Iconic actor and two-time Oscar winner Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead in their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico on Feb. 26 along with one of their three dogs. Hackman, best known for his role as Lex Luthor in “Superman: The Movie,” was 95 years old, and Arakawa was 65. Their bodies suggested that they had been dead for at least two weeks. The New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator led an investigation into the couple’s death, and in a March 7 press conference, confirmed their cause of death as well as giving insight into the timeline of the deaths.
Chief medical investigator Dr. Heather Jarrell stated in the press conference that Arakawa likely died first, sometime around Feb. 11, because her text and email communications had stopped then. Arakawa, found in the home’s bathroom with open bottles of pills scattered on the counter, passed away due to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, transmitted from rodents.
Hackman passed away a week after Arakawa around Feb. 18, which was the last recorded date of activity on his pacemaker. The actor’s autopsy showed severe heart disease, evidence of heart attacks, and severe kidney changes due to chronic high blood pressure, all of which are factors in his cause of death. According to Jarrell, it is possible that due to Hackman’s advanced state of Alzheimer’s, which had also contributed to his death, he could have been unaware that his wife had died.
One of the couple’s dogs, Zinna, was found in a crate inside a closet, and was taken to the New Mexico Department of Agriculture’s Veterinary Diagnostic Services for a necropsy. While nothing is confirmed yet, Dr. Erin Phipps, New Mexico State Veterinarian, stated that there is a possibility that the dog could have died from starvation or dehydration.
Data from Hackman and Arakawa’s cell phones have yet to be fully analyzed, and more information from medical reports will be released. A deeper dive into phone records and further analysis of the bodies will help authorities confirm more details about the couple and their dog’s physical states and recent activities before their deaths.
