Gene Hackman Dies of Heart Failure After Living with Wife’s Body for a Week Following Her Hantavirus Death
New Mexico — Hollywood legend Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 65, died in their New Mexico home on February 26. Autopsy results show a tragic sequence of events. Dr. Heather Jarrell, the state’s chief medical examiner, said Arakawa died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome around February 11. This rare illness is linked to rodents.Hackman, a two-time Oscar winner, died about a week later. He had hypertensive heart disease and advanced Alzheimer’s.
Authorities believe Hackman may have lived with his wife’s body for days.
He was unaware of her passing due to his mental decline. “Mr. Hackman showed evidence of advanced Alzheimer’s disease,” Dr. Jarrell stated. “His death was ultimately caused by severe heart disease.”
Timeline of Tragedy
Arakawa’s final days included routine errands. On February 9, she picked up the couple’s dog, Zinna, from a veterinary hospital. Surveillance footage showed her at a farmer’s market and CVS on February 11, wearing a mask.
She was later found collapsed on the bathroom floor. The couple’s dog Zinna also perished in a nearby crate. Two other dogs were rescued alive but distressed.
Hantavirus, transmitted through contact with rodent droppings or saliva, causes flu-like symptoms that escalate rapidly. Dr. Jarrell emphasized the virus’s severity but could not confirm how long Arakawa had been ill before her death.
Hackman’s pacemaker data indicated his heart stopped on February 18. Sheriff Adan Mendoza confirmed the actor likely spent his final days in the home alongside his wife’s remains. Three medications were removed from the residence for investigation, though officials have not disclosed further details.
Legacy and Loss
Hackman, renowned for roles in The French Connection and Unforgiven, retired from acting in 2004. Friends and colleagues remember him as a private yet deeply dedicated artist. The couple’s deaths mark a grim end for a pair described by neighbors as reclusive but devoted to their pets and each other.
Authorities await necropsy results for Zinna, while the surviving dogs have been relocated. The case underscores the dangers of hantavirus, which the CDC reports as fatal in 38% of U.S. cases.