Robert Wagner Suspect
"We have several sources coming forward with additional information and we have found it credible enough to take another look at the case," Los Angeles County Sheriff's Lt. John Corina said outside the sheriff's headquarters in Monterey Park, California.
"This new information is substantial enough to make us want to take a new look at the case," he added.
Corina declined to comment directly on new statements made by the captain of the yacht on which Wagner, Wood and actor Christopher Walken were passengers off Catalina Island near Los Angeles at the time of Wood's death.
The yacht captain, Dennis Davern, offered a new account Friday about how Wood's death was reported and said Wagner waited hours to call the Coast Guard after Wood went missing.
When asked if the captain could face charges for possibly lying to authorities during the 1981 investigation, Corina responded: "That, I can't say. We'll probably end up talking to the captain sooner or later, and we'll assess what he has to say then and now."
When asked whether authorities will question Walken, Corina declined to say whom two investigators will be interviewing.
"I'm not going to comment on who's going to be talked to or who's not going to be talked to. I think you can speculate on that," Corina said.
The approaching 30th anniversary of Wood's November 29, 1981, death isn't playing a factor in the new inquiry, he said.
"We're not concerned with the anniversary date," Corina said.
"We're going to follow up on leads we have," Corina said. "We're going to interview some people. We're going to interview some new people."
Wood's death is still ruled an accident, he said.
"Her death is ruled an accidental drowning. ... Until we find something that says it isn't, until that time, it's still an accidental drowning," Corina said.
Earlier Friday, Davern said Wagner told those aboard the boat what to say to authorities about the incident. Wood was later found drowned.
Davern said he first searched the boat to check whether Wood was anywhere on board. He said he then wanted to turn on the searchlight to see whether she was in the water, but Wagner told him not to.
"We don't want to do that right now," Davern quoted Wagner as saying.
After four hours, Davern called the Coast Guard. He now says he regrets waiting so long.
"It was like a mistake that I made. I do regret that, yes. I do, really," Davern said Friday.
"We didn't necessarily really lie. We just didn't tell everything, and it was agreed that what we spoke about between the three of us is what we're going to tell the investigators," Davern said.
