Gene Hackman and Wife Betsy Die Days Apart – Authorities Reveal Tragic Causes
Hollywood legend Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa Hackman, passed away just days apart in their Santa Fe home, with shocking details about their causes of death now revealed by authorities.
According to New Mexico’s Chief Medical Examiner, Heather Jarrell, Betsy, 65, succumbed to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare but often fatal illness spread through rodent droppings. Meanwhile, Gene, 95, died a week later from severe heart disease, high blood pressure, and advanced Alzheimer’s disease.
Investigators determined that Betsy’s last known communication was on February 11, and Gene’s pacemaker recorded its final activity on February 17. It is believed that he was alone with his wife’s body for several days before his own passing.
Authorities discovered the couple on February 26 after a pest control worker, unable to contact them, alerted neighborhood security, leading to a 911 call. The scene inside the home was grim—Betsy was found in the bathroom near scattered pills, while Gene was in a mudroom. Their dog, Zinna, was also found deceased in a crate, though two other dogs survived.
While a minor gas leak was detected in the house, it was ruled out as a factor in their deaths. Investigators noted evidence of rodent activity in outlying structures on the property, but the risk inside the main house was considered low.
Hantavirus is extremely rare, with fewer than ten cases reported in New Mexico over the past five years, yet it remains fatal in up to 42% of cases.
Gene Hackman, a two-time Academy Award winner known for The French Connection and Unforgiven, retired from acting in 2004 and spent his later years in Santa Fe with Betsy, a classical pianist. Their tragic passing marks the end of an era for Hollywood and those who admired them.