Brainstorm: An Investigation of the Mysterious Death of Film Star Natalie Wood

by Sam Perroni

Brainstorm is an amazing five-year probe into the mysterious death of beloved movie star Natalie Wood by a real-life criminal law authority who determinedly pursued the truth in the face of Los Angeles County officials hell-bent on keeping it buried forever.

“After four decades, there is still more to learn about Natalie Wood’s tragic drowning. Brainstorm is one man’s passionate quest to unearth the truth.” —Beth Karas, Host of Oxygen’s Notorious , former prosecutor, and investigative journalist

“If you have any interest in deciding for yourself whether someone got away with the murder of Natalie Wood, this book is for you.” —Marilyn Wayne, eyewitness

An Investigation of the Mysterious Death of Film Star Natalie Wood is the first-person account of Sam Perroni’s probing investigation of the actress’s death. Through lawsuits, freedom of information requests, and persistent digging, Perroni obtained unseen and confidential files, documents, photographs, and information from long-lost witnesses revealing the true circumstances surrounding Natalie Wood’s drowning.

Genres: True Crime

320 pages, Hardcover

Published December 21, 2021

Reviews

[A Cesspool · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an unclaimed pot o' gold-[unsolved mysteries Cold Case content] for any Netflix mini docu-series producers!
It's almost surreal, investigative author Sam Perroni's no nonsense, deep dive of certainty still sits on the un-produced/demo reel shelf.
Extraordinary cases like Woods murder makes for fanstastic binge watching, imo (á la American Greed [series] or Chris Smith documentaries)

Those who colluded with Fckboi & womanslayer Robert Wagner, in covering up the homicide of his ATM machine-wife [née: beard], Natalie Wood, were, primarily, either...

1. Dilettante POS: Detective Duane Rasure, Thomas Noguchi, or

2. Total Chickenshit: Frank Sinatra, Dennis Davern (Splendour's Skipper)

So now I kinda want to read Kitty Kelley's Sinatra biography (just for his underworld affiliations & relationship w/ one-time [future] son-in-law: Wagner).

Yacht Capt. Davern had an excuse, never possessing the means nor resources to resist Wagner's cesspool of buffoonery (i.e. indentured by cash & endless booze); But Sinatra? That boob really believes Wagner's evolving fantasy of Death by Misadventure! You not only gotta be small-minded, but also preserve a soft 'n cushy spine ...to not swagger with enough cojones to critically scrutinize a catastrophe that should personally concern you; Or affirm the fantastic theatrics of a notorious rent boy, like Wagner, over pointed definiteness ...only reinforces Sinatra's pussyfootin' acumen.
Was that who Sinatra really was? Could Tony Danza really been wrong about him all this time?? triflin
- - - -
fyi: Douglas Trumbull's last feature film production, Brainstorm (1983), is not a topic of much concentration (herein). The controversial production is only addressed sparingly, at best -- I might wonder if the author intentionally omitted some of those on-set happenings, if only to de-clutter lingering doubts probabilities?

[Kathie Gehebe · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are interested in true crime and in particular the Natalie Wood case, this book is for you. There have been many discrepancies, changing stories and timelines as well as lies and omissions which the author painstakingly documents and in some cases, for the very first time.

One of the most egregious cover ups has been the discrediting of the "ear witness" Marilyn Wayne. Wayne was on a boat moored nearby the Splendour that last night with her boyfriend and young son. All 3 say they heard a women crying for help. The cries were of such urgency and clarity, Wayne wanted to jump in and try to find the woman but her boyfriend talked her out of it, fearing she would drown. It's important to keep in mind Wayne was not only a strong swimmer but her father was a champion in the 1936 Olympics. She herself was trained by Johnny Weissmuller, famed Olympic swimmer, "Tarzan" actor and lifeguard who saved many people from drowning. Her reluctance to attempt a rescue gives the reader an idea of sea and weather conditions that fateful night.

