Thomas Noguchi

is a Japanese-American retired coroner. He was chief medical examiner-coroner for Los Angeles County. Popularly known as the "coroner to the stars", Noguchi determined the cause of death in many high-profile cases in Hollywood during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. He performed autopsies on many celebrities, including John Belushi, Albert Dekker, William Holden, David Janssen, Janis Joplin, Robert F. Kennedy, Harris Glenn Milstead, Marilyn Monroe, Gia Scala, Inger Stevens, Sharon Tate, and Natalie Wood.

Early life and education Noguchi was born in Fukuoka Prefecture, raised in Yokosuka and graduated from Tokyo's Nippon Medical School in 1951 before interning at the University of Tokyo School of Medicine 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.

Career Early career Noguchi began working in the office of the Chief Medical Examiner-Coroner for the County of Los Angeles (CME) in 1961, and came to public attention after performing the autopsy of Marilyn Monroe.

In 1967, he was appointed Chief Medical Examiner-Coroner for the County of Los Angeles (CME) in a 3–2 vote of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, over the opposition of the Los Angeles County Medical Association and leadership of the UCLA and USC schools of medicine.

Shortly after the Kennedy shooting, Noguchi came under scrutiny and resigned under pressure as Chief Medical Examiner after Deputy Los Angeles County Counsel Martin Weekes testified that he had seen a smiling Noguchi dancing in his office and that Noguchi had announced to associates "I am going to be famous. I hope he dies." A secretary in the coroner's office also testified she had heard Noguchi say he wanted to perform a vivisection on Lin Hollinger, the county's chief administrative officer with whom he had argued over budget matters.

Second term as CME and demotion Shortly after signing his letter of resignation, Noguchi attempted to withdraw it, a move that was rejected by the Board of Supervisors. Noguchi's wife subsequently charged that the county had forced him out as a practice of racial discrimination. His ruling of Wood's death as an accident has since been questioned. Dr. Michael Franco, a former intern of Noguchi at the time of Wood's death, stated that he saw bruises on Wood's body which were substantial and consistent with someone who was thrown out of a boat. Franco claimed that he made those observations to Noguchi, who reacted strangely as if he was involved in a cover-up. In 2012, Noguchi came under renewed public criticism for his handling of Wood's autopsy and his original ruling in that case was later changed by a successor.

Later career, honors and professional bodies Noguchi was later appointed Chief of Pathology at the University of Southern California and then as Administrative Pathologist for Anatomic Pathology services at LAC+USC Medical Center. He retired the same year.

From 2010 to 2022, Noguchi was the president of World Association for Medical Law (WAML), a medical body founded in 1967 to encourage the study of health law, legal medicine, and bioethics.

Noguchi was portrayed by actor Thom Sesma in the Broadway musical Dead Outlaw.

Personal life Noguchi was married to microbiologist Hisako Nishihara (1922–2014) from 1960 until their divorce in 1982. They later got back together and Noguchi was at her side when she died.

Books Coroner, 1983. Memoir written with Joseph DiMona. (Published in the UK as Coroner to the Stars) Coroner at Large 1985. A book about historical coroners and famous deaths. (NYT review.) Unnatural Causes, 1988. A detective novel written with Arthur Lyons. Physical Evidence, 1990. A detective novel written with Arthur Lyons.