Gene Hackman’s cause of death confirmed as Hollywood actor and wife Betsy Arakawa contracted hantavirus syndrome
A new update into the death of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa has been issued by the police during a recent press conference where the confirmed both their causes of death.
The Hollywood star, 95, and his long-term partner Arakawa, 65, were found dead at their home in New Mexico after family admitted to not having spoken to them in some time.
During the conference, officials declared that Betsy died from a natural death which was caused by hantavirus syndrome.
Gene was also showing symptoms of significant cardiovascular disease and advanced Alzheimer’s.
They predicted that Betsy passed away first a week before her husband, according to the results of the investigation.
Speaking on behalf of the investigation, Dr Heather Jarrell of the New Mexico Medical Investigator’s Office explained that she performed an autopsy on Arakawa on 27 February.
Her cause of death was “natural” and was caused by the disease which is carried by infected rodents.
Hackman is suspected to have died around 18 February, the medical examiner claimed after information from his pacemaker was released.
However, the doctor was keen to confirm: “There is no reliable method to accurately determine [his] exact time of death.”
During the press conference, investigators were asked if the dog that died in the home could also contract the virus, something they said would not be possible.
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