When Wayne came forward with her account shortly after Natalie's body was discovered, the media and political disinformation apparatus kicked into high gear. A story appeared in the New York Post portraying her as a fortune hunter and publicity hound, shaming her for not attempting a rescue. (absent from this subtext was that Marilyn radioed the Harbor Patrol who said they would send a helicopter but none ever came. I remember my grandmother reading that story in 1981 and believing it). She even received a death threat to keep quiet about what she knew.

The slander continued in the 2011 re-opening of the investigation as detectives claimed she "was mistaken" in what she heard. The new investigators went on television in an hour long episode of 48 Hours to claim there were "new witnesses" yet shared no details of what they heard or saw. (Perroni writes that according to mooring records from 1981, the next nearest boat after Wayne's was a football field away.) Author Marti Rulli who's 2009 book Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour was instrumental in the reopening of the case at first championed Wayne as an honest and credible witness. Later, Rulli did a 180 and turned on Wayne as "mistaken" (Rulli even told me this in an email. I wrote to her because I had a strong interest in the case)

Why would there be an effort to dismiss 3 credible ear witnesses in both investigations 30 years apart yet try to claim in 2018 on national television that there were "new witnesses" and give no details? The author offers a compelling explanation as to why.

There are many other examples like these, this is merely a bite sized taste. Robert Wagner's financial motives are revealed as well as his back story with Jill St. John, the REAL fortune hunter. Wagner's history with her goes back to 1968 and his marriage to Marion Marshall. (Wagner brags about infidelity in his memoir and the author does a great job connecting the dots.) St. John and Wagner began dating a few months after Natalie's death, but Perroni provides circumstantial evidence of an affair BEFORE Natalie's death.

Ultimately, its a story of horror and betrayal at the deepest level. The one closest to you can be your undoing even 40 years later. The book is at times very technical and difficult to read but stick with it, it's well worth it.

[ForenSeek · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a very distinct sense of pleasure to reading a book where an expert on something specific applies their know-how to solving an old mystery. This is one of those books. Perroni is a lawyer (DA, no less) who investigates the death of Natalie Wood, an enduring Hollywood mystery from 1981. The prose is fluid and the book is well-written, but a word of warning nevertheless: the book gets very, very technical in parts, which means you have to have good concentration skills to work your way through certain portions. Highly recommended for true crime readers.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hestiated to buy this book because I thought it would be the same as all the others. Not one of them really want to give Natalie justice.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is a Natalie Wood fan, wants to know if anyone cares about investigating her case, or is just curious about Natalie's case. It's worth reading. Samuel Perroni's deposition detectives asked the questions their DA should have been asking why they were not getting anywhere in the case. His website also provides information giving evidence he has spend many hours investigating. LASD selling a story to PageSix stating Robert Wagner is clearned shows how fearful they are of his investigation.

I am disgusted by how other people claim they want justice for Natalie Wood, but their actions show they want to write books and do interviews to get paid. It's been unchallenging for LASD to continue to dismiss Natalie Wood's case because she has no family to fight or give her a voice. LASD continues to dehumanize Natalie as they did in 1981.

If you are looking for a book that gets closer to Natalie's truth. This is the book. If you are looking just for a tabloid this is not the one.

[Beckie Flannagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author, a lawyer, spent a good bit of his own time and money to investigate in a real way (with FOIA requests) and lawsuits. He also explained in laymen’s terms many of the nuances of making a case against someone else. He seems to basically have good judgement about the important distinctions between different kinds of evidence, but I’d say he’s a bit too obsessed with proving what he thinks happened based on his adoration for Natalie Wood. He can’t ever get to some of the things that are just not knowable unless someone talks. At least, I feel like his book is not a money grab when there seems to be a lot of money grabs going on in the true crime genre.

[Drac · Rating 1 out of 5]

I went into this book thinking Robert Wagner did it, and came out thinking it was an accident. Perroni’s logic (and, sometimes, his outright fantasy sequences) is so baffling that it’s hard to take him seriously. And what was with that rant about Da Jews in Chapter 9???

[John Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Difficult read for me. When it was discussing people I enjoyed it but really a technical book and that made it difficult.