Gene Hackman, the Oscar-winning actor known for “The French Connection” and “Unforgiven,” died of natural causes, New Mexico Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell said Friday at a news conference.
His wife, Betsy Arakawa, succumbed to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and likely predeceased him, investigators added.
Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 65, were found dead on February 26 in their Santa Fe home alongside one of their three dogs after a maintenance worker requested a welfare check.
Sheriff Adan Mendoza said Hackman’s pacemaker last recorded activity February 17, pointing to a heart-related death later detailed as hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease with advanced Alzheimer’s disease as a contributing factor, per Jarrell’s announcement.
Arakawa’s death from hantavirus—a rare, rodent-borne illness—was confirmed by Jarrell, aligning with the rural setting where the couple had lived since the 1980s. Investigators noted her body’s advanced decomposition, which suggested she died days earlier, possibly February 11, though final toxicology results are pending.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office initially deemed the deaths “suspicious” due to an open front door and one of the couple’s dogs being found deceased, but no foul play is suspected.
Early theories of carbon monoxide poisoning, raised by Hackman’s daughter Elizabeth Jean Hackman to TMZ, were ruled out by negative tests.
Items seized—including thyroid medication, Diltiazem, and scattered pills near Arakawa – await further analysis to clarify any additional factors.
Hackman’s heart disease and pacemaker use were well-known, and his death at 95 fits a natural decline, Jarrell said. Arakawa’s hantavirus infection, likely contracted from rodent exposure, explains her earlier passing, though the exact timeline remains under review.
Full autopsy reports, expected in weeks, will finalize both causes.
The couple’s reclusive life in New Mexico ended abruptly, leaving fans and family mourning.
“Dad’s talent touched millions, but we’ll miss him as our rock,” Hackman’s family said in a statement.