EXCLUSIVE: Gruesome Details From RFK Autopsy Finally Revealed His Family Never Wanted You to Read — Along With Fresh Second Gunman Theory From His 1968 Assassination
Hollywood's coroner Robert Noguchi's new biography gives more insight into the senator's shocking autopsy results.
Jan. 13 2025, Published 12:30 p.m. ET
Inside details from the autopsy of Robert F. Kennedy could unveil the chilling truth behind the U.S. senator's violent death.
A new biography on Dr. Thomas Noguchi reveals the Hollywood coroner discovered definitive forensic evidence suggesting a second gunman was behind Kennedy’s 1968 assassination – despite his family's initial request to take custody of his body and halt any further tests, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Dr. Noguchi's ambiguity ultimately tied him to the conspiracy theory surrounding a second gunman for years.
In her bombshell new book, author Anne Soon Choi uncovers the decades-old conspiracy surrounding the true culprit behind Kennedy's devastating death – told through the perspective of the man who saw his body moments after the assassination.
For years, it has been reported that Kennedy was shot by Sirhan Sirhan at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California on June 5, 1968.
The politician was declared dead at the age of 42 the next day.
It was reported Kennedy was shot by Sirhan Sirhan at the Ambassador Hotel on June 5, 1968.
Immediately after the shooting, a power struggle between Dr. Noguchi and the Secret Service led to a flawed autopsy of Kennedy, with key details misreported and the body improperly handled.
Learning from this, Dr. Noguchi knew he had to maintain control over RFK's case to avoid similar issues and conspiracy theories – though at that moment, the senator was still alive and being treated at Good Samaritan Hospital.
Dr. Noguchi immediately insisted on examining the crime scene at the Ambassador Hotel, accompanied by the LAPD, where he noted specific blood splatters and bullet holes.
Choi wrote: "He wanted to be involved every step of the way. With the LAPD in tow, Noguchi began his survey of the kitchen where the senator had been gunned down.
"He made note of the blood splatter patterns in the enclosed space and the bullet holes in the walls. He made sure that the crime scene was processed in a way that the collection of evidence could not be disputed. It was now a waiting game; he headed to his office."
After Kennedy was later declared dead at 1:44 a.m. on June 6, Choi detailed his family's initial request to take custody of his body – and how Dr. Noguchi had to convince them an autopsy needed to be conducted.
She wrote: "The senator had not been dead for an hour before the family demanded custody of the body. But Noguchi had jurisdiction, and he and his staff, who had prepped an autopsy room in the basement morgue of the hospital, first X-rayed the Senator's body.
"With the AFIP physicians en route, he needed to convince the family to let the autopsy move forward. They initially opposed it because the cause of death was crystal clear; Kennedy had died of a gunshot wound to the head."
Choi added: "But Noguchi continued to make his case until a deputy district attorney pointed out that a crime had been committed and the autopsy findings would be needed to bring Sirhan Sirhan, who was apprehended at the scene, to justice.
"There was silence. Noguchi turned to Kennedy's widow, Ethel, who was four months pregnant and looked drawn with grief and exhaustion, and murmured, 'Trust me.'
"The Kennedy family acquiesced, and Noguchi and his staff got to work. The clock was ticking."
The presence of soot in Kennedy's hair indicated the gun had been fired inches from the senator's head, contradicting witness statements that placed Sirhan at least three feet away.
Dr. Noguchi identified two key wounds on Kennedy's body: the first, a "through-and-through" gunshot to the right armpit, and a second bullet that traveled through his back and lodged in his spine. He collected the bullet as evidence.
The fatal wound, which entered Kennedy's skull near his ear, shattered on impact, making it difficult to trace the weapon.
Choi noted how being unable to "definitively match the weapon" meant that "additional evidence would be needed to establish Sirhan as the killer."
To gather more evidence, Dr. Noguchi found gunshot residue on Kennedy's suit and had his team redress the body to reconstruct the senator's position when he was shot.
Later that week, an LAPD criminalist told Dr. Noguchi that gunpowder residue and soot had been found in Kennedy's hair – confirming his suspicion about the proximity of the shot.
The presence of soot indicated the gun had been fired inches from the senator's head, contradicting witness statements that placed Sirhan at least three feet away.
The chief coroner conducted his own ballistics tests using pig ears and muslin skulls at the Police Academy range, simulating various distances for gunshots.
He found that a shot fired from three inches away matched the entrance wound and explained the soot in Kennedy's hair.
This further raised doubts about Sirhan's guilt, as no witnesses saw him fire at point-blank range.
Additionally, twelve bullet tracks were found at the scene, but Sirhan’s gun only held eight rounds, hinting at a possible second gunman – a theory that persists, despite arguments that some bullets may have ricocheted in the cramped space.
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Despite eyewitnesses claiming Sirhan shot Kennedy from the front, Choi said Dr. Noguchi's forensic evidence showed all three bullets entered from the back.
He explained how Kennedy was likely turning when shot, which could explain discrepancies in witness accounts of Sirhan's distance. Dr. Noguchi also noted the witnesses, focused on Kennedy, might not have seen Sirhan clearly, especially as he moved.
Despite eyewitnesses claiming Sirhan shot Kennedy from the front, Choi said Dr. Noguchi's forensic evidence showed all three bullets entered from the back.
Dr. Noguchi's ambiguity ultimately tied him to the conspiracy theory surrounding a second gunman for years.
Choi explained: "Noguchi never said, 'Sirhan Sirhan killed Robert Kennedy', which left open the possibility of a second gunman.
"Little did the coroner know at the time that this fact would tie him to the conspiracy theories and the accompanying publicity for years to come."
Later facing reporters, Dr. Noguchi stated Kennedy's brain wound was so severe that even if he had survived, he would have been a "mental and physical cripple".
While Choi said Dr. Noguchi refrained from speculation, his "perfect autopsy" of Kennedy unquestionably set a new standard in forensic science and propelled him to national prominence.
