The Hackmans Died Of Natural Causes

Gene Hackman died of causes related to cardiovascular illness and was probably alive for several days after his wife, Betsy Arakawa, died of a rare disease in their secluded mountaintop home last week, investigators announced Friday, answering lingering questions in the once-mysterious deaths of the couple.

The case has drawn fervent national attention and intense pressure to deliver investigative findings after the remains of Hackman and Arakawa, along with one of their dogs, were discovered on February 26 in separate rooms and with no outward signs of injury.

CNN reports the bodies were discovered by two maintenance workers who glimpsed the remains through the windows and called police. Hackman’s body was found near the kitchen, and Arakawa was discovered in a bathroom with pills scattered nearby. The condition of the remains – decomposing and partially mummified – as well as new evidence from Hackman’s pacemaker suggest that the couple had been dead for several days, possibly weeks.

Though officials were able to shed light on the moments leading up to the couple’s deaths, it is still unclear whether Hackman knew that his wife had died inside the home or why their dog had been shut in the crate where its body was found. The investigation is still ongoing.

Here is what we learned Friday.

According to  New Mexico Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell, autopsies revealed that Hackman and Arakawa both died of natural causes, though their deaths are attributed to different causes and could have happened several days apart, Jarrell said.

Hackman probably died on February 18, when his pacemaker last recorded his heartbeat. The device recorded that the actor was experiencing atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm.

Hackman was hypertensive and died of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, Jarrell said. He also had advanced Alzheimer’s disease, which the medical investigator said was “a significant contributory factor.” A postmortem CT scan showed that the 95-year-old had severe heart disease and chronic high blood pressure.

Arakawa, who was last seen in public about a week before her husband’s likely time of death, died first from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. The syndrome is the result of hantavirus, a rare disease that can infect humans through contact with infected rodents, Jarrell said.

The pills found near Arakawa’s body were thyroid medication that had been prescribed to her and are not related to her death, Jarrell said.