As part of our Halloween episodes, Haunting History Podcast is starting a series we will come back to occasionally based on Hauntings in California. This week is The Ghosts of San Juan Capistrano.San Juan Capistrano, better known for its Mission and swallows that leave and return every year, is a town full of ghosts, legends and lore. The locals and residents not only speak freely of their neighbors beyond the veil,they cherish them. Join us as we travel back in time to when the legends began. Drawing of their lady in white, that started my search for and about Modesta Avila, some people say the picture above doesn't resemble the drawing, I disagree, the Modesta in the booking photo has to be terrified and looks like she had been crying. What do you think?I got this photo from San Quentin, their files say she was discharged 3/3/1892. I still want to know what really happened to her, I refuse to believe she died in prison.When I say I do research, I wasn't kidding, you can't even see all the paperwork, most of it regarding Modesta, maybe I should write a book on her! Letter where her attorney says Modesta was pregnantPrison Census RecordAsking for her releaseNewspaper Articles Special thank you to the Marin County Libraries and San Quentin State Prison None of the photos on this page belong to Haunting History Podcast. No copyright infringement intended and are only used as enhancements to the story told. At times when reporting facts regarding a true crime, (and photos) multiple sources use the same wording. Every effort is made to avoid any copyright infringements and no single work was intentionally plagiarized when reporting the facts of the crimes. Below is a list of resources used during the research and telling of this story. (partial) San Juan CapistranoModesta AvilaResourceshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modesta_Avila Brennan, Paul (October 30, 2003). "The White Lady Was Brown 100 years ago, fighting the Southern Pacific could get you killed in OC". Orange County Weekly. ^ Orange Coast Magazine. Emmis Communications. February 1989. pp. 87–8. ISSN 0279-0483. Ruiz, Vicki L.; Korrol, Virginia Sánchez (May 3, 2006). Latinas in the United States, set: A Historical Encyclopedia. Indiana University Press. pp. 70–. ISBN 0-253-11169-2.Arellano, Gustavo (September 16, 2008). Orange County: A Personal History. Simon and Schuster. p. 175. ISBN 978-1-4391-2320-1.Emmons, Steve (August 22, 1988). "'In an act of pure frustration, Modesta chose a symbolic act to voice her displeasure.' : Act of Defiance Stops Them In Their Tracks". Los Angeles Times. Tryon, Don. "First Felon was Railroaded – story of Modesta Avila". Sanjuancapistrano.net. Acuña, Rodolfo (1996). Anything But Mexican: Chicanos in Contemporary Los Angeles. Verso. p. 34. ISBN 978-1-85984-031-3. Frank, L.; Hogeland, Kim (2007). First Families: A Photographic Hi

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None of the photos on this page belong to Haunting History Podcast. No copyright infringement intended and are only used as enhancements to the story told. 

At times when reporting facts regarding a true crime, (and photos) multiple sources  use the same wording. Every effort is made to avoid any copyright infringements and no single work  was intentionally plagiarized when reporting the facts of the crimes. 

Below is a  list of resources  used during the research and telling of this story. (partial)

Episode Sources

1. Books:
   • Finstad, Suzanne. Natasha: The Biography of Natalie Wood. New York: Random House, 2001.
     • This biography is one of the most detailed accounts of Natalie Wood’s life. It includes in-depth interviews with her family, friends, and colleagues, and covers her complex relationship with her mother, Maria, her marriage to Robert Wagner, and her career highs and lows. This book provided background on Natalie’s family, her early life, and the pressures she faced, as well as details about her first and second marriages to Wagner.
   • Davern, Dennis and Rulli, Marti. Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour. Medallion Press, 2009.
     • Co-written by Dennis Davern, the captain aboard Splendour during Natalie’s last weekend, this book provides Davern’s account of the events surrounding her death, Wagner’s involvement, and his later testimonies. It was a primary source for understanding Davern’s relationship with the couple and details of the fateful Thanksgiving weekend.
2. Articles and Websites:
   • Vanity Fair: "Natalie Wood’s Fatal Voyage" by Sam Kashner, March 2012.
     • This in-depth article investigates Natalie Wood's life, the influence of her mother, her relationship with Wagner, and her final days. It provided insight into the challenges Natalie faced balancing family and career in the years before her death.
   • The Los Angeles Times: “After 30 Years, Natalie Wood’s Death Remains an Open Case” by Richard Winton, February 2018.
     • This article covers the 2011 reopening of Natalie Wood’s case, with statements from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and updates on Wagner’s status as a “person of interest.” It was useful for understanding the ongoing investigation and Wagner's relationship with the authorities.
   • Town & Country: “The Mystery Surrounding Natalie Wood’s Death” by Sam Dangremond, February 2018.
     • This article provides an overview of Natalie’s relationships with Wagner, her family dynamics, and new witness statements from people on Catalina Island that night, contributing details about the Thanksgiving weekend on Splendour and interactions between Natalie, Wagner, and Walken.
3. Documentaries and Media Coverage:
   • HBO Documentary: Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind (2020)
     • Produced by Natalie’s daughter Natasha Gregson Wagner, this documentary offers a personal perspective on Natalie’s life, her role as a mother, and her relationship with Robert Wagner. It includes family interviews that gave context to Natalie’s life in 1981 and her family’s evolving feelings toward Wagner.
   • CBS News – 48 Hours Special: Natalie Wood: Death in Dark Water (2018)
     • This news special includes interviews with witnesses, Dennis Davern, and law enforcement involved in the reopened investigation. It was a source for additional details on Davern’s testimony, Walken’s role in the weekend, and Wagner’s interactions with law enforcement.
4. Public Records:
   • Los Angeles County Coroner’s Report on Natalie Wood’s Death (1981, with updates in 2011 and 2012).
     • Available in public archives, the coroner’s report was crucial for understanding the official causes, injuries, and suspicions surrounding Wood’s death. This report, along with the revised statements from 2011, provided foundational details about the circumstances of her death and the inconsistencies that led to the case’s reopening.

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and of course Ancestry.com, MyHeritage.com, Newspaperarchives, FamilySearch.org

 

 

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 Ancestry.com, MyHeritage.com, Newspaperarchives, FamilySearch.org

 

This presentation is protected by US & International copyright laws. Reproduction & distribution of the presentation without written permission of the sponsor is prohibited.