Thomas Noguchi and Death in Hollywood
by Anne Soon Choi
Third State Books
Hardcover ISBN: 9798890130075
April 2025
256 pages
Amazon — Barnes & Noble — Powell's
“Gentlemen, you’re about to enter fascinating sphere of police work. The world of forensic medicine.” — Quincy M.E.
When a major celebrity passes away under mysterious or violent circumstances, it’s natural for the public to demand answers. What happened? How did they die? Did they suffer? Who or what is responsible for their death? And the person most qualified to answer these questions is a medical examiner or coroner. The art of the autopsy is one that has advanced greatly over the last several decades. Examining the body with attention to detail, running toxicology, ruling out countless scenarios and performing a psychological examination of the decedent all help the coroner interpret the story of the dead to the living. However, coroners are not infallible and any oversight or misstep can prevent justice from being served or lead to the proliferation of conspiracy theories about what actually happened.
“Dating to medieval England, the coroner was a public official that was responsible for looking after the interests of the king when it came to the payment of death duties and to serve as a counterbalance to the sheriff. The coroner also presided over the coroner’s inquest where a jury would determine the manner of death—accident, suicide, or homicide based on evidence and eyewitness testimony. This very public display of the adjudication of death was to reassure the public that order would prevail.” — Anne Soon Choi
Dubbed the Coroner to the Stars, Dr. Thomas Noguchi, chief medical examiner for Los Angeles County, is one of the most famous and perhaps most controversial figure in the history of forensic science. A new book, L.A. Coroner: Thomas Noguchi and Death in Hollywood by Anne Soon Choi, examines the complicated legacy of Noguchi through his trials and tribulations working for Los Angeles County and through his most complicated cases. The author carefully navigates the story of a man who chased the American dream of hard work and upward mobility and became one of the best in his field but was plagued by mishaps and a constant need for attention and approval.
Each chapter focuses on one major aspect of his career whether it’s his fight with the county to achieve the status of chief medical examiner—and then again to keep it—or the autopsy of a major celebrity and the ramifications of that work. Despite being a book about a coroner, Choi is careful to avoid sharing too much of the gruesome details. For those readers like myself, your morbid curiosity won't be fully satisfied. Others will appreciate that each case is treated with much respect with the focus being on the details of Noguchi’s work.
Some of Noguchi’s famous autopsies include:
Marilyn Monroe — RFK — Sharon Tate — William Holden — Natalie Wood — John Belushi — Albert Dekker — Divine — David Janssen — Janis Joplin — Gia Scala — Inger Stevens
Classic film and television enthusiasts will be interested in the dedicated chapters on Marilyn Monroe, Sharon Tate and Natalie Wood, which also discusses William Holden at length.
Here are some key takeaways of interest:
- Noguchi’s work was the inspiration for Jack Klugman’s character in Quincy M.E. and one could say that Robert Ito’s character Sam Fujiyama is a hat tip to Noguchi’s Japanese heritage.
- Noguchi handled the autopsies of both William Holden and Natalie Wood—who died two weeks apart. His public statements about the level of intoxication of both figures drew ire from the public.
- Upset with Noguchi’s handling of Natalie Wood’s case, Frank Sinatra went to the administration office and presented a letter asking for Noguchi to be fired. According to the author, “Sinatra noted he was “particularly disturbed by Dr. Noguchi’s constant seeking of headlines and publicity for himself and investigations, often involving entertainers or other well-known individuals.”
- Marilyn Monroe’s case heavily relied on a psychological autopsy performed by another coroner to interpret Noguchi’s findings.
- Noguchi was sometimes careful what to reveal to the public and what to hold back. He was particularly cautious with Sharon Tate’s murder and the presence of the rope.
- His autopsy on RFK is referred to as the “perfect autopsy” and is studied as the gold standard by future coroners.
- The deaths of JFK and Marilyn Monroe led to the public interest in autopsies and forensic science. This interest would skyrocket during the 1970s and continues today.
Dr. Thomas Noguchi’s story is incredible complicated and I commend the author for handling it so delicately. Choi artfully weaves the story Noguchi’s career with his cases while shining a light on his battle with racism and his own personal failings. Choi’s “autopsy” on Noguchi’s complicated career leaves the reader with a comprehensive look in which no stone is left unturned.
L.A. Coroner: Thomas Noguchi and Death in Hollywood by Anne Soon Choi is on sale now. Thank you to Third State Books for sending me a copy to review.
 |
| Photo credit: Anne Soon Choi |
