Cause of death released for Gene Hackman and wife

New Mexico officials said Friday that actor Gene Hackman likely died on Feb. 18 from “severe heart disease,” with advanced Alzheimer’s as a significant contributing factor.

His wife, Betsy Arakawa, may have died a week earlier from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. The virus, which is often found in deer mice and can spread to humans, is more commonly found in the Southwest than it is in many other places. Exposure to the mammal’s excrement can cause illness that includes flu-like symptoms.

While there’s no exact way of knowing when the pair died, New Mexico’s Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell told reporters on Friday that autopsies conducted last week indicate Arakawa died Feb. 11. Hackman, whose pacemaker activity made his last day alive easier to guess, likely died a week later.

“It’s reasonable to conclude she died first,” Jarrell said.

When asked what Hackman did for the week after his wife died, or if he was well enough to care for himself, authorities didn’t have a clear answer.

“I’m not aware of what his normal daily functioning capability was,” Jarrell said. “He was in a very poor state of health.”

Santa Fe Sheriff Adan Mendoza added that police received no emergency calls from the Hackman household prior to the 911 call that led to the couple’s discovery on Feb. 26.

Investigators retraced Arakawa’s steps in the days leading up to her death. The 65-year-old musician picked up her dog from a veterinarian on Feb. 9, which Mendoza said could explain why the Australian kelpie mix was in a crate when it was found dead in the Santa Fe home along with the Hackmans.

Two days later, Arakawa ran a few errands in the afternoon, including a 4:12 p.m. stop at CVS and a pet store visit. Her car reentered the pair’s gated community at 5:15 p.m. That was Arakawa’s last known activity. Her computer showed unopened emails received that day, Mendoza said.

Investigators earlier acknowledged that pills were found scattered near Arakawa’s body. Those turned out to be prescribed thyroid medication, according to Jarrell. The pills are not believed to be associated with her death.

The couple’s decomposing bodies were discovered in the pair’s home after a maintenance worker called 911. Arakawa was found on the floor of a bathroom, while 95-year-old Hackman was located in the home’s mudroom. His cane was found nearby.

Authorities described Arakawa as showing “obvious signs of death,” including “decomposition, bloating in her face and mummification in both hands and feet.” They said Hackman showed signs “similar and consistent with the female decedent.”

A family member told TMZ they initially believed carbon monoxide poisoning may have been to blame for their deaths. Autopsies concluded that wasn’t the case.

Two other dogs living in the home were found to be healthy.

While detectives initially described the deaths as “suspicious,” Mendoza said there was no evidence of foul play and “no external trauma to either individual.”

“There was no indication of a struggle,” Mendoza said at a press conference last week. “There was no indication of anything that was missing from the home or disturbed.”

Hackman, a two-time Academy Award winner, retired from acting in 2004, later saying heart issues led him to seek a quieter life.

“The straw that broke the camel’s back was actually a stress test that I took in New York,” Hackman told Empire in a 2009 interview. “The doctor advised me that my heart wasn’t in the kind of shape that I should be putting it under any stress.”

Jarrell said Hackman’s autopsy revealed that he’d had “multiple surgical procedures involving the heart,” suggesting a history of heart attacks, as well as “severe changes of the kidneys due to chronic high blood pressure.”

Originally Published: March 7, 2025 at 4:59 PM EST