Gene Hackman, the renowned actor, and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found deceased in their New Mexico home, as revealed by officials on Friday. Arakawa, 65, had succumbed to Hantavirus, a rare disease similar to the flu and associated with rodents. She had last been seen leaving their residence on February 11, which was also the last day she had any communication, according to Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza. New Mexico Chief Medical Examiner Heather Jarrell suggested that Arakawa likely passed away from the virus on the same day.
Hackman, 95, was likely died a week later, having passed away from complications related to heart disease and Alzheimer’s. Jarrell noted that Hackman was in a deteriorating state of health due to his advanced Alzheimer’s, and it was plausible that he was unaware of his wife’s demise. The medical examiner also stated that Hackman was not dehydrated at the time of his death, which was likely on February 18, the day following his last recorded pacemaker activity. However, there was no food found in his stomach.
Arakawa likely contracted the Hantavirus after exposure to rodent droppings, according to Jarrell. The disease, which can only be transmitted from animals to humans, would have caused her to feel unwell three to six days before her death. Despite signs of rodent activity around the property, the risk of exposure in the main residence was assessed as low, similar to other well-maintained houses in New Mexico.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was informed of Arakawa’s case. However, New Mexico State Public Health Veterinarian Erin Phipps stated there was no abnormal increase in Hantavirus cases. The disease, which can manifest anywhere from a week to eight weeks after exposure, causes flu-like symptoms such as fever and nausea, which can quickly escalate to breathing difficulties. Between 1993 and 2022, only 865 cases of the disease have been reported in the US.
The couple was discovered by maintenance and security workers at their Santa Fe mansion on February 26. Hackman was found near his cane and sunglasses in the mudroom of the house, while Arakawa was discovered in a bathroom with an open prescription bottle and pills scattered on the counter. One of their three dogs, Zinna, was also found deceased in a crate in the bathroom closet near Arakawa. Their other two dogs, Bear and Nikita, were found alive, wandering inside and outside the property.
The couple’s bodies had begun to decompose and partially mummify due to the dry air and high altitude of the area. Mendoza stated that it did not appear as though the couple had a caretaker assisting them at home. Hackman’s pacemaker registered activity on February 17, nine days before the couple was found. Further examination of his pacemaker data showed an abnormal rhythm of atrial fibrillation a day later, which was the last record of heart activity.
There were no external or internal signs of trauma on their bodies, and no signs of foul play, according to Jarrell. However, their deaths were still deemed suspicious, prompting further investigation. The couple, who met in the 1980s and married in 1991, had become notoriously private and insular, often going long periods without speaking to friends and family. Therefore, their lack of contact in the time after their deaths did not raise any alarm bells.