Forensic pathologist Grigoris Leon is shedding new light on the machine logs recorded during the plasmapheresis procedure that Giorgos Mazonakis underwent before his death. Speaking exclusively to parapolitika.gr, Leon is drawing attention to the histological examinations that are expected to become one of the most critical pieces of the investigation into the singer’s cause of death.
The successive warning signals recorded in the machine’s digital log are taking on particular significance — though, according to Leon, they cannot on their own lead to any safe conclusions about what was happening inside Giorgos Mazonakis’s body at those moments.
As the forensic pathologist explains, histological examinations could reveal whether a pathological episode occurred that coincides chronologically with the machine’s alarms — and, consequently, help match the electronic records with what was actually happening inside the singer’s body.
Giorgos Mazonakis: “We’ll see if the episode lines up with the alarm timestamps”
“What I can tell you from a forensic standpoint is that the histological examinations will determine whether a specific episode actually occurred that is linked to those particular moments in time — in other words, whether the machine’s ‘alarm bells’ correspond to findings that can be identified under the microscope. If something like that emerges, we’ll be able to say much more about exactly what happened and what didn’t,” Leon stated.
He stops short of prejudging what may have triggered those specific warnings, since, as he stresses, there is still no clear picture of the incident that led to the death. He mentions arrhythmia as one possible scenario, while clarifying that without the final forensic findings, any connection remains speculative.
The machine logs must be “read” alongside the findings from Giorgos Mazonakis’s body
For Leon, the machine’s electronic records represent an important piece of the puzzle — but they cannot be examined in isolation.
“What the police are doing is invaluable — gathering every last detail that could shed light on this case. It’s just that all of this will need to be cross-referenced with the impact these events had on the body of the unfortunate Giorgos Mazonakis,” he noted.
In other words, what is critical for the investigation is determining whether the moments when the machine was sounding warnings coincide with organic changes that can be identified histologically — changes that could indicate what was happening to the patient at that time.
“Precious time was lost”
The forensic pathologist is particularly unequivocal on the subject of the delay before emergency services were called. When asked whether, in the event of a serious medical episode, timely intervention could have given the patient a chance of survival, he replied: “Obviously, when we have a situation like this, if we take the right steps, we give the patient a chance to survive.”
According to Leon, given that the procedure was being carried out in a facility without the capabilities of a hospital, the very first action in the event of a serious deterioration should have been to immediately call emergency services. “The first thing that needed to happen was to immediately call for an ambulance. In the meantime, until the ambulance arrived, the doctor — with whatever knowledge they have — should have administered first aid. That is the procedure,” he emphasized.
Leon also noted that the clinic is located in a central part of Athens, close to several major hospitals, including Evangelismos, and that in this particular case the ambulance response was swift.
When asked whether, based on the evidence available so far, precious time had been lost, his answer was unambiguous: “Precious time was lost. That is certain. At least based on the evidence available so far, that is what the data shows.” He added: “What is certain is that we were in an unsuitable facility, with non-specialized staff.”
The critical timeline as recorded by the plasmapheresis machine
The machine’s digital log provides specific timestamps for the events now under the microscope of the investigation.
• According to available information, at 14:14 the machine was activated, though the procedure had not yet begun.
• At 14:23 the first warning signal was recorded, while at 14:37 the procedure officially began.
• At 15:22 the first pause in treatment was recorded, with the machine stopping the procedure.
• Between 15:22 and 15:45, three more warnings were recorded, and at 15:45 an attempt was reportedly made to restart the machine — which stopped again almost immediately. At 16:11, the emergency services call was placed.
• From the first pause at 15:22 to the emergency call at 16:11, 49 minutes elapsed. This is the window that is now carrying the greatest weight in the investigation, as it encompassed three warning signals, one restart attempt, and — ultimately — the call for help.
What the histological examinations of Giorgos Mazonakis are expected to reveal
According to Leon, the histological examinations are what can provide answers as to whether a specific pathological episode occurred and whether it can be chronologically correlated with the machine’s recorded data.
Histological analysis cannot, however, pinpoint the time of death to the minute. What it can reveal are findings that, combined with other tests and the evidence gathered in the investigation, will help reconstruct the sequence of events.
Within the same framework, questions will also be examined — such as whether specific substances were administered and, where laboratory analysis permits, what the relevant findings and concentrations were.
Leon concludes by underscoring the urgency of completing the examinations as quickly as possible, given the gravity of the case. “We are talking about a felony. It is important that the picture becomes clear as soon as possible — one way or another — so that there can be a fair process going forward,” he concluded.
The next critical step, therefore, is to cross-reference the timestamps recorded by the machine with whatever the microscope reveals. If the histological examinations show an episode that aligns chronologically with the warnings, that will add yet another significant piece of evidence toward clarifying what happened in the critical minutes before the emergency call was made.
