely operated machines produced interesting results. However, definitive proof remains elusive despite the 2017 expedition identifying 41 potential targets with 25 of these being high-interest.

TIGHAR’s first underwater venture involved SCUBA divers examining the reef’s fringes for trace evidence like landing gear pieces or shredded metal. Nothing showed up at shallow depths, which is not surprising given time’s passage. Next, an older submersible patrolled deeper regions but lost control due to rough surface weather. The latest underwater inspections involved ocean research equipment from the University of Hawaii.

2015 and 2017 expeditions used both the proven side-scanning sonar search and an open remote operating vehicle (ROV) which is an underwater drone with advanced optic cameras. These grid-patterns covered a 1.2 square mile patch off the northwest tip of Nikumaroro, down to 2,000 feet along a 60-70 degree slope. This tough terrain hosts vertical cliffs with many ragged shelves and crevices where plane wreckage could have hung up.

Currently, the TIGHAR team has a particular image in mind that they refer to as an “anomaly” and a “high-interest target”. Its size and shape are consistent with an aircraft of the Electra’s design and sits at the 600-foot depth, right in the downward path from the suspected debris in the Bevington photograph. Future underwater searches with more advanced equipment are planned and funding is being raised.

2018 Analysis of the 1940 Nikumaroro Bones

While the combined information of radio calls, matching artifacts and suspected wreckage debris are fascinating, they’re still only circumstantial. That’s barely the case anymore with human bones found on Nikumaroro Island by a British work party in 1940. Now, a world-respected forensic anthropologist and osteologist recently stuck out his neck—and his reputation—by reexamining the original bone descriptions and recorded measurements

Dr. Richard Jantz, Professor of Osteology and Anthropology at the University of Tennessee, evaluated 1941 information about the Nikumaroro bones using his extensive experience and modern computerized Fordisc technology. Jantz concludes with over 99 percent probability that the Nikumaroro bones fit Amelia Earhart’s profile. In absence of evidence to the contrary, Jantz stands firm that a convincing argument proves those now lost bones belonged to Earhart.

In 1940, the British constructed a small post on Nikumaroro Island as part of the Phoenix Islands settlement program. It was partly to establish pre-World War II sovereignty and partly to build the new LORAN navigation system. Workers first located a human skull in the summer and buried it. In the fall, more bones showed up at the Seven Site area and speculation started they may be those of lost pilot, Amelia Earhart.

British authorities made a cursory search and found 13 human bones in total. These were silently shipped to the Medical Science Center in Suva, Fiji where Dr. D.W. Hoodless examined the major bones, recording measurements typical for anatomical practices of the day. Recovered bones included:

  • Skull
  • Lower mandible or jaw
  • Scapula or shoulder blade
  • Two upper region vertebrae
  • Upper rib fragment
  • Humorous or upper arm
  • Radius or lower arm
  • Innominate or hip
  • Two femurs or thighs
  • Tibia or shin
  • Fibula or shaft
  • Navicular or ankle

Dr. Hoodless recorded four skull measurements and three long bone measurements. He wrote these on a neat and legible foolscap paper, but there are no photo records or any information about bone disposal. There is also no mention of dental details that have been used for skeletal identification for decades. Hoodless gave his opinion that the Nikumaroro bones belonged to a middle-aged European male of stocky build.

Dr. Jantz is professionally respectful of Dr. Hoodless’s observations and recordings. He points out that Hoodless was a medical teacher at the Fiji school and had a basic anatomic understanding. However, Hoodless wasn’t trained in anthropology, and forensic osteology was an undeveloped discipline in that era.

Dr. Hoodless relied on a 19th-century skeletal rating system called Pearson’s Formula. It depended on a human bone measurement table developed when statures were smaller due to lesser nutrition and poor development conditions compared to 20th-century human evolution. Hoodless deducted that since the Nikumaroro skeleton suggested a tall and strong individual, it was likely a bigger and mid-aged male. Skull descriptions were consistent with known European racial features.

Varying opinions surfaced about the accuracy of the Nikumaroro skeleton’s identification. A 1998 study of Hoodless’s measurements by two experienced anthropologists questioned the stocky male conclusion. They suggested the bones belonged to a tall European woman. In 2015, two different anthropologists defended Hoodless’s original findings.

This debate caught eminent forensic anthropologist/osteologist Richard Jantz’s interest. He decided to objectively look at Hoodless’s measurements and apply the 21st-century Fordisc measurement database to 20th-century information. To do that, Jantz worked with the same forensic photography team that analyzed the Bevington photograph.

Jantz and his associates realized they needed accurate estimates of Amelia Earhart’s body measurements. They worked with historic photos where they identified Earhart’s humorous, radius and tibia bone lengths. They estimated Earhart’s bone circumferences and joint structures. The team also measured Earhart’s known clothing kept at the Purdue University museum.

In conclusion, Jantz and associates established Amelia Earhart was 5’7”-5’8” tall, weighed approximately 130 lbs., had narrow, man-like hips and showed sturdy ankles. Her calculated bone measurements, based on the Fordisc database and the modern Mahalanobis distance scale that replaces the old Pearson’s Formula, perfectly fit with Hoodless’s figures. Jantz also took original skull measurements into account, concluding they were most probably female and definitely of the European race.

