The deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa have finally been confirmed by the police. The bodies of the 95-year-old actor and his 65-year-old classical piano partner were found at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on February 26. During a news conference today (March 7), chief medical examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell confirmed the two people’s causes of death.
It was written that Mr. Gene Hackman, who was 95 years old, died of hypertension and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer’s disease playing a big role. To add to that, Dr. Jarrell said that Arakawa died naturally and confirmed that he died of Hantavirus lung syndrome. Hantavirus is a rare viral disease that starts with flu-like symptoms and quickly gets worse. It could lead to heart and lung problems that could be deadly.
During the autopsy and full body post mortem CT, the chief medical examiner said that there were no signs of trauma inside or outside of Arakawa’s body. The microscopic results were consistent with Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. “Laboratory testing was positive for Hantavirus at a clinical lab, and it was also positive at the scientific laboratories division. Testing for COVID-19, influenza, and other common respiratory viruses came back negative, and testing for carbon monoxide came back negative.”
“There were no other significant natural disease findings, pills found at the scene, or thyroid medications that were being taken as prescribed and are not currently being looked at as a possible cause of death.” Hackman is thought to have died a week later, but Arakawa is thought to have died on February 11. Sheriff Adan Mendoza of Santa Fe County said that the case will remain a “open investigation” until all the “loose ends” are tidied up.
A Santa Fe police search order says that both had been dead for “some time.” They were found in different rooms. It was said by detectives that the couple’s dog was also found dead in similar conditions. According to the Daily Mail, a “final event” was recorded on February 17, nine days before their bodies were found. Tests on Hackman’s pacemaker showed that he was still living at that time.
The 95-year-old was found in a mudroom, which is a room where dirty or wet shoes and clothes are kept. Arakawa was found dead in a bathroom with an open prescription bottle and pills all over the counter. The front door of their huge $3.8 million home was open when two maintenance workers went to check on it, and two of their three dogs were “healthy.” These were some of the “suspicious” things that were going on at the scene.
On top of that, a bottle of unopened prescription pills was found on the bathroom counter next to Arakawa’s body. Hackman, on the other hand, was found lying next to sunglasses and a walking stick.