L.A.’s Most Famous Coroner: Anne Choi on Dr. Noguchi, Celebrity Autopsies & the Politics of Death

There would be no true crime without this man!! What do Marilyn Monroe, Sharon Tate, and Robert F. Kennedy have in common? They were all investigated by Dr. Thomas Noguchi, the so-called “Coroner to the Stars.” In this episode of For the Love of History, host TK sits down with author and researcher Anne Choi to talk about her book L.A. Coroner, which unpacks the bizarre true story of how one Japanese American forensic pathologist turned celebrity death into public drama while navigating life as a first-generation immigrant. We dive into the racial politics behind Dr. Noguchi’s fame, how the media turned autopsies into headlines, and why Noguchi’s legacy still looms large in L.A.’s culture of death and spectacle. If you're into forensic history, medical ethics, or the strange intersection of race, fame, and mortality, this episode is for you. 📌 Key Topics Covered: Who was Dr. Thomas Noguchi, and why did the media love him? The rise of the “celebrity autopsy” in 1960s...