Richard Jantz deferred to a balance of probabilities based on the preponderance of information when he concluded the Nikumaroro bones were Amelia Earhart’s. He states that every detail of Hoodless’s measurements supports an Earhart finding and nothing excludes it. Hoodless notes, and Jantz confirms, the bones showed evidence that taphonomic processes modified the bones’ morphology—meaning they’d been picked over by crabs. Jantz points out that Earhart was known to be in the Nikumaroro area at the time the bones date to, she was never otherwise found and that all types of artifacts, photographs, archival and analytical information corroborate his conclusion.

To quote Richard Jantz, “Until definitive evidence is presented that the remains are not those of Amelia Earhart, the most convincing argument is that they are hers.”

What Really Happened to Emilia Earhart?

Based on the preponderance of information—call it evidence—a convincing picture emerges of what really happened to Amelia Earhart. She was an accident waiting to happen and her adventuresome, pushing-the-limit style caught up with her. Likely, she perished an agonizing death straight out of a horror movie.

Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan probably got unknowingly pushed off-course by northwest winds as they crossed the equator. They had a cloudy night that prevented Noonan from taking a celestial or star fix. Magnetic compass readings are notoriously unreliable at the equator just as they are at the poles. Waiting for sunrise and getting a 157/337 bearing line was their insurance policy.

By sunrise, when they established their baseline, they were already well south of Howland Island. They also had cloud-spotted daylight conditions when reflections from clouds looked exactly like small island landmasses. Even if they were in the range of Howland, it would have been nearly invisible regardless if flying low at 1,000 feet.

Earhart probably had a small fuel reserve as she flew back and forth along the compass line. She would have watched this like a hawk as the last thing any aviator wants is to ditch at sea. That’s a gamble with little win chance. Instead, Earhart would have taken advantage of any land base which turned out to be Nikumaroro Island.

Historical tidal records show that Nikumaroro had an extremely low tide on the morning of July 2, 1937. Earhart would have picked a long, flat beach option like the northwest coral shoal. From the air, it’d look smooth. But on the surface, it was a treacherous trick of rocky fissures and tire-cutting spears.

Probably, Earhart’s Electra set down on the shoal and experienced the same landing gear collapse this plane was famous for. They might have suffered personal injuries—particularly Fred Noonan—which Betty Klenck’s notebook indicates a male was badly hurt. The first thing a stranded aircrew would do is attempt radio communication. They’d do that as often as circumstances allowed.

Within a few hours—as midday approached—the crash survivor(s) would have to move off the exposed beach and seek shade. They’d also need water. Nikumaroro had no natural freshwater supply which is why it was uninhabited. July is the dry season for Nikumaroro and finding potable water would be a serious and immediate challenge.

No one has a reliable theory of what happened to Fred Noonan. Nothing other than the sextant box turned up from Noonan, unlike evidence of Amelia Earhart. Possibly, Noonan remained with the wreckage and was washed over the reef. However, significant evidence exists that Amelia Earhart survived for some time.

Humans can live a long while without food. Not so without water—especially at the equator in full sun and 100+ degree heat. Amelia Earhart would have sweated 1liter/2pints of water per hour. Without replenishment, she’d soon suffered dehydration and gone into medical distress starting with cognitive confusion followed by neural-muscular impairment and multiple organ failures.

Within a week with low water—ten days at the most—Amelia Earhart would have been an incapacitated castaway. She’d lapse in and out of consciousness and lay there defenseless. There was no escaping her final fate.

Nikumaroro Island is no exotic South-Seas getaway. It’s a hostile environment ruled by survival of the fittest. At the apex of Nikumaroro land predators are giant coconut crabs. These behemoths measure 3-feet across and weigh 10 lbs. They hunt in hordes using enhanced olfactory senses.

Earhart probably perished as she lay exhausted and dehydrated in the Nikumaroro Island sand. Slowly… one… then another… then many crustaceans feasted on Amelia Earhart—disarticulating and spreading her bones about Seven Site.

 

POST PUBLICATION NOTE: 27 July 2019

There might be a breakthrough in solving Amelia Earhart’s disappearance.  This August, Dr. Robert Ballard will lead an underwater expedition sponsored by the National Geographic Society, the Ocean Exploration Trust and The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR). Ballard’s vessel, the E/V Nautilus, is a brand new, state-of-the-art research ship equipped with the most advanced subsurface equipment in the world. If anyone and any equipment is capable of finding Earhart’s wrecked plane, it’s this crew.

Dr. Ballard comes with experience in underwater exploration and a proven track record. Ballard is best known for finding the Titanic, the German battleship Bismark, and John F, Kennedy’s patrol boat, the PT109. In hundreds of ventures, Ballard has located many ancient ships as well as discovering the life-producing hydrothermal vents near the Galapagos Islands.

Hopefully, Dr. Robert Ballard and his team can close the book on what really happened to Amelia Earhart. The National Geographic show airs in October 2019. In the meantime, you might want to read, reread, or bookmark this blog post. Here’s the link to the National Geographic news release:

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/2019/07/bob-ballard-found-titanic-can-find-amelia-earhart-airplane/

THE MOOSE HIDE CAMPAIGN—ENDING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN & CHILDREN

Violence by men against women and children is a severe, secluded crime in every society. That goes for all forms of male-dominated violence—mental cruelty, beatings within families, child abuse, molestations, sexual assault in social situations, stranger to stranger rapes and sexually-motivated kidnappings with sadistic serial killers. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if a grassroots movement occurred where men hold other men accountable for violent behavior towards women and children, ending this travesty? Well, it’s happening and just hit one million contacts. It’s called the Moose Hide Campaign.

