Michelle Trachtenberg’s official cause of death was complications of diabetes mellitus, according to the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner, as reported by the Associated Press and CBS News on April 16, 2025. CBS reported that the manner of death was natural.
What the final determination says
The medical examiner amended the initial finding after reviewing laboratory test results. The reports identify the cause as complications of diabetes mellitus; they do not specify a particular complication or treatment as the cause.
Why early reports said “undetermined”
Trachtenberg, 39, was found unconscious and unresponsive in her Manhattan apartment on February 26, 2025. Initial reporting said the medical examiner had listed the cause and manner of death as undetermined after her family objected to an autopsy.
In a February 28, 2025 report, the Los Angeles Times quoted an office spokesperson explaining that, absent suspicion of criminality, the medical examiner would honor the family’s objection. The spokesperson said: “[A]bsent any suspicion of criminality around the circumstances of the death, the medical examiner will honor the objection.” The report said the investigation might therefore be limited to an external examination.
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How the finding changed
- February 26, 2025: Trachtenberg was found unresponsive in her Manhattan apartment.
- Initial determination: The cause and manner were listed as undetermined, with reporting noting the family’s objection to an autopsy.
- April 16, 2025: The office amended the cause after reviewing laboratory test results. The updated cause was complications of diabetes mellitus; CBS reported the manner as natural.
The early “undetermined” classification and the later diabetes-related determination refer to different points in the process: the latter was an amended finding, not a conflicting account of the same final determination.
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