Gene Hackman, 95 years old, and his wife, the 63-year-old classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, were found dead in their home in Santa Fe in the state of New Mexico on February 27.
At a press conference in Santa Fe on Friday, the police and forensic pathologist announced that Gene Hackman likely died on February 18, when his pacemaker stopped registering heart rates. The actor also showed signs of advanced Alzheimer's disease, which is seen as a contributing cause of his death.
He was in a very poor condition, says forensic pathologist Heather Jarrell.
The wife, Betsy Arakawa, is believed to have lived until February 11, when she was seen on surveillance cameras in public places and communicated via phone and email. The trail of her goes cold on February 11.
The autopsy revealed that Arakawa likely died due to lung syndrome caused by hantavirus – which is spread by small rodents and can cause deadly infections.
No signs of either COVID or seasonal flu were found in the couple, and Gene Hackman tested negative for hantavirus.
Early in the investigation, theories emerged that the couple had been poisoned by carbon monoxide, but that has been ruled out.
Hantavirus infections are caused by around 35 different related variants of hantavirus reported worldwide.
Hantavirus infection is a zoonosis, i.e., a disease that can be transmitted between animals and humans.
In Sweden, only the puumalavirus variant exists, which causes the disease nephropathia epidemica.
Each hantavirus has a specific rodent species as its host animal. Hantavirus does not normally cause disease in the rodent but can be a carrier of the virus for a long time. The virus is excreted from infected rodents' urine, feces, and saliva.
Depending on the hantavirus variant, one can contract anything from completely symptom-free infections to very severe forms of hemorrhagic fever or acute lung syndrome with high mortality.
Source: The Public Health Agency
