Davern’s statements prompted the Sheriff’s Department to reopen the case in 2011, and the coroner’s office changed the cause of death to “drowning and other undetermined factors” in 2012. At the time, Wagner released a statement supporting the investigation but also suggested Davern’s statements might be an attempt to profit from his book and the upcoming 30th anniversary of Natalie’s death.
Wagner previously admitted in his 2008 autobiography that he argued with Wood before she disappeared, but he has maintained that he was not involved. “Did I blame myself? If I had been there, I could have done something,” he said. “But I wasn’t there. I didn’t see her. The bottom line is that nobody knows exactly what happened.”
