- Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa died roughly a week apart
- Arakawa passed away first, from a rare respiratry disease
- Hackman had severe heart disease and alzheimers.
Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa died roughly a week apart, a new report has confirmed.
At a news conference called by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s department, it was revealed that Arakawa died on February 11 of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome – a rare, but severe respiratory disease which can be transmitted to humans from infected rodents. Hackman is believed to have died around a week later, on February 18, which is when the Oscar winner’s activity on his pacemaker stopped recording cardiac activity.
Hackman had “significant heart disease, and ultimately that’s what resulted in his death”, medical examiner Dr Heather Jarrell explained during this afternoon’s news conference, via the BBC. The French Connection star also “showed evidence of advanced Alzheimer’s disease,” although Dr Jarrell stated that she is “not aware of his normal daily functioning capability.” Given Hackman’s condition, the medical examiner revealed that it is very possible the legendary actor wasn’t even aware Arakawa had passed away.
Dr Erin Phipps from the New Mexico Department of Health shared more information about Arakawa’s cause of death, explaining that it can only be transmitted from animals to humans and not from person-to-person. Over the past 50 years in New Mexico there have been 136 confirmed cases with 42% of them resulting in fatalities. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome can be transmitted to people through rodent urine, droppings, or saliva, meaning it is of the utmost importance to take protective steps to not inhale anything while cleaning any rodent infested areas, Phipps said.
Dr Jarrell, who performed an autopsy on Arakawa on February 27, shared further details about the disease, saying that an infected person will usually begin to feel symptoms, including shortness of breath, within three to six days. Fluid in the lungs will begin to become a serious problem in the latter stages of infection, with the infected person usually succumbing ‘pretty quickly’.
The cause of death of the family dog that was found at the same time as Hackman and Arakawa is yet to be determined.
Santa Fe police had initially been treating the deaths as suspicious, although there was no signs of forced entry into the couple’s property. A ‘minor and insignificant gas leak’ was found in the couple’s home, but was not strong enough to cause their deaths, police revealed. A carbon monoxide leak had originally been suspected as the cause of death.
Hackman’s daughter from his first marriage, Leslie Anne Hackman, said of her father, “‘There was no indication that there was any problem,” The daughter of the late actor continued by saying her father was in “very good physical condition.”
Hackman also revealed that her father liked to participate in “pilates and yoga” and was “in good health” because of it. However, she did say his death was “not terribly shocking because he was 95”.