The Moose Hide Campaign started when a father and daughter realized they could make a difference. Have they ever. In 2011, Paul Lacerte and Raven Lacerte were hunting moose in accordance with their indigenous sustenance rights along British Columbia’s infamous Highway of Tears in northern Canada. Dozens of women have gone missing or were found murdered along this remote road system. It’s part of a pattern where over 1,200 Canadian indigenous women have disappeared or were violently killed in unsolved murders during the past three decades.

Raven and Paul harvested their moose and were field-dressing it. They began discussing the horrid Highway of Tears situation occurring around them and how they could help. As they skinned their moose, they realized the answer was creating a national dialogue to generate widespread awareness of violence against women and children. Getting people to talk and recognize the magnitude of the problem became their mission. As a talk-stimulator, they tanned their moose hide and cut it into one-inch squares, pinning them to as many people as possible. Seven years later, their one-millionth moose hide square got pinned on a very deserving person.

One Million Moose Hide Squares Have Been Handed Out

Inspiring one million people to stop what they’re doing, pin-on a square and discuss ending violence against women is impressive. But that’s nothing compared to the Moose Hide Campaign’s vision to have ten million people wearing moosehide squares and pledging their part. So far, the Moose Hide Campaign extends across every region in Canada. It’s getting international notice as well as high-profile political support. At the 2018 campaign gathering in Victoria, the British Columbia Provincial Government granted $2 million to help fund the campaign. That’s additional to money donated by many strong supporters in the private sector.

The Moose Hide Campaign originated within Canada’s indigenous peoples’ community. It’s far from exclusive, however. Sadly, Canada’s First Nations women and children experience three times the rate of violence compared to main-street Canadian society. That’s not unique to Canada, though. Violence against women and children permeates every country. That includes first-world nations like Australia, Great Britain and the United States.

The Moose Hide Campaign Creed

Promoting family decency, gender equality, healthy relationships and curbing substance abuse are core to the Moose Hide Campaign. In the center of the circle is promoting ideas of positive masculinity where men stand up and hold each other accountable for learned and aggressive behavior. Supporting each other is also central to the Moose Hide movement. This is the creed Moose Hide Campaign male supporters adhere to:

  • Stand up with women and children.
  • Speak out against violence towards them.
  • Support each other as men yet hold violent offenders accountable.
  • Teach boys about the true meaning of love and respect.
  • Become healthy role models for youth and other men.
  • Help, hold accountable and heal those who are violent offenders.
  • Encourage everyone to take action, make a pledge and pitch in.

Part of the Moose Hide Campaign is helping to address reconciliation from years of systematic abuse against Canada’s indigenous people. Historically, most violent indigenous male offenders were made—not born. For over a century, indigenous people were forced from their traditional lands where sustenance activities like moose hunting were critical to their very survival. Men, women and children were stocked in a reservation system where a cycle of poverty, lack of education, unemployment and suppression of culture created generations of substance abuse and terrible violence.

Reconciliation for Indigenous Peoples

Government agencies reacted to the “Native Problem” by creating residential schools in urban centers. This misguided program took children from their parents and housed them in institutional warehouses where innocent kids were punished for speaking their traditional language and wearing cultural clothes. Behind the shadows, many indigenous children were violently beaten and sexually assaulted. It’s no wonder boys grew into men practicing this learned behavior.

This isn’t making excuses for today’s violent men. It’s a look at reality. The Moose Hide Campaign recognizes horrors of the past and wants that violent behavior to be history. It’s only through actions like those from Raven and Paul Lacerte and their dedicated Moose Hide Campaign supporters that this goal of ending violence against women and children will become a reality.

Currently, there is another large Canadian movement to reconcile wrongs and injustices done to indigenous peoples. Aside from acknowledging, apologizing and compensating for the residential school disaster, there is a National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls underway to determine how so many innocent souls have disappeared or been found murdered. At the center of this circle is the Highway of Tears.

The Highway of Tears

Over the past 30+ years, dozens of women have gone missing or were found murdered along the stretch of road from Prince George in central British Columbia to Prince Rupert on the Pacific coast. Undoubtedly, many are victims of one or more serial killers. Despite police putting massive resources into the investigation, they don’t appear close to solving this mystery and ending the problem. The solution needs to come from grassroots prevention.

Abduction, rape and murder are the ultimate acts of violence against women and children. Many of these Highway of Tears victims are indigenous women unfortunately placed in high-risk lifestyles like sex workers and hitchhikers. Those actions make them easy targets for predators like whoever are behind the Highway of Tears tragedy.

The geographic area of the Highway of Tears is symbolic of a much larger region where similar acts occurred or are occurring. The pattern began in the 1970s. Initially, they were known as the Highway Murders. Now, the investigation region expands to include southern and eastern routes. The true victim count could be in the thousands.

