Noguchi said five “by themselves…would have been fatal.” Three others, he said, were potentially fatal wounds.įour four-inch deep stab wounds in the chest, which penetrated the heart and lungs, and a five-inch deep stab wound in the upper abdomen which penetrated the liver, Dr. Her body shook, as though she had been startled. Only once, when the coroner discussed one of the seven autopsy pictures of the actress’ body, did one of them - Miss Atkins - move. The three girls - Susan Atkins, Leslie Van Houten and Patricia Krenwinkel - sat silently, almost immobile. Manson, sitting at the counsel table scowling and rubbing his beard, stared first at the seven-man five woman jury, then at the Japanese-born pathologist as he continued his detailed testimony. Noguchi testified that her death was caused by “multiple stab wounds of the chest and back, penetrating the heart, lungs and liver and causing massive hemorrhage.” Using a life-sized drawing of the 26-year-old actress’ body to indicate where the 16 stab wounds and two cuts were located, Dr. Noguchi, who said he personally conducted the three-hour autopsy, testified the body contained no post-mortem wounds, indicating she had been hanged before or as she was dying of the stab wounds. Of Hollywood hairstylist Jay Sebring, another victim.ĭr. A rope had been found tied around her neck, thrown over a ceiling beam in the living room of the home, then tied around the neck However, it was indicated later that in addition to the abrasions on the left cheek of the actress, rope burns also encircled her neck. Interrupted by objections from defense attorney Irving Kanarek, representing Manson, Dr. “From the appearance of the abrasions,” the Coroner said, “…it is consistent with…the decedent was hanged.”
Noguchi, testifying in the trial of hippie cult leader Charles Manson and three of his girl followers, shocked the crowded courtroom Friday when he identified two abrasions on a blown-up picture of the actress’ face as “rope burns”.
22 – Pregnant actress Sharon Tate was not only stabbed 16 times, but was hanged by the neck from a ceiling beam by the murderers who invaded her Benedict Canyon home last August.