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, February 26.
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.
In an update issued on Friday, the cause of death for the couple was revealed
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
In a full timeline of events, officials said that Arakawa had picked up their dog Zena from a vet hospital on February 9.
On February 11, they said she had an email conversation with her massage therapist before later in the afternoon going to a farmers market.
She was caught on CVS surveillance footage shortly after the market, before then going to a local pet food store.
Her car was then seen on surveillance entering the gated community at 5:15pm on February 11.
Officials said that numerous emails went unopened on February 11, and that there was no further communication from her account after that day.
Detectives are still waiting on retrieving her full cell phone data, but said her last known activity was February 11.
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.
On Friday, officials also said that prescription pills found strewn across a countertop have since been identified as those prescribed for treating a thyroid problem.
Last week, Santa Fe officials said that Hackman’s last event noted on his pacemaker was recorded on February 17, that timeline has now changed to the 18th.
Officials had also said that there was no trace of carbon monoxide in the bodies of the couple.
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’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 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.’