This certainly isn’t saying all these missing and murdered women and children are serial killer victims. Many are likely victims of domestic violence or violent acts by someone they’re familiar with. That’s the real signature of violence against women and children. Most of these crimes happen within privacy. Many are never reported.

It’s enough, already. Enough. It has to stop.

The only way to truly end violence against women and children is for everyone to stand up, discuss this massive problem and take action. It’s enough, already. Enough. It has to stop. That starts with supporting movements like the Moose Hide Campaign created by daughter and father, Raven and Paul Lacerte. Bringing this issue into public view and holding violent men accountable is a start. Ending the cycle of violence will work if enough people get involved. It’s a lot of work, and it’s long overdue.

Key to the Moose Hide Campaign’s vision is individuals being inspired to do something about the tragic reality of gender-based and domestic violence. Everyone can find a way to share the campaign message with family, friends, co-workers, organizations and communities. Wearing the moosehide square is a start to engaging conversations… even with complete strangers.

Volunteers for the Moose Hide Campaign pitch in to organize community events and host public kiosks. The spirit is generating awareness and conversations leading to men being held responsible for violent acts. It’s also about helping these men correct their behavior as well as treating and healing underlying issues.

For individuals opposed to moose hunting and using authentic moose hide, there are synthetic squares available. Be assured, all moose hides originate from traditional hunters who harvest moose for food or ceremonial purposes. Many hides come from unfortunate animals in road mishaps. No moose are intentionally hunted to support the Moose Hide Campaign.

For more information on the Moose Hide Campaign, please email garry.rodgers@shaw.ca. Also, please visit the campaign’s website at www.moosehidecampaign.ca. Follow on Facebook and Twitter. Financial donations are appreciated. *No Moose Hide squares are ever sold* The best help you can give is spreading the word about this grassroots movement and raise awareness about the Moose Hide Campaign. Together, we can stand strong to end violence against all women and children.

Here are some interesting links about the Moose Hide Campaign:

The Story of a Million Moose Hides

2018 Moose Hide Gathering in Victoria, B.C.

Province of British Columbia Moose Hide Campaign Video

Moose Hide Campaign Message from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Blog Post I Wrote for Rachel Thompson (Rachel in the OC) – Why Women Don’t Report Sexual Abuse

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED IN NATALIE WOOD’S DEATH?

As Hollywood mysteries go, Natalie Wood’s suspicious death tops the list. On November 29, 1981, the 43-year-old movie superstar was found floating off Santa Catalina Island, 25 miles southwest of Long Beach, California. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and Coroner’s Office quickly concluded Wood died from an accidental drowning. But that’s no longer the case. Today, Natalie Wood’s manner of death is officially ruled a “drowning from undetermined factors”. Now her then-husband, actor Robert Wagner, is officially a police “person of interest” for causing Wood’s death.

The question of what really happened in Natalie Wood’s death has never been answered. It’s never disappeared from public interest and that’s for good reason. At the time, Wood was one of Hollywood’s hottest stars. So was Robert Wagner. Together, the pair was a celebrity sensation­—a mix of love, hate, beauty, sex, scandal, jealousy and violence. No wonder there’s still a fascination in this unsolved case after nearly four decades.

That Natalie Wood died by drowning is indisputable. That’s crystal clear. But, how she ended up in the water is murky as hell. The circumstances stink like an old, rotten fish and the balance of probabilities says Wagner threw Natalie in after a night’s drunken fight. This is what the LA sheriff detectives also think. They recently did an hour-long episode on CBS 48 Hours called Natalie Wood—Death in Dark Water to rock the boat and surface new evidence. Likely, here is what really happened in Natalie Wood’s death.

The Wood—Wagner Relationship

Natalie Wood was a true child acting prodigy. She was born Natalia Zakharenko in San Francisco to Russian and Ukrainian immigrant parents. Wood’s first role was at age 4. By 8, she co-starred in the 1947 Christmas Classic Miracle on 34th Street, and at sixteen she was nominated for an Oscar alongside James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause. 2 more Academy Award nominations followed for Splendor in the Grass and Love With the Proper Stranger. Other successes included West Side Story and Gypsy. By 25, Wood’s natural beauty and acting talent were in high demand.

Robert Wagner claimed most of his success and fame in television roles. Wagner was the handsome leading man in the 70s and 80s shows It Takes a Thief, Switch and Hart to Hart. However, he had many A and B-list movie roles pre and post-TV. Wagner is now 88 and lives in Aspen, Colorado with actor wife, Jill St. John.

Wood admitted to having a childhood crush on Robert Wagner who was eight years senior. They married in 1957 when she was 19 and he was 27. That ended in a 1962 divorce with Wood suing Wagner for “mental cruelties”. They remarried in 1973 and were still legally attached when Wood died. That union was again shaky. Wood was rumored to be having an affair with actor Christopher Walken during their relationship filming the movie Brainstorm.

Thanksgiving Weekend, 1981

Wood and Wagner planned to spend the 1981 Thanksgiving weekend on their 60-foot motor yacht Splendour moored at Two Harbors on Santa Catalina Island. Catalina lies 25 miles off the California coast between Los Angeles and San Diego. The harbor sits at the Isthmus of Catalina where this popular southern California boating spot narrows. Being on the east side of Catalina, the Two Harbors moorage is protected from the open Pacific Ocean.

