SAD LAST DAYS
Gene Hackman’s haunting final days revealed as Alzheimer’s-stricken actor struggled on while ‘not knowing wife was dead’
Watch the heartbreaking press conference below as officials revealed Gene and his wife's cause of death
GENE Hackman lived alongside his wife's body likely not knowing she was dead - as officials have revealed the actor's tragic 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 conference on Friday afternoon.
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As he lived with severe Alzheimers, Dr. Heather Jarrell said it was likely Hackman had not realised wife Betsy Arakawa was dead.
He was found in the kitchen with no food in his stomach, but he showed no signs of dehydration.
The last signal from the actor's pacemaker was from February 18.
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 from a disease called hantavirus, the medic said, which is spread by infected rodent droppings.
Dr Jarrell said: “It's quite possible that he was not aware that she was deceased."
She went on: "Mr Hackman showed evidence of advanced Alzheimer's disease.
"He was in a very poor state of health.
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"He had significant heart disease, and I think ultimately that's what resulted in his death."
She added: “There is no reliable method to determine time or date of death, but it is probably likely Mr Hackman died around February 18.
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“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.”
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, and Hackman had not contracted the illness.
The disease is very rare, with just 864 cases documented in the US between 1993 and 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The triple-death tragedy in the Hackman home was shrouded in mystery for over a week.
Foul play was considered unlikely from early on, and a number of theories about the deaths swirled.
The bodies of Hackman and his wife were found in different rooms.
The two-time Oscar winner was discovered fully clothed in a wet room off the kitchen with his cane laid out next to him, according to a search warrant.
And Betsy was found on the bathroom floor, near a space heater.
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What is hantavirus?
GENE Hackman's wife Betsy Arakawa died from the rare infectious disease called hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hantavirus pathogens are mainly spread between rodents.
In very rare cases, the disease can be passed to humans and cause varied disease syndromes.
These include hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS).
The CDC said: "Each hantavirus serotype has a specific rodent host species and is spread to people via aerosolised virus that is shed in urine, feces, and saliva, and less frequently by a bite from an infected host."
Dr Sumaiya Shaikh, a Swedish scientist, tweeted: "The #Hantavirus first emerged in 1950s in the American-Korean war in Korea (Hantan river).
"It spreads from rat/mice if humans ingest their body fluids.
"Human-human transmission is rare. Please do not panic, unless you plan to eat rats."
While hantavirus is rare, it carries a 38 per cent death rate according to the CDC.
Her body was said to have been partially "mummified".
One of the couple's three German Shepherd dogs was also found dead in the bathroom's closet.
Adan Mendoza, Santa Fe County Sheriff, outlined Arakawa's final movements.
On February 9, she picked up the dog that was later found dead from the vets after a procedure.
Then, on the afternoon of February 11, Arakawa went shopping in a farmer's market, CVS and a pet food store.
She returned to their gated community at around 5:15pm - and had no more known contact with anyone other than Hackman, the sheriff said.
All of her emails were left unread after that date.
Dr. Erin Phipps, a veterinarian, said it's possible to dog died from a lack of food and water.
Dogs cannot get sick from hantavirus, she noted.
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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".
A STELLAR CAREER
Hackman's breakout moment was in Bonnie and Clyde in 1967, where he played Buck Barrow.
But, he was known for starring in Superman movies, and hit films like Mississippi Burning and Unforgiven.
He played the supervillain Lex Luthor in Superman, Superman II, and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.
Hackman also starred in the hit movies Runaway Jury, The French Connection, The Royal Tenenbaums, Unforgiven, and The Conversation.
In 1972, he scooped the Best Actor gong for his role as Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle in The French Connection.
He appeared in the movie's sequel in 1975.
In 1993, Hackman won the Best Supporting Actor award for his role in the western flick Unforgiven.
Hackman played Little Bill Daggett in the film that also starred Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, and Anna Thomson.
Unforgiven scooped four Oscars, including Best Picture.
Hackman appeared in four westerns during the 1990s. The others were: Geronimo: An American Legend, Wyatt Earp, and The Quick and the Dead.
But, he also appeared on stage. Hackman's last Broadway appearance came in 1992 when he played Roberto Miranda in the play Death and the Maiden.
When he quit acting, it was feared that the decision was linked to stress.
He admitted he struggled to balance family life with the glitz and glamour of Hollywood.
Hackman wasn't just a film star; he starred in TV series such as Brenner and The F.B.I.
But after his final role, he left the bright lights of Hollywood and moved to New Mexico.
He was rarely spotted and liked to enjoy Wendy's drive-thru meals.
In his later years, he suffered from minor health problems.
In 2012, Hackman was struck by a car when riding his bike.
He was rushed to a Miami hospital with serious injuries.
"Gene's fine," his agent Susan Madore said at the time as she downplayed any fears.
"Just a few bumps and bruises."
The incident happened eight years after his final movie role.
And, it was just weeks before he turned 82.
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