LAST UPDATE | 7 Mar 2025

INVESTIGATORS BELIEVE FAMED Hollywood actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa died almost a week apart at their New Mexico home.

The two-time Oscar winner, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 65, were found dead, along with one of their dogs, at their home in New Mexico on Wednesday.

During a press conference this evening, investigators said they believe that Arakawa died from a rare New Mexico rodent virus called Orthohantavirus.

The couple both died of natural causes, but they also both tested negative for carbon monoxide poisoning.

In Hackman’s case, his official cause of death was “hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer’s disease as a significant contributory factor”, according to New Mexico chief medical examiner Heather Jarrell.

Jarrell told reporters that Hackman was in an advanced state of Alzheimer’s and “it’s quite possible he was not aware” his wife was deceased.

BREAKING: Gene Hackman's cause of death is "Hypertensive and Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease, with Alzheimer's disease as a significant contributory factor." Betsy Hackman died of "Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, the manner of death is natural," chief medical examiner says pic.twitter.com/nhzCEOnlm0

— ABC News Live (@ABCNewsLive) March 7, 2025

Tests on a pacemaker belonging to Hackman previously showed that the last event was recorded on 18 February. It had previously been reported by police that 17 February showed the last recorded activity.

At today’s press conference, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza told reporters said that “numerous emails were unopened” on Arakawa’s computer on 11 February and that there “was no additional outgoing communication from her, or known activity” after that date.

Police have repeatedly said there were no apparent signs of foul play.

Officers were initially called to the scene following a request to carry out a welfare check at Hackman’s home by a maintenance worker.

Asked if the findings meant that Hackman was at home with his deceased wife for that time, Mendoza said: “I would assume that is the case.”

He said that “numerous emails were unopened” on Arakawa’s computer on 11 February and that there “was no additional outgoing communication from her, or known activity” after that date.

The couple’s dog which was found deceased had recently been brought to a vet for a procedure and had been unwell. They said this “may explain why the dog was in a crate at the residence” when the grim discovery was made last week.