It’s not clear why and when, but Wood invited her Brainstorm co-star, Christopher Walken, to join them on the yacht for the weekend. That didn’t go over well with Wagner. He’d already suspected intimacy between his wife and Walken. A few weeks earlier, Wagner flew to the South Carolina Brainstorm film site to check on them. Also accompanying this triangle to Catalina Island was Wagner’s boat captain, Dennis Davern, who also served as Wagner’s caretaker.

The foursome arrived at Two Harbors on Friday afternoon, November 27. The weather was cool, rainy and windy. Davern tied the Splendour to moorage buoy N1 at the center of Isthmus Cove, then detached the yacht’s 13-foot Zodiac inflatable dinghy named Valliant. At about 4 pm, Wood, Wagner, Walken and Davern rode the dinghy from the moored yacht and tied up at the Two Harbors main wharf. They hiked a short distance to a bar/restaurant called Doug’s Harbor Reef, sat down, and began drinking.

Witnesses, including the bar manager Don Whiting, later reported the group seemed in good spirits, and there was no sign of tension. Wood and Walken appeared to be flirting, but Wagner didn’t appear upset. About 10 pm, the four left the bar and took the Valliant dinghy back to the Splendour. There, things got tense. Wood and Wagner began to argue—apparently over how she was reacting to Walken’s attention and Walken’s views about Wood’s acting career—but there was no sign of violence.

Wood stated she had enough from Wagner and asked boat skipper Davern to take her ashore in the dinghy. It was around midnight when Wood checked into a motel room and paid for a separate one for Davern. The next morning, Saturday, November 28, Davern drove Wood back to the yacht where she and Wagner acted as if nothing had happened. Wood made breakfast for the group and everyone appeared pleasant.

At approximately 3 pm on Saturday afternoon, Davern drove Wood and Walken ashore in the dinghy. Wagner stayed on the Splendour attending to personal matters. Davern returned to the yacht, then skippered Wagner ashore about 4:30 where they joined Wood and Walken in the Harbor Reef. Wood and Walken were already into the champagne and carried on, seeming to ignore Wagner and Davern. The four ordered dinner around 8:00 pm and stayed until between 10 and 10:30. Again, all appeared on good terms while inside the bar.

They left as an intoxicated group. Their drunken condition was significant enough for manager Whiting to call Harbor Patrol guard Kurt Craig asking to keep a watch for his departing guests, making sure they got safely back on their yacht, which they did. What happened next is unknown. Somehow, Wood ended up dead—her seriously bruised body face-down in the water. Over the years, the three male survivors have made elusive, inconsistent and changing statements.

Finding Natalie Wood’s Body

Robert Wagner made a marine radio call reporting a missing person at 1:30 am on Sunday, November 29. Don Whiting, who lived on a nearby boat, heard the call. He noted the time. Soon, a search began including Whiting, the Harbor Patrol, the Coast Guard and the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. Weather conditions were rainy, cool and windy. Search efforts were hampered by darkness with no moon or star light.

At first light, a Sheriff’s helicopter joined the search. Airborne observers quickly spotted a bright red object floating approximately 1mile north-east of where the Splendour was moored. It was approximately 200 yards off a land tip called Blue Cavern Point. At 7:44 am, a surface vessel reached the object and confirmed it was Natalie Wood, deceased.

Wood was in a suspended position with her face in the water, arms outstretched and long hair floating on the surface. Her torso, legs and feet were downward. The only thing keeping her from sinking was her red down jacket which acted as a buoyancy compensator or flotation device. Aside from the jacket, Wood was only dressed in a blue and red flannel nightgown and calf-length, blue argyle socks. She had no shoes or underclothes.

Searchers pulled Wood from the water and placed her on a “Stokes-Litter” search & rescue basket. Her body was transported to a Harbor Patrol shelter and placed in a hyperbolic chamber used for decompressing divers. She was held for safe-keeping while an investigator from the LA County Coroner Office arrived to transport the body back to the mainland for an autopsy.

The missing dinghy Valliant was also found near to where Wood’s body was located. It was resting against the shore at Blue Cavern Point. An examination found the Zodiac’s outboard motor lowered in the water, the control in neutral, the key in the “off” position and the oars fastened down. It appeared never used.

The Preliminary Investigation

Pam Eaker from the LA Coroner’s Office and Detective Duane Razier from the LA County Sheriff’s Department were the preliminary investigators in Natalie Wood’s death. Eaker was an experienced death investigator as was Razier. They only made a brief examination of Wood’s body by examining rigor mortis and photographing it for identification. They noted some bruising to Wood’s left knee but couldn’t see much of her skin due to being covered by the high socks and knee-length nightgown. Wood was lying face up and they didn’t examine her posterior. They also noted foam coming from Wood’s mouth which is typical in drownings.

Eaker’s report indicates when searchers pulled Wood from the water, rigor mortis was minimal. However, when Eaker did a cursory exam at 1:00 pm, Wood was in nearly full rigor. These investigators recorded equilibrium air and water surface temperatures of 62 degrees Fahrenheit and Wood’s internal temperature at 65° F. Eaker’s field investigation report is publicly available but not the police report. It’s unclear if any formal statements were taken at this time.

