Gene Hackman And His Wife, Betsy Arakawa, Died In February
The final autopsy results for Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, have been released just a little over two months after the discovery of their bodies in their Santa Fe home on February 26. One of the couple’s beloved dogs was also found deceased in the residence.
Speculation ran rampant in the early days of the investigation into Hackman and Arakawa’s deaths. Initially, people expressed concern that the couple succumbed to carbon monoxide or gas poisoning. But authorities eventually ruled out that possibility.
Then, in early March, the lead examiner for the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator released their initial report listing Hackman and Arakawa’s causes of death.
The investigator found that Arakawa died of the rodent-carried disease hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. The Mayo Clinic describes hantavirus as “a rare infectious disease that begins with flu-like symptoms [that] progresses rapidly … It can lead to life-threatening lung and heart problems.”
The report listed Hackman’s cause of death as “hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease with Alzheimer’s disease as a significant contributing factor.”
The investigation into the couple’s tragic deaths has been ongoing ever since, even after they were laid to rest during a private ceremony in Santa Fe.
The Couple’s Final Autopsy Results Confirm Their Causes Of Death
Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa’s final autopsy results came out at the end of April. Deadline obtained copies of the reports, which confirm the couple’s causes of death.
Arakawa’s report confirms she died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. The report indicates that her lungs filled with fluid, and she exhibited a mild hardening of the vessels that supply blood to the heart and body.
She tested negative for COVID-19 and the flu. Her body showed no signs of trauma, and her carbon monoxide levels ranked in a normal range. She tested positive for caffeine, but negative for alcohol and intoxicating drugs.
Hackman tested negative for hantavirus. The report confirmed his death occurred due to severe heart disease, with advanced Alzheimer’s disease listed as a contributing factor.
The report showed Hackman had a low level of acetone in his system at the time of his death. This means he likely didn’t eat for several days before he passed away. He, like Arakawa, tested negative for alcohol and intoxicating drugs. His carbon monoxide concentration appeared within a normal range.
Hackman’s pacemaker, which he received in April 2019, showed an abnormal heart rhythm on February 17. This indicates that February 17 was likely the day he died.
Head below to watch a report about Hackman and Arakawa’s final autopsy results.
