The Coroner Series - America's Most Controversial Medical Examiner Tells All

Thomas T. Noguchi, Joseph DiMona

Summary

A New York Times–bestselling author and renowned Los Angeles medical examiner challenges the verdicts in America’s most controversial celebrity deaths. “Dr. Thomas T. Noguchi encountered the best and the worst of Los Angeles—movie stars and gangsters, politicians and millionaires. . . . But by the time ‘the coroner to the stars’ met them, they were on his autopsy table” (Los Angeles Times). In his New York Times–bestselling autobiography and its fascinating follow-up—now together in a single volume—Dr. Noguchi recounts his stormy career, divulges his innovative techniques, and reveals the full story behind his most intriguing investigations. Coroner: Dr. Noguchi sheds light on his most controversial cases: the suspicious drowning death of Natalie Wood, Marilyn Monroe’s suicide, the assassination of Robert Kennedy, the circumstances behind the drug-related deaths of Janis Joplin and John Belushi, the murder of Sharon Tate. and more. Coroner at Large: Often called the “Detective of Death,” Dr. Noguchi continues to probe the most famous fatalities in recent pop-culture history: the drowning of Beach Boy Dennis Wilson, the Hollywood murder of Sal Mineo, the suicide of Freddie Prinze, the slaying of “Playmate of the Year” Dorothy Stratten, Elvis Presley’s final hours, and more. Noguchi’s forensic acumen also provides new clues to the fates of such historical figures as Gen. George Custer, Napoleon, and Adolf Hitler. In both riveting accounts, Dr. Noguchi documents his own investigations and pioneering work in the field, as the mysteries of death—natural and unnatural—are unraveled by “one of the greats of modern forensic pathology” (Barry A. J. Fisher, director of the Los Angeles County sheriff’s crime lab).

Available since: 11/28/2017.

Print length: 370 pages.

Other books that might interest you

Too Good to Be True - The Rise...

Erin Arvedlund

Despite all the headlines about Bernard Madoff, who pleaded guilty to running a $65 billion Ponzi scheme, he is still shrouded in mystery. Why (and when) did he turn his legitimate business into a massive fraud? How did he fool so many smart investors for so long? And who among his family and employees knew the truth?The best person to answer these questions—and tell the full story of Madoff's rise and fall—is Erin Arvedlund. In early 2001, she was suspicious of the amazing returns of Madoff's hedge fund, which no one could explain. Her article in Barron's, based on more than one hundred interviews, could have prevented a lot of misery had the SEC followed up.But almost no one was willing to believe anything bad about "Uncle Bernie"—so nice, so humble, so generous to charities. As Arvedlund shows, Madoff was no ordinary liar but a master of the type of lies people really wanted to believe. He kept his clients at a distance and allowed handsomely paid friends to solicit new ones for him; playing hard to get created an irresistible mystique.Now, Arvedlund tackles the tough questions that are still unanswered in the wake of Madoff's collapse: —Did he start off as a legitimate money manager or was he a fraud from the beginning? Were there indications of larceny at the very start of his career? —Why did Madoff's biggest supporters within the industry, such as Walter Noel of Fairfield Greenwich and Ezra Merkin of Gabriel Capital, ignore the warning signs that were so apparent? Did they choose to remain ignorant as long as their commissions rolled in? —Why did SEC investigations fail to catch Madoff's Ponzi scheme even though several people had voiced concerns about his operation? —Who else helped Madoff carry out his scam? His family and close associates have denied any involvement, but was it possible for one man to engineer a heist of such scope?With her keen investigative eye, Arvedlund presents a sweeping narrative of Madoff's career—from his youth in Queens, New York, to his early days working for his father-in-law, to his time as chairman of the NASDAQ exchange, and finally to infamy as the world's most notorious swindler. She offers a riveting glimpse of Madoff the man—an indifferent student with little ambition who transformed himself into a star with a talent for trading, a reputation for innovation, and an unmistakably erratic nature. Listeners will be fascinated by Arvedlund's portrayal of Madoff, his empire, and all those who never considered that he might be too good to be true.

Show book

The Many Faces of Jesse James

Phillip W. Steele, George Warfel

"Not only does this new book record a factual story of my great-grandfather Jesse James in print, but also helps the reader get to know Jesse's true personality and appearance. A great contribution toward separating facts from folklore and provides a guide for any future photo identification work." --James R. Ross, Superior Court Judge of the State of California, great-grandson of Jesse JamesA name well known to most Americans, Jesse James was a veteran of the Civil War, a bankrobber, and a very romanticized popular hero. Although James has been the subject of countless biographies and historical novels, as well as the theatre and cinema, new light can still be shed on his life.In The Many Faces of Jesse James, author, the late Phillip W. Steele, with George Warfel, presented a fascinating study of James' life using his many portraits as a frame of reference. Steele took each documented photograph of James and examined it closely, showing how the dress, demeanor, and physical well-being of James relate to what scholars believe him to have been doing at the time.Since the possibility of more actual portraits and photographs of James exists, Steele explained the process George Warfel has devised to accurately identify Jesse James, even including a group of "false photos" of James to illustrate his point. Fans of James-Younger gang lore will appreciate this fresh, yet practical approach to understanding this enigmatic historical figure. Readers for whom Jesse James is only a name will no doubt become more knowledgeable about the complex circumstances that led the outlaw to lead the life he did.

