The L.A. County Coroner's office has changed the cause of death in 1981 from "Accident" to "Undetermined" after reopening the Natalie Wood case.
The reason for the change: Bruising on Wood's body that is not necessarily consistent with an accident. In other words, no proof of foul play.
In 1981, then-L.A. County Coroner Thomas Noguchi jumped to the conclusion that Wood's death was an accident after he shockingly drowned.
Noguchi did not follow protocol by accounting for ALL possibilities, including foul play, but also Wood simply hitting the side of the boat as she fell.
Calling Natalie's death "undetermined" is basically a correction of a three-decades-old error, according to insiders, though the case remains active.
At the same time, detectives have unearthed no new evidence and officials say there is "certainly no evidence" leading detectives to a suspect.
The decision to reopen the case in 2011 raised suspicions of her husband, Robert Wagner, now 81, who some say was less than forthcoming with police.
The actor, and who has a recurring role on NCIS, said he trusts officials to determine if "any new information on the death of Natalie Wood Wagner is valid."
