Actor Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa in 1986 – Credit: Donaldson Collection/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
The causes of death of legendary actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa have been revealed, the chief medical examiner announced Friday, nine days after the couple was found dead in their Santa Fe, Mexico home.
Both Hackman and Arakawa’s death were found to be by “natural causes,” albeit six days apart: Dr. Heather Jarrell said that Arakawa likely died on Feb. 11 from Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, while Hackman died Feb. 18 (based on pacemaker information) from heart disease, with “advanced Alzheimer’s disease” also a contributing factor.
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Investigators also shared a timeline of what they believe was Arakawa’s last day of life on Feb. 11: She was seen on surveillance video that day running errands like going to a veterinarian, farmers marker, and CVS, and had an email conversation at some point that day. At 5:15 p.m. on Feb. 11, Arakawa used the clicker to access the private community where her and Hackman’s house was. After that, there was “no additional outgoing communication or activity,” leading investigators to believe she died on Feb. 11. (There is “no exact scientific method to pinpoint exact time of death,” Dr. Jarrell said.)
Hackman, investigators believe, died a week later on Feb. 18, with an autopsy revealing the primary cause as “extensive heart disease,” along with advanced Alzheimer’s disease. Police did not share any other concrete details about Hackman’s last week of life following his wife’s death, though the medical examiner said Hackman had an empty stomach at the time of his death.
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), according to the Mayo Clinic, “is a rare infectious disease that begins with flu-like symptoms and progresses rapidly to more severe disease. It can lead to life-threatening lung and heart problems.” The disease is “usually caused by inhaling hantaviruses that have become airborne from rodent urine, droppings or saliva.” It’s unclear how Arakawa became infected, or if she was aware of her infection prior to her death.
On Feb. 26, the actor, his wife of 34 years, and their dog were found dead in their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, according to Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza; the dog that died was in a crate following a veterinary procedure days earlier, and investigators noted that dogs can not be carriers of HPS.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office said in an initial statement that “foul play is not suspected as a factor in those deaths” but that “an active and ongoing investigation” was underway.
Soon after news of the deaths surfaced, Hackman’s daughter Elizabeth spoke to TMZ and said she and her family suspected carbon monoxide poisoning; the coroner’s office soon dismissed that theory, as local gas companies found no evidence of a gas leak, and the autopsy reports confirmed that.
Hackman, whose compelling gravitas and simple humanity made him an onscreen fixture for 40 years, starred in classic films like The French Connection, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Conversation, and Superman.
He retired from his acting career in 2004 with five Oscar nominations (including two wins), three Golden Globes (as well as a Cecil B. DeMille Award), and two BAFTA awards.
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