Eaker reports she spoke to Robert Wagner who stated he last remembered seeing his wife at 11:45 pm. When Wagner realized Wood was missing, he made a radio call for help. Eaker’s report does not record what time Wagner claims he found Wood missing. The report defers to Don Whiting who she interviewed. He was clear the radio call occurred at 1:30 am as he noted the time.

Whiting also provided information about the Wagner/Wood party being intoxicated when they left the bar between 10 and 10:30 pm. He expressed concern for their welfare on the water due to obvious drunkenness, but he made no claim there was tension among the group. It appears Whiting was the only independent witness interviewed. It makes no reference to other occupants onboard the Splendour and appears Davern and Walken were not formally interviewed.

The only reference to Dennis Davern is that he identified Natalie Wood’s body. Robert Wagner did not view his wife’s body at Catalina Island. Rather, he flew back to Los Angeles with Walken on board a sheriff’s helicopter, leaving Davern to deal with the Splendour.

Natalie Wood’s Autopsy

Natalie Wood’s autopsy started at 1:30 pm on Monday, November 30th in the LA County morgue. Dr. Joseph Choi, Deputy Medical Examiner, did the postmortem exam which was overseen by Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Thomas Noguchi. Noguchi was a high-profile medical examiner well-known as the “coroner to the stars” for work on celebrities like Marilyn Monroe, Bobby Kennedy, John Belushi, Sharon Tate and Janis Joplin to name a few. Noguchi has also been well-criticized for seeking fame over fact in his pathology career.

The autopsy report and follow-up toxicology report are well-detailed and publically published. Autopsies follow a regular procedure starting with external observations and full-body X-rays. Wood had no broken bones, fractures or head trauma. However, her arms and legs were a mass of bruises as well as notable abrasions on her left cheek and above her left brow. These were superficial contusions rather than lacerations and entirely consistent with mechanical or manual pressure application. They were also antemortem injuries and occurred before death.

Natalie Wood’s internal examination showed a healthy, early-middle-aged woman. There were no natural disease processes evident—nothing natural to cause a medical event which led to her accidentally falling in the water while unconscious. Her lungs were heavy with seawater, and her airway was obstructed with foamy froth. Clearly, Wood’s medical cause of death was due to drowning. However, that did not explain how she got in the water. Nor did it account for her considerable bruising. These are the surface trauma injuries noted Wood’s autopsy report:

  • Superficial abrasion and contusion on left cheek and forehead in upward motion.
  • Diffused bruise over lateral aspect of right forearm measuring 4” x 1” above the wrist.
  • Prominent deformity of left wrist on lateral condyle of the ulna bone.
  • Superficial bruise in deformity approximately ½” diameter.
  • Numerous bruises over right and left lower legs ranging from ½” to 1” in diameter.
  • Significant bruise to anterior of left knee measuring 2” in diameter.
  • Bruising to right ankle area measuring 2” in diameter.
  • Many smaller superficial bruises to anterior and posterior lower legs and thighs measuring approximately ½” to 2” in diameter with no particular pattern.

Photos of Wood’s bruising don’t appear available on the internet like some celebrity death images are. However, Wood’s autopsy anterior and posterior sketches, or face sheets as they’re called, are attached to the autopsy report. They indicate over 50 separate bruise markings.

There’s a significant note in the autopsy report that skin sections of the significant bruises were removed from Wood’s body. These were microscopically examined from histopathological slides and confirmed to be subcutaneous hemorrhages that can only occur while the subject was alive. They were also “very fresh”, indicating they occurred immediately before Wood’s heart stopped by drowning. These injuries were not the result of earlier trauma that was healing.

Additional in Wood’s autopsy report is mention of her estimated time of death. Dr. Choi’s conclusion reads:

“The autopsy findings are consistent with drowning in the ocean. The time of death is difficult to pinpoint, but it appears to be about midnight on November 28/29, 1981. Most of the bruises on the body are superficial and probably sustained at the time of drowning.”

Choi based his estimated time of death based on three factors. One is that approximately 500 ccs of undigested food remained in Wood’s stomach. Based on the witness evidence that she’d eaten around 9:00 pm, that digestive sequence is consistent with a 3-hour period before her digestive system stopped. Second, the water temperature and Wood’s physical size (120 pounds) would have quickly brought on hypothermia. Third, the rigor state was consistent with death occurring about 8 hours before her body was found.

Rigor mortis is mostly dependent on ambient temperature and body size. Generally, the warmer and heavier a body is—the faster rigor sets. Wood was small and died in a cold environment. It’s expected her rigor process would be delayed while suspended in chilled water. It’s also expected rigor would rapidly fix once removed from cold water and placed in a warmer hyperbolic chamber.

Despite questionable bruising, the Los Angeles County Coroner concluded that Wood accidentally drown while intoxicated and falling into the ocean as she tried moving the dinghy. Wood’s blood-alcohol content was 0.14% which is significant for a slight person. There was no sign of illicit intoxicants like cocaine or opiates. She was simply high on alcohol which may have contributed to an early expiration in the water.

In mid-December, 1981, the LA County Coroner Office released its findings. Natalie Wood officially drowned after some mishap with the dinghy. They attributed her extensive bruising to the struggle with a rubber boat. No foul play occurred, they said, and the Sheriff’s Department agreed. Natalie Wood’s death was declared accidental, and the case was closed.

