:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/David-Hekili-Kenui-Bell-lilo-and-stitch-061625-1-10d17233dcd1446c85639764289f14a2.jpg)
NEED TO KNOW
- The autopsy report for Lilo & Stitch actor David Hekili Kenui Bell, a.k.a David H.K. Bell, has been released
- Obtained exclusively by PEOPLE, the report includes “pathological diagnoses” among its findings
- The report states that Bell “complained of difficulty breathing” before his death
David Hekili Kenui Bell’s autopsy report has been released, revealing new details about the Lilo & Stitch actor’s death.
Obtained exclusively by PEOPLE, the autopsy report was issued by the Hawaii Police Department a little over two months after Bell died on June 12 at the age of 46 on the Big Island of Hawaii.
The report lists four “pathological diagnoses” among its findings: acute respiratory failure, sepsis, hypertensive/atherosclerotic heart disease, and morbid obesity.
Atherosclerosis is defined by The Cleveland Clinic as the “buildup of fats, cholesterol and other substances in and on the artery walls,” also known as plaque, which can “cause arteries to narrow, blocking blood flow” or burst, “leading to a blood clot.”
The autopsy report also indicates that medical intervention efforts were made consistent with resuscitation attempts. The exam found defibrillator (AED) pads on Bell’s chest, an airway in his mouth, a blood pressure cuff on his right upper arm, an IV line in his left arm and an intraosseous needle — which “deliver fluids, medications or obtain laboratory samples” used “when intravenous access is delayed or unfeasible,” per the NIH — in his left lower leg.
David Hekili Kenui Bell/Instagram
Performed on Jun. 19 and completed on Jul. 10, the autopsy further found that Bell had stasis dermatitis (a skin condition caused by poor blood circulation in the legs) and edema (swelling that happens when fluid accumulates in tissues of the lower limbs).
A toxicology screen included with the autopsy report states there was no evidence of drugs or alcohol in Bell’s system above reporting limits.
The report states that Bell “complained of difficulty breathing” before his death.
The reason for the exam, which was carried out at Kona Community Hospital in Kealakekua, Hawaii, is “coroner’s case,” per the report. The autopsy report does not list a cause or manner of death.
An officer at the Hawaii Police Department told PEOPLE that the investigation into Bell’s death has been completed.
A spokesperson for the Hawai’i Police Department previously told PEOPLE that authorities launched a coroner’s inquest investigation following Bell’s death, adhering to standard practice. No foul play was suspected, the spokesperson added.
David Hekili Kenui Bell/Facebook
A service for Bell was held Aug. 9 at Annunciation Catholic Church in Waimea, according to an obituary in the Hawaii Tribune-Herald.
Bell’s death was revealed on Sunday, Jun. 15, in a Facebook post shared by his sister, Jalene Kanani Bell.
The news shocked many, including his agent Lashauna Downie, who told PEOPLE she learned of Bell’s death via social media. “I am learning like you through social media. This is heartbreaking & sad, if true,” Downie said. “He was one of my best talent & embodied the true meaning of aloha…a gentle giant.”
Bell made an impression on Lilo & Stitch audiences, playing a character who drops his cup of shaved ice upon seeing an alien portal open on the beach. The comedic moment, a call-back to the original 2002 animated movie, was featured in trailers for Disney’s remake, which grossed over $1 billion at the global box office.
His sister’s tribute to her “little brother” praised him as a “joy of a human, and Prince of a Man.” Jalene shared that Bell celebrated the release of Lilo & Stitch, which premiered May 23, with his entire family.
“He planned ahead and purchased the best seats in the house for us all to go together to opening night in Kapolei just two short weeks ago,” she wrote in her post.
Seeing moviegoers dressed in Lilo & Stitch gear had the family “so energized” as they waited in line for popcorn, Jalene added. “I said we should get shave ice after the movie and reenact the [scene] but then realized the store was already closed,” she remembered. “To celebrate him and try to ease our grief we went to get shave ice and my grandson’s emotion was on point.”
In addition to Lilo & Stitch, Bell appeared in the remakes of the Hawaii-set shows Hawaii Five-0 and Magnum P.I., along with commercials for Kona Brewing.