New Mexico officials announced on Friday that both Gene Hackman and his wife died of natural causes.
Heather Jarrell, Office of the Medical Examiner’s Chief Medical Examiner, said Hackman, 95, died of heart disease, while his wife, pianist Betsy Arakawa, 65, had hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and tested positive for hantavirus. Alzheimer’s disease was listed as a contributing factor in Hackman’s death, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican.
Hackman and Arakawa were found dead in their Santa Fe home on February 27. Arakawa was discovered on the bathroom floor, in the same room where pills were scattered on the countertop. Hackman was in the mud room with sunglasses at his side.
READ: Gene Hackman & Wife’s Deaths Deemed ‘Suspicious’ — ‘No Obvious Signs’ of Gas Leak
Zenna, the couple’s kelpie mix, was found dead in a kennel in a bathroom closet near Arakawa’s body. Their two other dogs were found alive on the property.
Early on, police debunked rumors of carbon monoxide poisoning, noting there was no evidence of a gas leak. They also noted that there were no signs of forced entry despite the front door being open.
On Friday, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said surveillance footage and other data indicated Arakawa died around February 11 and Hackman died on February 18.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reported that about three to four cases of hantavirus are reported annually. In the southwest, the virus is deadly in 38 to 50 percent of cases.
This story is developing…
[Feature Photo: AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File]
