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

[Joe Friday]

GH likely didn't realize BA was deceased.

 

[legalmomma]

Per Med examiner, it was difficult to determine if Gene was aware Betsy died but he did have advanced alzheimers disease

 

[Firstsnow4]

Does anyone know how quickly hantavirus can become fatal? I wonder if she knew she was ill and didn’t realise the seriousness of it. Or was it an acute episode?

 

[Betty P]

Maybe the Hantavirus is why the pest control was there.

They said deer mice are carriers and specific to that region only. New Mexico and west Texas. The doctor also said Hantavirus doesn't pass from person to person, so Gene would not have caught it from her.

Such an unusual situation. Hantavirus isn't common. She probably felt it was safe to be Gene's only caregiver, not knowing she could become mortally ill with such a rare virus.

ETA: LE also said they still haven't finished analyzing cell phone records yet.

RIP to two nice, talented people.

 

[whitelilac]

Wondering, can hantavirus be contagious through air? I guess not, since Gene was negative.

 

[Joe Friday]

No food in GH stomach, but no sign of being dehydrated.

IMO, for 6 days he must have been taking at least some care of himself.

 

[arielilane]

@alcaprari23


Gene Hackman Update. This story continues to grow stranger and stranger.
-No internal or external trauma detected for Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa
-Arakawa cause of death: Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (a basic Google search shows this occurs when a human comes in contact with infected rodents)
-Hackman cause of death: Hypertension, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimers was also a factor
-Arakawa likely died first, around Feb 11th
-Hackman likely died Feb 18th


4:20 PM · Mar 7, 2025

https://twitter.com/x/status/1898121594624438581

 

[DS2021]

Reported Cases of Hantavirus Disease

Find out about reported cases of hantavirus in the U.S. and where it occurs most frequently.

www.cdc.gov

 

[NCWatcher]

How tragic and awful. A few persons here had spoken about hantavirus. RIP Betsy and RIP Gene! Gene having advanced Alzheimer’s, oh dear.

I do wonder about the Alzheimer's diagnosis of severe. Brain damage from Alzheimer's seen on autopsy doesn't always correlate with living mental impairment. Things like education moderate. Maybe his damage was extraordinarily severe? At least severe enough not to take his BP/heart arrhythmia drugs?
MOO

 

[Joe Friday]

IMO, Betsy could have been lying on the floor for some time before her death.

 

[Betty P]

Does anyone know how quickly hantavirus can become fatal? I wonder if she knew she was ill and didn’t realise the seriousness of it. Or was it an acute episode?

Four to 10 days after the initial phase of illness, the late symptoms of HPS appear. These symptoms include coughing and shortness of breath. Patients might experience tightness in the chest, as the lungs fill with fluid.


HPS can be deadly. Thirty-eight percent of people who develop respiratory symptoms may die from the disease.

About Hantavirus

An overview of hantavirus, how it's spread and how it can be treated.

www.cdc.gov

 

[Leilei]

No evidence of dehydration per presser.
There was no food in his stomach at autopsy.
Poor Gene :'(

 

[Sunshynn]

Dogs do not get sick from hantavirus.

 

[armchairagatha]

His Alzheimer’s must have been pretty advanced if he didn’t have the cognitive ability to call 911 for a full week. He was probably trying to go about his daily routine without fully being aware that she had passed. RIP.

 

[arielilane]

@cathyrusson


The vet just said they don't know for sure if the dog died of starvation but given the circumstances, it's likely.

4:24 PM · Mar 7, 2025

https://twitter.com/x/status/1898122711286816831

 

[legalmomma]

She probably didn't go to the Dr because she would be leaving Gene alone at home since there is no cure and she thought she had the flu?

What is Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome?

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is a rare but serious infection that can become life-threatening if it isn’t treated. It’s spread to people from rodents.

www.webmd.com

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a rare but serious infection that can become life-threatening if it isn’t treated. The symptoms can be like those of the flu, and they can get worse quickly.

People usually get HPS by breathing air that is infected by urine, droppings, or saliva of mice and other rodents that have hantavirus, a group of viruses found in wild rodents. This virus doesn’t make the rodents sick.

In people, it mainly harms the heart, lungs, and kidneys.

The best way to avoid the disease is to stay away from rodents and the places where they live. In the United States, there has not been a single documented case of a person passing along the virus to another person.

There is no cure or vaccine, but doctors are able to give oxygen therapy to people with HPS. The earlier it is diagnosed, the better your chances of recovering.

 

[Joe Friday]

Wondering if someone is going to ask about the confusion about the door being open or locked.

 

[arielilane]

Two more questions, and then they are wrapping it up.

 

[Sunshynn]

Though I didn't guess hantavirus, I suspected that Betsy passed first and Gene afterwards - though I did not think he lived nearly a week after she passed.
Death must have happened very quickly for Betsy as they said she was shopping and going about her day normally until she just....didn't.

 

[armchairagatha]

His Alzheimer’s must have been pretty advanced if he didn’t have the cognitive ability to call 911 for a full week. He was probably trying to go about his daily routine without fully being aware that she had passed. RIP.

Also, those pills scattered over the bathroom counter and the heater crashed on the floor. Could have been Hackman looking for his medication since they were BP meds.