Gene Hackman, the legendary Oscar-winning actor, passed away at the age of 95 in his Santa Fe home, about a week after the death of his wife, Betsy Arakawa.
According to a New Mexico medical investigator, Hackman succumbed to coronary artery disease, with advanced Alzheimer’s disease contributing to his passing.
His wife, Arakawa, 65, died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a rare respiratory illness caused by exposure to infected rodents. Her cause of death was classified as natural.
Authorities believe Arakawa passed away approximately seven days before Hackman. Dr. Heather Jarrell of the New Mexico Medical Investigator’s Office stated during a news conference on Friday that it was “reasonable to conclude” Hackman died on February 18, while Arakawa likely passed on February 11.
She was last seen on that day visiting a grocery store, a CVS pharmacy, and a pet store before returning home in the evening.
Given Hackman’s advanced Alzheimer’s disease, Dr. Jarrell noted that it was “quite possible that he was not aware that she [his wife] was deceased” and added that she was “not aware of his normal daily functioning capability.”
Hackman had “significant heart disease, and ultimately that’s what resulted in his death,” Dr. Jarrell explained, also mentioning his history of chronic high blood pressure. He had not eaten recently, but there were no signs of dehydration.
During the news conference, New Mexico Public Health Veterinarian Erin Phipps addressed concerns about hantavirus, emphasizing that infections were extremely rare.
The illness is transmitted through contact with rodent droppings, urine, or saliva, often when contaminated dust is inhaled. She reported that only 136 cases had been documented in the state over the past 50 years, with a fatality rate of 42%.
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While evidence of rodent activity was found in some buildings on the couple’s property, the risk inside the main house was considered “low.”
Investigators are still working to determine how Arakawa contracted the illness. Hackman tested negative for the virus.
The couple was discovered in their home after neighborhood security conducted a welfare check and spotted their bodies through a window. Their remains were found in advanced stages of decomposition.
Hackman was in a side room near the kitchen, with a walking cane and sunglasses nearby, while Arakawa was found in the bathroom with scattered pills close to her.
According to a court-filed inventory, sheriff’s deputies found medications for thyroid and blood pressure treatment, along with the pain reliever Tylenol. Authorities, citing privacy laws, did not disclose who had been prescribed the drugs.
One of the couple’s three dogs was also found dead inside a crate near Arakawa, while the other two were alive. The cause of death for the dog has not yet been determined. Dr. Phipps clarified that dogs do not get sick from hantavirus.
Investigators found no signs of forced entry or foul play at the couple’s $3.8 million home. Tests for carbon monoxide poisoning were negative, and no significant gas leaks were detected.
Hackman, known for his roles in The French Connection and Unforgiven, won two Academy Awards during his career. He is survived by three adult children from a previous marriage.
Hackman met Arakawa in the mid-1980s when she was working part-time at a California gym, as previously reported by The New York Times.
(BBC)
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