Actor died of heart disease and Alzheimer’s one week after wife Betsy Arakawa’s Feb. 11 death from
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome
The causes of death of legendary actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa have been revealed, the chief medical examiner announced Friday, nine days after the couple was found dead in their Santa Fe, Mexico home.
Both Hackman and Arakawa’s death were found to be by “natural causes,” albeit six days apart: Dr. Heather Jarrell said that Arakawa likely died on Feb. 11 from Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, while Hackman died Feb. 18 (based on pacemaker information) from heart disease, with “advanced Alzheimer’s disease” also a contributing factor.
On Feb. 26, the actor, his wife of 34 years, and their dog were found dead in their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, according to Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza; the dog that died was in a crate.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that “foul play is not suspected as a factor in those deaths” but that “an active and ongoing investigation” was underway.
Soon after news of the deaths surfaced, Hackman’s daughter Elizabeth spoke to TMZ and said she and her family suspected carbon monoxide poisoning; the coroner’s office soon dismissed that theory, as local gas companies found no evidence of a gas leak, and the autopsy reports confirmed that.
Hackman, whose compelling gravitas and simple humanity made him an onscreen fixture for 40 years, starred in classic films like The French Connection, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Conversation, and Superman.
He retired from his acting career in 2004 with five Oscar nominations (including two wins), three Golden Globes (as well as a Cecil B. DeMille Award), and two BAFTA awards.
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
