Authorities in New Mexico have ruled that actor Gene Hackman died from a cardiovascular disease, while his wife died from a rare disease carried by rodents.
The couple’s mummified remains were discovered by two maintenance workers in separate rooms of their $3.8 million Santa Fe abode last Wednesday.
Dr. Heather Jarrell chief medical investigator for the state of New Mexico said on Friday that autopsies had been performed on the couple last Thursday.
She ruled that Arakawa, 65, died from Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, a rare disease carried by rodents.
Hackman, 95, died from hypertensive cardiovascular disease which was exacerbated by his Alzheimer’s.
His autopsy found no signs of internal or external trauma, but found severe heart disease and evidence of prior heart attacks.
When questioned by reporters, Jarrell also said that it was likely that Hackman didn’t even realize his wife had died due to his advanced Alzheimer’s.
Arakawa is said to have died first on February 11 due to her infection, which initially presents with flu like symptoms.
Jarrell said there was no reliable method to get an exact time for death, but concluded that he probably died around February 18.
Gene Hackman attends the premiere of the film ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’ December 6, 2001 in Hollywood
Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead at their Sante Fe, New Mexico home last week
Hackman was discovered lying on the ground of a mud room just off the kitchen with his sunglasses and cane nearby, indicating he may have fallen according to officials.
His wife was found lying on her side in the bathroom with a space heater next to her head. Unidentified prescription pills were strewn across a nearby countertop.
It is unclear what those meds were or who they’d been prescribed for. A space heater was on the floor next to her and cops believe it may have fallen around the time of her death.
Last week, Santa Fe officials said that Hackman’s last event noted on his pacemaker was recorded on February 17, that timeline now seems to have changed to the 18th.
Officials had also said that there was no trace of carbon monoxide in the bodies of the couple.
Hackman’s daughter Elizabeth had earlier floated a theory that the couple had died from carbon monoxide poisoning, which authorities officially quashed last week.
She told TMZ that the family believed their deaths came about after inhaling the toxic fumes.
Hackman and Arakawa are seen with two unidentified dogs. One of their dogs also died in their home
Santa Fe officials last week said that Hackman’s last event noted on his pacemaker was recorded on February 17
Hackman shared three children with his first wife Faye Maltese. He and Arakawa, a classical pianist, had been married for the last three decades.
The gruff-but-beloved Hackman was among the finest actors of his generation, appearing as villains, heroes and antiheroes in dozens of dramas, comedies and action films from the 1960s until his retirement in the early 2000s.
He was a five-time Oscar nominee who won for The French Connection in 1972 and Unforgiven two decades later.
Hackman met Arakawa, a classically trained pianist who grew up in Hawaii, when she was working part-time at a California gym in the mid-1980s.
They soon moved in together, and by the end of the decade had decamped to Santa Fe.
A naturally private man, Hackman was labelled a recluse as he remained out of the public eye for years on end following his retirement from the movie industry.
In an interview with Empire in 2020, he said he enjoyed watching DVDs that Arakawa rented.
Hackman said: ‘We like simple stories that some of the little low-budget films manage to produce.
‘Friday night is set aside for a Comedy Channel marathon, with particular attention paid to Eddie Izzard. The speed of thought is amazing.’
