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The cause of Giorgos Mazonakis’ death remains undetermined after an autopsy failed to provide a clear explanation for the popular singer’s sudden collapse.
The forensic examination was completed Friday in the presence of a technical adviser appointed by the Mazonakis family. Toxicology and other laboratory tests will now be needed to determine what caused the 54-year-old’s heart to stop and whether his death was connected to the plasmapheresis procedure he reportedly underwent at a private medical practice in Athens.
The inconclusive result means investigators are still trying to piece together Mazonakis’ final hours minute by minute, with attention focused on what happened inside the Kolonaki practice before an ambulance was called.
For fans across Greece and Cyprus, the initial shock has given way to an increasingly troubling question: What happened during the hours between Mazonakis entering the practice and being taken to hospital without a pulse?
According to information gathered by investigators, security footage shows Mazonakis arriving at around 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., roughly three hours earlier than one of the doctors reportedly told police.
The doctor initially said the singer had arrived at around 4 p.m. or 4:30 p.m. However, emergency services were called at approximately 4:25 p.m., according to Greek public broadcaster ERT, creating an obvious problem with that timeline.
Investigators are now examining exactly what occurred from the moment Mazonakis entered the practice until he was taken to Elpis Hospital at 4:45 p.m. without spontaneous breathing or a pulse.
Another central question is whether his treatment had already begun.
Initial accounts suggested Mazonakis was preparing to undergo plasmapheresis but suffered cardiac arrest before the procedure started. New evidence reportedly indicates that the process was already underway when he collapsed.
Forensic investigators are understood to have examined the software of a plasmapheresis machine seized from the practice, looking for stored data that could reveal when it was used and for how long.
Plasmapheresis is a specialized medical procedure in which blood is removed from the body, the plasma is separated, and the remaining components are returned to the patient, usually with a replacement fluid.
It is used to treat certain serious blood, neurological, and autoimmune conditions and is normally performed under close medical supervision.
Reports suggest Mazonakis was interested in the procedure for wellness or rejuvenation purposes rather than for a diagnosed illness requiring the treatment.
Police and prosecutors have conducted an extensive examination of the private practice, while searches have also reportedly taken place at the doctors’ homes and Mazonakis’ residence.
Investigators are examining patient files, medical equipment, security footage, telephone communications, and any documents linked to the singer’s treatment.
The licensing of the practice is also under scrutiny.
Greece’s health minister has said the premises were licensed as a standard internal medicine practice, not as a facility authorized to perform plasmapheresis.
A team from the Athens Medical Association reportedly found two plasmapheresis machines during Thursday’s inspection, although such equipment had not been recorded during an earlier visit.
The investigation must now determine whether the practice was legally and medically equipped to carry out the procedure, what monitoring was in place, and how quickly those present responded when Mazonakis went into cardiac arrest.
Two doctors arrested Thursday in connection with the case were expected to appear before a prosecutor Friday. They are accused of exposing a person to danger resulting in death, although the precise legal direction of the case will depend heavily on the medical and laboratory findings.
They are entitled to the presumption of innocence, and no direct link between the procedure and Mazonakis’ death has been medically established.
The family has formally joined the criminal proceedings in support of the prosecution against the doctors and anyone else who may be found responsible.
Charalambos Lykoudis, Mazonakis’ longtime lawyer and now the legal representative of his family, said he would request several additional investigative steps, including access to telephone records.
The family wants investigators to establish who spoke to whom, what was said immediately after the singer collapsed, what information was given to ambulance crews, and whether photographs or other records were created during the first critical minutes.
The autopsy had been expected to provide the first firm answers. Instead, it has added another layer of uncertainty.
Investigators must now wait for toxicology and other laboratory results while continuing to examine the disputed timeline, the clinic’s licensing, and the data stored on its medical equipment.
*Source: ekathimerini, ERT News