Show book

To Be a Crime Scene Investigator

Henry M. Holden

An in-depth introduction to the life, careers, and methodologies of crime scene investigators. 
 
If the devil is in the details, then the crime scene investigator’s got him: conducting searches, collecting information, photographing, scrutinizing, analyzing—pursuing the culprit right down to the last scrap of evidence. Whether you’d like to become a crime scene investigator or simply want to see what it takes, this book is your ideal introduction to this fascinating aspect of crime detection. 
 
Like a top-notch forensics expert, author Henry M. Holden traces the path that crime scene investigators follow as they learn and ply their trade. His behind-the-scenes look takes us from application to training, crime scene to lab, revealing the fine points of securing, examining, and processing evidence; identifying victims, and reenacting the crime; conducting police lineups and interviews, and administering polygraphs; and forensics and evidence analysis.

Show book

Tunnel Vision - A True Story of...

N. P. Simpson

“Vivid prose plunges the reader into the politically fraught, self-contained world of a military base” and a chilling true case of triple murder (Linda Landrigan, editor of Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine).   Carlton “Butch” Smith was a troubled teenager who’d been kicked out of school for aggressive behavior. His parents lived at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and when Butch was home with them, his life was fairly normal. But that all changed on August, 24, 1981, when Butch’s sister, aunt, and cousin were found slain in his parents’ house. It was a horrifying crime that shook the Marine base community, not to mention the Smith family—especially when Butch was named the prime suspect.   In Tunnel Vision, reporter and true crime author N. P. Simpson delves into this young man’s harrowing past. She also provides a detailed chronicle of the grisly murders and the complex case that followed—a case of conflicting confessions, a mysterious second suspect who was never found, and difficult questions of jurisdiction between military, state, and federal courts.

Show book

Foul Deeds & Suspicious Deaths...

Martin Easdown, Linda Sage

Foul Deeds and Suspicious Deaths Around Folkestone takes the reader on a sinister journey through the annals of crime in Folkestone, Hythe and the surrounding area. Along the way we meet villains, murderers and victims of many kinds, including cut-throat soldiers, a 'baby farmer', a Jack the Ripper imposter, two inexplicable suicides and five individuals who died violent deaths in the 'House of Horror'.There is no shortage of harrowing and revealing incidents of evil to recount, many of which will be unfamiliar to the reader. Infant murders were once so rife in Folkestone it was termed the 'infanticide capital of Kent'. This fascinating book recalls many such grisly events, as well as sad or unsavoury individuals who have darkened this otherwise pleasant corner of the Garden of England.

Show book

Uncompromised - The Rise Fall...

Nada Prouty

"Nada Prouty served her country loyally, with distinction, and, as universally acknowledged by her colleagues, with great personal courage as a CIA covert officer.  This tale of rampant trampling of citizen's rights is a vivid reminder of the responsibility of citizens to be vigilant against unaccountable government overreach if we hope to keep a strong democracy, where the rule of law prevails and where a citizen is presumed innocent until proven guilty."                              -Valerie Plame, author of Fair GameWhen Nada Prouty came to the United States as a young woman, she fell in love with the democracy and freedom of her new home. After a childhood in war-torn Lebanon with an abusive father and facing the prospect of an arranged marriage, she jumped at the chance to forge her own path in America-a path that led to exciting undercover work in the FBI, then the CIA. As a leading agent widely lauded by her colleagues, she worked on the most high-profile terrorism cases in recent history, including the hunt for Saddam Hussein and the bombing of the USS Cole, often putting her life on the line and usually getting her man.But all this changed in the wake of 9/11, at the height of anti-Arab fervor, when federal investigators charged Prouty with passing intelligence to Hezbollah. Lacking sufficient evidence to make their case in court, prosecutors went to the media, suggesting that she had committed treason. Prouty, dubbed "Jihad Jane" by the New York Post, was quickly cast as a terrorist mastermind by the relentless 24-hour news cycle, and a scandal-hungry public ate it up.Though the CIA and federal judge eventually exonerated Prouty of all charges, she was dismissed from the agency and stripped of her citizenship. In Uncompromised, Prouty tells her whole story in a bid to restore her name and reputation in the country that she loves. Beyond a thrilling story of espionage and betrayal, this is a sobering commentary on cultural alienation, the power of fear, and what it means to truly love America.

Show book