Gene Hackman dead at 95: Iconic actor and wife, 63, are found dead with their dog at Santa Fe home. #3

[Cherwell]

I’ve been wondering about this too. If inside the main living space is where the mice had been, how did Gene not get sick? Droppings can be on counter tops, couch, pretty much anywhere.

From the press conference:

"We assessed the risk of exposure in the primary residence as low, similar to other well-maintained houses in New Mexico. We did identify signs of rodent entry in other structures on the property"

Also

[Death] "occurs after a one to eight week exposure to excrement from a primarily particular mouse species that carries Hantavirus.2 "

 

[Cherwell]

Yes I guess point is regardless of beckys actual day of death, she deteriorated to rhe point she couldn't even care for gene even if she was alive. Most likely she had a fever and was unconscious before the end

Her name is Betsy, not Becky.

 

[IceIce9]

I’ve been wondering about this too. If inside the main living space is where the mice had been, how did Gene not get sick? Droppings can be on counter tops, couch, pretty much anywhere. Two years ago we celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary and stayed at a beautiful cabin in Sedona, Arizona. Since Covid, they stopped serving dinner in the main dining room and instead delivered dinner to your cabin or you could sit outside in a few areas they provided. We did that because we never wanted to eat in the cabin, it didn’t have a sink or kitchen set up etc. We woke up in the middle of the night to things clanking around. My husband turned on the lights and we saw several mice on the floor, table and furniture. One was huge and had a long tail, it was a rat! He grabbed the small broom from the fireplace to swat them and I pulled the covers tightly around my head, freaking out! I didn’t sleep and when we got up, our bed was covered in mice poop. I went to the front desk to let them know about this and they said the exterminator is located in Phoenix and they would call to schedule a time soon for him to get out there. No way we could stay there after that experience and left. Not a good way to spend our anniversary, but it was out of our control. I still shiver when I think about it.

Possibly Betsy cleaned up some of the rodent area by vacuuming or sweeping with a broom, which is the worst thing you can do as it spreads into the air.

Gene would not have participated in the clean up because his health was too deteriorated to help.

 

[Cherwell]

Possibly Betsy cleaned up some of the rodent area by vacuuming or sweeping with a broom, which is the worst thing you can do as it spreads into the air.
Gene would not have participated in the clean up because his health was too deteriorated to help.

The infestation does not seem to have been in the main house.

 

[ClearAhead]

Yes I guess point is regardless of beckys actual day of death, she deteriorated to rhe point she couldn't even care for gene even if she was alive. Most likely she had a fever and was unconscious before the end

Given Gene’s poor heart and kidney condition, perhaps his time had come even if Betsy had not gotten stricken. Pacemakers and meds won’t keep someone alive when vital organs begin to fail.

 

[Sadi]

From the press conference:

"We assessed the risk of exposure in the primary residence as low, similar to other well-maintained houses in New Mexico. We did identify signs of rodent entry in other structures on the property"

Also

[Death] "occurs after a one to eight week exposure to excrement from a primarily particular mouse species that carries Hantavirus.2

The infestation does not seem to have been in the main house.

What to know about hantavirus pulmonary syndrome

Betsy Arakawa died from hantavirus days before her husband, actor Gene Hackman, died of heart disease, New Mexico officials said.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[Sadi]

The infestation does not seem to have been in the main house.

I just read that too and tried to post the link, but need coffee before I try it again

 

[Cherwell]

I just read that too and tried to post the link, but need coffee before I try it again

I'll post the link to the transcription again.

https://turboscribe.ai/transcript/share/4980981187887858464/36FWZhd5l3_dwbhcUFWaBXevd-hLrekSeP3lRkE-A6E/see-officials-provide-an-update-on-gene-hackman-and-wifes-death-investigation

 

[NuttMegg]

Possibly Betsy cleaned up some of the rodent area by vacuuming or sweeping with a broom, which is the worst thing you can do as it spreads into the air.

Gene would not have participated in the clean up because his health was too deteriorated to help.

Earlier I suggested that they stored bags of dogfood in an out bldg. Pretty much an engraved invitation to mice. And that she shop vacked the droppings, swept, whatever. Not realizing the danger.

And that he wasn't exposed as not being the one in charge of dog food. And that the dogs would just rip a bag open if they weren't being fed by their mama.

 

[tree1]

I bave been sole carer for my Mum with dementia but although i am relatively young, still had external 'key safe' and paid carers to help 4 times a day. It was not only essential help but also i knew should anything happen to me, it would never be a long period before someone arrived. Also had family members texting and calling me regularly. If i didnt answer quickly, they went on to hyper alert! Neighbour, quite a young man also had my number in case he suspected something wrong. Sadly GH and his wife didnt appear to have this support. Heartbreaking and tragic.

 

[formerreddingrunner]

I don’t know about anybody else but Iam honestly having a hard time with this hantavirus diagnosis. I mean now how much rat poop do you have to inhale for it to kill you.?

Exactly the amount that can carry the virus into your lungs. Viruses are very, very small. So, microscopic.

MOO

This is a good point. The chances of us finding out exactly what Betsy did to expose herself to hantavirus (aka, fairly fresh rodent droppings that contained the virus) are slim to none at this point. I like the theory - suggested by other websleuths - that perhaps she was getting her dog's crate from one of the outbuildings on the property and she was exposed, but we'll never know for sure (or, slim chance we'll ever know for sure). Edit: something to do with the dog food as well is a good theory. Like, maybe she kept it in an outbuilding.

