Gene Hackman died of heart disease, his wife died of hantavirus about 1 week prior, authorities say

Manila Bulletin

Actor Gene Hackman died of heart disease a full week after his wife died from hantavirus in their New Mexico hillside home, likely unaware that she was dead because he was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease, authorities revealed Friday.  READ: https://mb.com.ph/2025/3/8/gene-hackman-died-of-heart-disease-his-wife-died-of-hantavirus-about-1-week-prior-authorities-say  Subscribe to the Manila Bulletin Online channel! - https://www.youtube.com/TheManilaBulletin  Visit our website at http://mb.com.ph Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manilabulletin Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/manila_bulletin Instagram: https://instagram.com/manilabulletin Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@manilabulletin  #ManilaBulletinOnline #ManilaBulletin #LatestNews

Transcript

00:00On Thursday, February 27th, I performed an autopsy on Mr. Gene Hackman.

00:11Medical examiner Dr. Daniel Gallego at the Office of the Medical Investigator performed

00:16a full autopsy on Ms. Betsy Arakawa-Hackman, also on Thursday, February 27th.

00:25By report, Ms. Arakawa-Hackman's legal name is Betsy Hackman, which is how she will be

00:32referred to hereafter.

00:36The cause of death for Ms. Betsy Hackman, aged 65 years, is Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome.

00:45The manner of death is natural.

00:49Autopsy examination and full-body post-mortem CT demonstrated no findings of trauma internally

00:56or externally.

00:57The cause of death for Mr. Gene Hackman, aged 95 years, is hypertensive and atherosclerotic

01:05cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer's disease as a significant contributory factor.

01:14Autopsy examination and a full-body post-mortem CT examination demonstrated no acute findings

01:21of internal or external trauma and showed severe heart disease, including multiple surgical

01:28procedures involving the heart, evidence of prior heart attacks, and severe changes of

01:34the kidneys due to chronic high blood pressure.

01:38Examination of the brain showed advanced Alzheimer's disease, as well as blood vessel

01:43changes in the brain secondary to chronic high blood pressure.

01:48I have been asked when death occurred for these individuals.

01:53There is no reliable scientific method to accurately determine the exact time or date

01:58of death.

02:00Mr. Hackman's initial pacemaker data revealed cardiac activity on February 17th, with subsequent

02:08pacemaker interrogation demonstrating an abnormal rhythm of atrial fibrillation on

02:14February 18th, which was the last record of heart activity.

02:20Based on this information, it is reasonable to conclude that Mr. Hackman probably died

02:25around February 18th.

02:28Based on the circumstances, it is reasonable to conclude that Ms. Hackman passed away first,

02:36with February 11th being the last time that she was known to be alive.

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Transcript

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