Dennis Davern’s Confession

That conclusion never sat well with the media and the public. For years, speculation and rumors swirled that there was more to Wood’s death than officially concluded. The conclusion never sat well with two other people. One was Natalie Wood’s sister, Lana Wood. The other was Dennis Davern. Together, they petitioned the coroner and police in 2012 to reopen the case. The triggering factor was Daven confessing to police that he’d lied during the 1981investigation. He claimed his conscience finally got to him.

Davern stated he’d been coerced by Wagner to keep quiet. At the time, Wagner was Davern’s boss and sole meal ticket. According to Davern’s new statement, there’d been tension for two days between Wagner and Wood, and it was jealousy over Chris Walken. Davern stated when they got back to the Splendour on the Saturday night, Wood and Walken were very cozy. Finally, Wagner snapped. He grabbed a wine bottle and smashed it, yelling at Walken, “Jesus Christ! What are you trying to do? Fuck my wife?”

Wood was drunk and flipped out. It became a screaming match but there was no physical violence yet. Wood stormed off, saying she was going to bed. She went below to her stateroom, changing into her bedclothes. Walken slipped to his room in a forward cabin while Davern quietly went up to the bridge. Davern places the time as just before midnight.

Within a few minutes, Davern claims he heard Wagner and Wood fighting again. This time, there was physical violence as he could hear banging, crashing and thumping. Then the pair went out on the open stern deck where the dinghy was tied up, floating astern. Davern claimed more physical fighting took place, and he heard Wagner scream at Wood, “Get off my fucking boat!” More fighting took place and, suddenly, everything went quiet.

Davern is clear he did not hear a “sploosh” or Wood splashing or crying for help in the water. He claims he waited a few more minutes, then went down and found Wagner alone in the salon. Davern states Wagner appeared distraught, nervous, sweaty and shaking. He told Davern that Wood “was gone”. Wagner’s story was she took the dinghy and went to shore like she did the previous night.

Davern didn’t buy it for a minute. For one thing, he never heard the dinghy’s noisy outboard engine start. For another, Davern knew Wood didn’t know how to operate it. As well, he knew she wouldn’t go out alone in dark, stormy conditions. If she truly wanted to leave, she’d have asked Davern to drive her as before. And, Davern knew Wood was terrified of dark sea water.

Davern claims he wanted to start an immediate search. Wagner refused, saying they’d wait for a bit and see if she’ll return. Wagner broke open a bottle of scotch and shared it with Davern over the next hour and a half. Despite Davern’s pleadings to start a search, Wagner refused. Finally, at 1:30 am, Wagner placed the first radio call. During this time, there was no contact with Chris Walken. Apparently, he stayed in his room till morning.

Davern makes another astounding claim. He states after Wood’s body was found, but before investigators arrived, Wagner had a closed-door meeting with Davern and Walken. Davern alleges Wagner laid out a common story they were all to stick with. Daven doesn’t allege Wagner admitting throwing Wood in the water. Rather, the story he wanted them to relay is no one saw her leave and there was no fight. Daven states Wagner ended the session with, “That’s the story. Okay? Everyone got it?”

Natalie Wood’s Death Case is Reopened

Based on Dennis Davern’s information, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department reopened Natalie Wood’s death investigation in May 2012. They held a joint meeting with the current Chief Medical Examiner who reviewed the medical evidence. Dr. Choi was now dead and Dr. Nagouchi was long retired. This review concluded Wood’s cause of death was still from drowning. However, they gave the opinion that Wood’s bruises were far more consistent with a multi-person fight onboard the yacht rather than a sole struggle in the water.

The LA County Coroner amended Wood’s death certificate from an accidental drowning to “Drowning and Other Undermined Factors”. They stopped short of ruling it a homicide which requires proof the death was caused by another human being. However, they could no longer support an accidental conclusion.

The new investigators with the LA Sheriff’s Department also stop short of claiming foul play. They describe their investigation as being a suspicious death where the full truth has not been revealed. They are also tactful about calling Robert Wagner as a murder suspect. They classify him as a person of interest who they’d like to interview.

Lieutenant John Corina and Detective Sergeant Ralph Hernandez state they’ve made ten attempts to interview Wagner. Each time, he’s refused. Now, they’re appealing to the public for any information pertinent to the Natalie Wood case. Corina and Hernandez gave a candid look at their investigation during the CBS 48 Hours documentary aired February 5th, 2018. They claim to have new witnesses come forward corroborating Davern’s claim of a fight on the Splendour’s back deck. Conclusively, they say, it was Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood.

No one, however, states they actually saw Wood go into the water. As Lt. Corina puts it, “She got in the water somehow, and I don’t think she got in the water by herself”. Corina adds, “This doesn’t meet the smell test. Wagner’s version makes absolutely no sense. We’d love to hear his side, his truthful version of the events. What he’s told original investigators and what he’s portrayed since then really don’t add up to what we’ve found.”

