Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa died earlier this month, prompting a wave of shock and grief from the entertainment industry. Hackman was 95 years old and had Alzheimer’s, but the death of his wife and dog resulted in a police investigation to determine what had truly happened.
Today, the police have shared a more conclusive report. It showed that Arakawa, 65, likely died first. She had a rare respiratory disease called Hantavirus, which occurs when humans come in contact with rodents.
The disease can manifest up to two months upon initial contact, starting with fatigue, muscle aches, and fever, which can evolve into coughing and shortness of breath. Around a third of the people who contract the disease and develop respiratory symptoms can die from it.
Hackman’s cause of death stemmed from complications from his Alzheimer’s and heart disease. He reportedly died after Arakawa, with medical specialists believing that it could be a possibility that he died without knowing that Arakawa had passed.
“I’m not aware of what his normal daily functioning capability was. He was in a very poor state of health. He had significant heart disease, and I think ultimately that is what resulted in his in his death,” said the chief medical investigator at New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator.
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Hackman and Arakawa were found dead in their home, where two of their dogs were loose and a third one was found dead inside a crate. The dog’s name was Zinna.
Authorities have yet to determine Zinna’s cause of death, but it had had a medical procedure on February 9th, which is why it could have been inside a crate. It’s been suggested that the dog died of starvation.
“I don’t think we know the answer to that,” said the New Mexico State Public Health Veterinarian Dr. Erin Phipps. “However, given the timelines presented, it is a possibility.”
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