For seven days, the two-time Oscar-winning actor wandered through his massive home while his wife lay dead on the bathroom floor.
After more than a week of mystery, the cause of death of Hollywood actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, has been revealed.
Initial suspicions pointed to a gas leak, but the autopsy and investigation determined that Betsy Arakawa, a pianist, died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a disease spread by rodents. Gene Hackman passed away from hypertensive cardiovascular disease, which was worsened by his Alzheimer’s disease.
It was also discovered that Hackman died a week after his wife. This means he spent that entire time alone in the house with her body. Sources close to the actor now explain why he was unable to call for help.
According to Tom Allen, a longtime friend of Hackman, the actor didn’t own a mobile phone and “was never interested in technology.”
“This is heartbreaking. Mrs. Hackman passed away, and Gene’s Alzheimer’s had advanced to the point where he wandered around and wasn’t eating,” Allen said. “If he didn’t have a phone, he couldn’t call for help, even if he wanted to.”
Hackman was found on the floor of a room near the kitchen, while his wife was in the bathroom. The autopsy revealed that there was no food in the actor’s stomach.
“It’s entirely possible that after Mrs. Hackman died, her husband wasn’t even aware of it,” said Dr. Heather Jarrell, a medical examiner involved in the case.
Also found dead in the house was their 12-year-old cat, Zina. The cat was inside a box following a recent medical procedure and, like Hackman, had no food in its stomach.