Det. Sgt. Hernandez states, “She (Wood) looked like the victim of an assault.” Corina goes further, saying, “She’s seriously bruised on the arms, legs and face. Then she goes to get in the dinghy and into town—in her pajamas, socks, in the middle of the night. It’s raining out and midnight when she can’t see, but she’s going to take the dinghy, which she never drives, probably doesn’t know how to drive, and take it to town. That makes no sense at all.”

Corina and Hernandez discuss their witness evidence credibility. They rate their two independent witnesses as “very credible” and call Davern “credible” based that he originally misled investigators but now his new version is corroborated or backed up by the independent people. As for what Christopher Walken has said, Corina states, “He’s cooperating, but we’ve agreed to keep his information confidential. For now.”

When asked if they’ll ever solve the Natalie Wood case, Corina answered, “We’re closer to understanding what happened, but critical questions remain. Time is our biggest enemy here with over 36 years passing since it happened. We’re reaching out one last time to see if anyone will come forward with information they may know.”

How Natalie Wood Likely Went in the Water

To think Natalie Wood went in the water voluntarily is preposterous. She never went for a relaxing swim. She was not suicidal by any stretch of the imagination. And it’s highly unlikely she was trying to stealthily flee by untying the dinghy and slipping into a guideless tender. It’s even crazier to think a movie star headed for some free fun on a small town at midnight, soaking wet in pitch black with no shoes and no underwear.

No. There’s only one explanation. Someone dragged Natalie Wood off that boat into the water—kicking and screaming. That was her husband, Robert Wagner. Nothing else makes sense.

The key to understanding what physically took place is examining Wood’s bruise pattern recorded at her autopsy. These are in no way consistent with thrashing about in the water while trying to climb into a flexible dingy. Natalie Wood’s bruises are entirely consistent with being gripped by her wrists and around her legs and arms. Her face abrasion is consistent with being dragged face-down, backward, along the yacht’s rear deck. Nothing else fits.

What’s really telling is the damage to the outside of Natalie Wood’s left wrist. By stating there’s a very prominent deformity to the lateral condyle of the ulna with no fresh fracture means her wrist was dislocated but not broken. That requires a lot of force—a painful force—an external force. *Note – there is some indication through comments sent to me that Natalie Wood may have had this deformity to her left wrist for some time before her death however the autopsy report reads that this was a dislocation which would have been painful if not treated and reset.*

All evidence—physical, medical and witness observations—indicates Wood and Wagner were in an intense fight. That alleged statement, “Get off my fucking boat!” is something a witness just doesn’t make up. That statement has to be truthful. The “my boat” phrase sums their relationship, and Wagner was making sure “his” property was going off “his boat” one way or another.

At the end, Wood was prone on the deck, holding on to something for dear life. Wagner was gripping her legs and thighs, trying to free her. He ripped her wrists, possibly dislocating one. Then, Robert Wagner wrestled Natalie Wood by the legs, thighs and whatever lower extremities he could to shove his wife to her death in dark sea water.

The Problem with Homicide Charges

On the surface, it definitely seems Robert Wagner is hiding what really happened in Natalie Wood’s death. You’d think if Wagner was clean, he’d scream for an inquest to find what happened to his love, never mind clear his name of suspicion. But he’s keeping quiet. That’s understandable, given that—if dirty—he’d spend years in jail even if convicted of manslaughter rather than first or second-degree murder. However, reasonable suspicion based on a balance of probabilities is a lesser test than the state proving an accused’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Here’s the wording from the California Penal Code on the directions a judge must read to the jury regarding reasonable doubt.

Given the evident factors of intoxication and relative spontaneity, it’s hard to argue Wagner planned and intended to kill Wood. It’d be a tough row to hoe proving he clearly meant for her to drown as required for a second-degree conviction. Manslaughter is the best homicide ruling the prosecution could hope for in this situation.

But there’s no smoking gun in the Wood/Wagner case. That’d be a credible witness seeing the event or an admissible confession from Wagner. As long as he keeps his mouth shut, he’s unlikely to hang himself. That only leaves fresh evidence or a good portrayal of circumstantial evidence.

But what about Robert Wagner’s obvious neglect in searching for Wood as soon as he realized she was missing? It sounds like gross negligence leaving a half-clad, drunken woman out in the dark, cold and rain. However, he can’t be prosecuted for anything other than homicide charges due to California’s Statue of Limitations. That passed three years after Natalie Wood died.

The LA County District Attorney may be able to convince a grand jury to indict Robert Wagner on homicide charges. A coroner’s inquest may also be coming. That may be part of the strategy behind doing the recent CBS 48 Hours show, and they may have some strong new evidence as the detectives hinted at. But, a homicide conviction requires convincing a jury that Wagner is guilty beyond reasonable doubt of deliberately causing Natalie Wood’s death. That’s a tough challenge for even excellent detectives like Lt. Corina and Det. Sgt. Hernandez.

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DyingWords Followers — I’d really appreciate your comments about how you see the likelihood that Robert Wagner deliberately threw Natalie Wood in the water and caused her death. Please rate them on a scale of 1 (none) to 10 (definitely). It’ll be an interesting poll of public opinion.

Here are some links if you’d like more information on the Natalie Wood death investigation:

CBS 48 Hours Documentary Released February 2018.

Natalie Wood Autopsy Report and Supplementary Opinions from LA County Coroner Office

Natalie Wood Forensic Examination from Los Angeles Times