More than sixty years after Marilyn Monroe’s death, Thomas Noguchi, the coroner who conducted her autopsy, has revealed that unanswered questions still haunt him. Noguchi, who was a new deputy coroner in Los Angeles County in 1962, has spoken publicly about the uncertainties surrounding Monroe’s death, challenging the official ruling of probable suicide.
Monroe, born Norma Jeane Mortensen, was found dead at the age of 36 in her Los Angeles home. Multiple pill bottles were discovered nearby, including an empty Nembutal bottle and a partially empty chloral hydrate container. Noguchi examined her body carefully but found no injection marks. When he opened her stomach and intestines, he was surprised to see no visible pill residue. He collected tissue and organ samples for toxicology testing.
The lab reported fatal levels of pentobarbital and chloral hydrate, but toxicologists decided no further testing was necessary. Noguchi later said this left him feeling uneasy, as the lack of a complete analysis prevented him from determining whether Monroe had ingested the drugs or if foul play could not be ruled out. He has since questioned whether he might have been unintentionally involved in a cover-up.
Amid speculation over alleged links with President John F. Kennedy and conspiracy theories about CIA involvement, Noguchi emphasizes that critical evidence was destroyed after the coroner’s report, leaving many questions permanently unanswered.
For those wishing to revisit that moment in history, watch a video of Marilyn Monroe’s funeral, highlighting the immense public mourning and the legacy she left behind.
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