Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa's Cause of Death Revealed

Authorities in New Mexico confirmed on Friday, March 7, the causes of death of legendary Hollywood actor Gene Hackman and his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, who died of natural causes, several days apart.

Betsy Arakawa, 65, died on February 11 due to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare but serious disease transmitted by infected rodents. Her body was found in one of the bathrooms at the residence and showed advanced signs of decomposition and mummification on her hands and feet, indicating that she had been undiscovered for several days.

Her husband, Gene Hackman, died on February 18, a week later, from a cardiovascular condition. According to Heather Jarrel, the coroner in charge, the Alzheimer's disease he suffered from was a significant factor in his death, and he was probably unaware of his wife's death. Her body was found in a room next to the kitchen.

Both bodies were found on February 26 at their Sunset Trail residence in Santa Fe. The death of their dog, a German shepherd, was also reported, found in another area of ​​the house. It is presumed that the pet may have died days later from starvation, since it would have been left without food or water after the death of Arakawa, who was in charge of watching over everyone.

County Sheriff Adan Mendoza communicated the news to the media shortly after midnight on Wednesday, assuring that no criminal act was suspected. There were no signs of violence or forced entry in the house, and a preliminary autopsy ruled out the presence of carbon monoxide in the bodies.

Although the police described the circumstances as "suspicious enough" to require further investigation, toxicology tests and the autopsy concluded that both deaths were due to natural causes. However, the investigation remains open until all the details are clarified, including the exact cause of the pet's death.

Gene Hackman was one of Hollywood's most iconic actors, with a career that spanned decades and numerous awards. He won the Oscar for best actor for "The French Connection" (1971) and another for best supporting actor for "Unforgiven" (1992). He also received nominations for "Bonnie and Clyde" (1967), "Never Sang for My Father" (1970) and "Mississippi Burning" (1988).

His daughters Elizabeth, Leslie and Annie Hackman expressed their grief in a message sent to the BBC: "He was loved and admired by millions of people around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us he was always just Dad and Grandad. We will miss him very much and are devastated by the loss."