Former L.A. coroner on Rudin witness list

Kim Smith

Thursday, Feb. 8, 2001 | 10:46 a.m.

Retired Los Angeles County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Thomas Noguchi, better known as "Coroner to the Stars," has made the defense's witness list in the Margaret Rudin case.

Noguchi, on whom the TV show "Quincy, M.E." was based, is expected to give his opinion as to what caused the death of Rudin's husband, Ronald.

Rudin, 56, is scheduled to go to trial Feb. 26.

Prosecutors believe that Rudin shot her husband, a real estate developer, in the head multiple times, decapitated him and burned his remains in a trunk in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

Rudin's attorney, Michael Amador, has suggested that Ronald Rudin was a shady businessman who didn't lack for enemies.

According to court documents filed Wednesday, Noguchi is one of seven experts Amador intends to call during Rudin's trial.

Amador did not return phone calls this morning.

Noguchi earned his moniker after performing autopsies on such people as Robert F. Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, Natalie Wood, William Holden, Janis Joplin and John Belushi.

Up until the filing of Wednesday's list, Amador had seemed to be focusing on the "who" part of the Rudin case, rather than the "how." However, the list includes experts in the areas of crime scene analysis, serology, DNA and ballistics.

According to the court document, Noguchi "can give his expert opinion regarding the remains of Ronald Rudin recovered by law enforcement, including, but not limited to, his skull, the wounds apparent in his skull, the identification of the deceased and accepted procedures for the recovery of physical evidence in an autopsy or other physical exam of the deceased."

Guymon said he is confident in the forensic analysis done by the state's experts.

"We haven't heard what the defense is in this case, but we have to anticipate that the defense would question the forensics as well as who did it," Guymon said.

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for Monday before District Judge Joseph Bonaventure. At the hearing, Bonaventure will be asked to consider whether private attorney Thomas Pitaro should be appointed in the case to assist Amador.