GENE Hackman tragically lived alongside his wife’s body likely not knowing she was dead – as officials have revealed the actor’s sad final days.
The actor, 95, died from a heart condition around a week after his wife was killed by a rare rodent disease, a medical examiner said at a press release on Friday afternoon.
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Living with severe Alzheimers, Dr. Heather Jarrell said it was likely that Hackman had not realised wife Betsy Arakawa was dead.
Hackman was found in the kitchen but with no food in his stomach but he showed no signs of dehydration.
The last signal from the actor’s pacemaker was from February 17.
Arakawa and a dog were found in a bathroom, with scattered pills from an open prescription bottle on the bathroom counter.
She died on February 11 a disease called hantavirus, the medic said, which is spread by infected rodent droppings.
Dr. Jarrell said it’s possible that Hackman was not even aware his wife was lying dead in their home.
She said: “Mr Hackman showed evidence of advanced Alzheimer’s disease. He was in a very poor state of health.
“He had significant heart disease, and I think ultimately that’s what resulted in his death.”
Jarrell added: “There is no reliable method to determine time or date of death, but it is probably likely Mr Hackman died around February 18.
“And based on circumstances, it is reasonable to conclude Ms Hackman died first, with February 11 the last time she was known to be alive.”
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Symptoms of hantavirus infection include fever, muscle aches and coughing, which can progress to shortness of breath and heart or lung failure.
It is not transferable between humans.
The triple-death tragedy in the Hackman home was shrouded in mystery, with the bodies of Gene, his wife Betsy Arakawa, and their dog all found in different rooms.
Foul play was ruled out from the start, and today police shone light on the tragic timeline.
Officials found Gene lying in the entryway with his cane and sunglasses near his body.
Near the front of the house, Betsy was found lying in the bathroom, surrounded by an open prescription bottle and scattered pills.
And one of the couple’s three German Shepherd dogs was also found dead in the bathroom’s closet.
An early theory was that carbon monoxide poisoning had killed the couple and their canine, but that was debunked last week by negative chemical tests.
Authorities said last week that the deaths were “suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation”.
Adan Mendoza, Santa Fe County Sheriff, also outlined
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