Gene Hackman was a two-time Oscar winner who shared close friendships with Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman while taking on numerous iconic roles. However, his final days were spent far from the spotlight, dying alone in the mudroom of his Santa Fe estate—a week after his wife, Betsy Arakawa, succumbed to a rodent-borne virus in their bathroom.
On Friday, police confirmed that the 95-year-old actor likely died from cardiovascular disease around February 18, several days after Arakawa, 65, died from Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) on February 11. Authorities revealed on Friday that Hackman had been battling advanced Alzheimer's, and he may not have even realized his wife had died.
Tragic Way to Die
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) starts with flu-like symptoms but can quickly worsen, causing respiratory distress, low blood pressure, and organ failure. The scene of chaos in the bathroom paints a bleak picture of Arakawa's rapid deterioration.
She was found lying on the floor with her head near a space heater, while thyroid medication pills were scattered around her.
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Hackman, best known for “Unforgiven”, may have spent a week wandering through his vast 9,000-square-foot home, disoriented and alone. Without his wife of 30 years to care for him or their three beloved dogs, he was left to fend for himself.
With Arakawa's body decomposing in the bathroom and his own health in severe decline, Hackman went without food. An autopsy later confirmed that his stomach was empty at the time of his death.
He was found in a room adjacent to the kitchen, with his cane and sunglasses nearby, suggesting he may have collapsed while trying to leave the house before his weakened heart gave out. His pacemaker recorded its last activity on February 18, but no one arrived to check on him for over a week.
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The couple's dogs, whom they cared for deeply, were also left unattended. Their pet Zinna, which Arakawa had picked up from a veterinary hospital on February 9—just two days before she died—was found dead inside a kennel in a bathroom closet, about 10 to 15 feet from Arakawa's partially mummified body. Officials believe the dog had been crated due to its recent medical treatment.
Meanwhile, their German Shepherd, Bear, and another dog named Nikita were found roaming the 12-acre property. A dog door allowed them access to food and water.
The dogs were found roaming freely when two maintenance workers found the mummified remains of Hackman and Arakawa on February 26.
Died Lonely and Starving
Dr. Heather Jarrell, Chief Medical Investigator for the state of New Mexico, said that determining an exact time of death is unreliable but estimated that Hackman likely died around February 18.
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Jarrell said that Hackman's stomach contained no food, but there were no indications of dehydration. “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 said.
Arakawa was found lying on her side in the bathroom, with a space heater positioned near her head.
On Friday, officials confirmed that prescription pills scattered across a countertop were identified as medication used to treat a thyroid condition. Last week, Santa Fe authorities revealed that the last recorded activity on Hackman's pacemaker occurred on February 17.
Officials also said that no traces of carbon monoxide were found in the couple's bodies.
Hackman's daughter, Elizabeth, had previously suggested that they might have succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning, a theory that authorities officially dismissed last week.
She told TMZ that the family believed their deaths were caused by inhaling the toxic gas.
Hackman had three children from his first marriage to Faye Maltese. He and Arakawa, a classical pianist, had been married for 30 years.
Known for his rugged yet charismatic presence, Hackman was considered as one of the greatest actors of his generation, portraying villains, heroes, and complex antiheroes in a wide range of dramas, comedies, and action films from the 1960s until his retirement in the early 2000s.
He received five Academy Award nominations, winning Best Actor for “The French Connection” in 1972 and Best Supporting Actor for “Unforgiven” twenty years later.
