Natalie Wood: New evidence probably false

About the re-opened Natalie Wood death investigation. It's based on statements by Dennis Davern, the "skipper" of the yacht they were on when Wood drowned.

From the Seattle Times review of Davern's book:

"Davern said he later heard Wagner and Wood screaming at each other on the yacht. Davern said he underwent hypnosis to recall what he witnessed."

And from The Independent, an article on hypnosis used in criminal investigations:

However, laboratory studies have shown three main problems with hypnosis. First, increases in correct recall are often associated with very great increases in incorrect recall (ie accuracy declines). Second, confidence often increases regardless of accuracy (eg subject-eyewitnesses are often very confident of the accuracy of incorrect information). Third, subject- eyewitnesses often show increases in suggestibility to leading questions and misleading post-event information (eg subject-witnesses are more likely to incorporate suggested details in their accounts). Clearly, these problems could have an adverse effect on a police investigation.

Ironically, the problems associated with hypnosis contribute to the impression that it is a useful technique. Forensic hypnosis is likely to produce more information, but much of this is likely to be incorrect. Hypnosis is usually used when the police have no other leads, and so checking the information an eyewitness gives is difficult. Therefore, without verification, it creates the appearance of memory enhancement when in fact it is creating memory distortion. In addition, when facts cannot be checked we tend to use witness confidence to determine accuracy. Because confidence typically increases with hypnosis, it appears to produce more accurate testimony.

So if the guy's testimony is allowed in court, but it shouldn't be.