The date of death is listed here as 3 March 1983, when the bodies of Koestler and his third wife were found by their maid. A suicide note left by the pair instructed her to contact the police. Many sources list 1 March 1983 as the date of death, because they ingested lethal amounts of drugs on that date and are believed to have died that day. Koestler suffered from Parkinson's disease and leukemia. His wife was believed to be in good health, but could not face life without him.