Per the press conference yesterday, there was evidence in the outbuildings of rodents, but in the house it was a slim chance (not saying exposure couldn't have happened in the house, but they didn't see it). The fact that Gene did not have hantavirus (it's not spreadable with human-to-human contact) shows it was something that Betsy did.

Since Betsy didn't survive hantavirus, she can't tell us what her actions were; in the previous video I posted, "Hantavirus Survivor Shares Her Story," the survivor remembers that she crawled on her hands and knees into a chicken coop to get her cats' feed bowls (THE THINGS WE DO FOR OUR BELOVED PETS! AMIRIGHT!?) Unfortunately, that chicken coop had mouse poop in it, and she admits her face was close to the ground, as she was on her hands and knees. In that case, she wasn't even cleaning up rodent droppings, just close enough the either breathe in the aerosols (the virus), or perhaps she had it on her hands, IDK.

As another websleuths posted Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome --- United States: Updated Recommendations for Risk Reduction. The rodent droppings have to be fairly fresh. within hours if outside (sunlight destroys the virus), or within a week if indoors. How was Betsy exposed to fairly fresh rodent droppings? within one week if indoors. Again, the chances of us finding out exactly what she did - at this point - are slim to none. She's not here to tell us, "Oh, I went into the shed and swept up," for example.

Law enforcement has her cell phone(s), but would she text a friend, "I just went into the shed, it was loaded with mouse poop. I swept it all away." Probably not. Plus, there weren't any cameras on their property so we don't have any video surveillance of her cleaning out a shed, or whatever.

Like the youtube video, "Hantavirus Survivor Shares her story," Betsy didn't even have to be cleaning to be exposed to fairly fresh rodent droppings.

 

[Sarahlou]

Unbelievable that some in social media are not accepting this and are thinking it is a coverup or conspiracy.

JMO

Always the way these days sadly. Everything is a coverup/conspiracy
Nobody in the public eye can just die, there has to be more to it, according to some.

 

[NuttMegg]

i've kinda reached the opinion that she could have maintained mobility, feeding herself and him, and dispensing meds until the 16th, he could have fallen on the 16th, then entered afib on the 18th as was said. Killing him.

I'm not so sure he spent any time alone except for 1-3 days on the mud room floor, after finding her dead.

 

[priyaya]

Her name is Betsy, not Becky.

Thank you. Was just texting my friend named becky at the same.time!
Apologies to Betsy!

 

[MrsEmmaPeel]

As a person who lives in New Mexico with four outbuildings, I try to imagine the scenario. I know we'll never know-- but I can't help it. We don't know what the outbuildings were for, but Santa Fean's often have guest casitas, art studios or music rooms unattached from the house, as well as stables and storage buildings. If Betsy had no housekeeper and did all her own cleaning it's possible she decided to clean a long-unused building like a guest casita or music room, someplace that had been neglected for sometime. Imagine stripping a bed with sheets (flapping them around) where mice had been or playing a piano with mice nests inside and breathing the air as the keys fly. . .really, the possibilities are endless. We'll never know, but because I live here, it feels important to be aware, and I wish LE would scour those buildings as a public service to other New Mexicans and to try and solve the mystery. What a PSA that would be! for all Americans.

 

[priyaya]

Santa Fean's often have guest casitas, art studios or music rooms unattached from the house,

Yes they were called this in publications I read about the house

 

[SMK777]

Unbelievable that some in social media are not accepting this and are thinking it is a coverup or conspiracy.

JMO

I was just going to note this myself! I was surprised to see many social media comments to the effect that they were not "buying" the official explanation, suspected extreme nefarious activities, etc. I guess too many CSI and crime shows....

 

[formerreddingrunner]

Always the way these days sadly. Everything is a coverup/conspiracy
Nobody in the public eye can just die, there has to be more to it, according to some.

I do sometimes believe in coverups, but not in this case

It would be so easy to look up the evidence, "Betsy tested positive for hantavirus." however. conspiracy theories generate more clicks, so....

It's really too bad b/c I feel like the medical examiner, et.all, did a good job. now they'll be raked over the coals for no reason - other than to generate more clicks for online news media.

 

[MrsEmmaPeel]

I'm curious about the pest control appointment.
It had been posted that it was a routine visit which means there's a somewhat set schedule throughout the year for maintenance.
Was it routine or did BA call in the pest control guy and made the appointment for that day?
If so did she know there was a mouse problem in her home and when was the appointment made?
I know that Mandoza said there was no mouse evidence in her home but I have mixed feelings that if there was we would be told about it.
On top of everything else the synchronicity here of Leonard ,the pest control worker discovering BA's body and now finding out she passed from Hantavirus is more like a story line from a book then the unfolding of a real life event.
IMO:

That's a good point. It would also be helpful to know if any special instructions were discussed prior to the appointment, regarding issues or buildings. I hate to be repetitive, but knowing as much as possible about the cause of the hantavirus would be beneficial to lots of people.

 

[Cherwell]

The exposure to hantavirus could have been anything up to eight weeks earlier. The awful thing about mice is they have no sphincter, so leave a constant trail of urine wherever they go, which unlike droppings isn't visible.

It's terribly ironic that Betsy wore masks when out shopping. If she contracted it while cleaning, a mask could have saved her.