THOMAS NOGUCHI
Name: Thomas T. Noguchi
Born: 4 January 1927
Thomas T. Noguchi (born January 4, 1927) is a former Chief Medical
Examiner-Coroner for the County of Los Angeles, who served in that position from
1967 to 1982. Known as the "coroner to the stars", he determined the cause of
death in many high profile cases. He is most famous for doing an autopsy on
Marilyn Monroe and Robert F. Kennedy.
Noguchi was born in Japan and graduated from Tokyo's Nippon Medical School in
1951 before interning at Tokyo University Hospital. Shortly thereafter he
immigrated to the United States. He then served a second internship at Orange
County General Hospital and a series of residencies at Loma Linda University
School of Medicine, and Barlow Sanatorium in Los Angeles. He was appointed a
deputy coroner for Los Angeles County in 1961. In 1967 he became Chief Medical
Examiner (CME) for the county, replacing his mentor Theodore Curphy. It was in
this role that Noguchi came to public attention for a series of autopsies he
either performed or supervised on a range of celebrities that included Marilyn
Monroe, Robert F. Kennedy, Janis Joplin, Albert Dekker, William Holden, John
Belushi, Natalie Wood, and Sharon Tate.
He developed a high profile as CME, and was often accused of speaking too freely
to the media, which led to his ultimately being forced to step down from his
position in 1982. He was later appointed Chief of Pathology at the University of
Southern California and then as Administrative Pathologist for Anatomic
Pathology services at the USC Medical Center.
Noguchi was appointed Professor by both the University of Southern California
and UCLA. He is a past president of the American National Association of Medical
Examiners. In 1999 he was honored by the Emperor of Japan who awarded him the
Order of the Sacred Treasure for "outstanding contribution to Japan in the area
of forensic science". He retired the same year.
Name: Thomas T. Noguchi
Born: 4 January 1927
Thomas T. Noguchi (born January 4, 1927) is a former Chief Medical
Examiner-Coroner for the County of Los Angeles, who served in that position from
1967 to 1982. Known as the "coroner to the stars", he determined the cause of
death in many high profile cases. He is most famous for doing an autopsy on
Marilyn Monroe and Robert F. Kennedy.
Noguchi was born in Japan and graduated from Tokyo's Nippon Medical School in
1951 before interning at Tokyo University Hospital. Shortly thereafter he
immigrated to the United States. He then served a second internship at Orange
County General Hospital and a series of residencies at Loma Linda University
School of Medicine, and Barlow Sanatorium in Los Angeles. He was appointed a
deputy coroner for Los Angeles County in 1961. In 1967 he became Chief Medical
Examiner (CME) for the county, replacing his mentor Theodore Curphy. It was in
this role that Noguchi came to public attention for a series of autopsies he
either performed or supervised on a range of celebrities that included Marilyn
Monroe, Robert F. Kennedy, Janis Joplin, Albert Dekker, William Holden, John
Belushi, Natalie Wood, and Sharon Tate.
He developed a high profile as CME, and was often accused of speaking too freely
to the media, which led to his ultimately being forced to step down from his
position in 1982. He was later appointed Chief of Pathology at the University of
Southern California and then as Administrative Pathologist for Anatomic
Pathology services at the USC Medical Center.
Noguchi was appointed Professor by both the University of Southern California
and UCLA. He is a past president of the American National Association of Medical
Examiners. In 1999 he was honored by the Emperor of Japan who awarded him the
Order of the Sacred Treasure for "outstanding contribution to Japan in the area
of forensic science". He retired the same year.