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Cause of Death Changed on Natalie Wood's Death Certificate
Did actress Natalie Wood die of an accidental drowning, or was there foul play involved? Authorities in Los Angeles County still can't say for sure, and now, over 30 years after her death in the water off Catalina, there's been a change made on Wood's death certificate.TMZ reports that the cause of death will now be listed as "undetermined," and not "accident." Just sixth months ago, investigators with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department maintained the death was an accident and that they could not find any evidence of foul play.
Reportedly, the L.A. County Coroner filed documents making the change in late June. Wood's family was notified of the change Friday.
So why the change? An unidentified relative told TMZ "detectives told them the change was made in part because some of the bruises on Wood's body were inconsistent with death by accident." However, while they can say definitely Wood ended up drowning, they are still unclear on how the actress and former child star ended up in the water.
Much was made of the uncertainty around Wood's 1981 drowning last fall, as an update to a book about her death was hitting the shelves in time for the 30th anniversary of the grim occasion.
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Today, law enforcement sources reportedly tell TMZ their investigation is still active, but recently the LASD clarified that is typically how things go with a cold case--it's never really closed, so any hoopla over it being "reopened" is just that: hoopla.
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