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

[formerreddingrunner]

There was an episode on Forensic Files on Hantavirus, "Forensic Files" With Every Breath (TV Episode 1999) 7.1 | Documentary, Crime Season 4, Episode 12

Also, here is an NPR with more info https://www.npr.org/2012/08/29/160265988/two-die-after-hantavirus-outbreak-in-yosemite

 

[Firstsnow4]

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.

Yeah I’m guessing she thought she just had flu when in fact it was more serious. IMO.

 

[JTribley]

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

Yes good point.

 

[Zapoleon]

So sad he was alive for a week after she passed.

 

[arielilane]

Press conference concludes

 

[priyaya]

So sad he was alive for a week after she passed.

okay so i did hear that right....

 

[Sarahlou]

Heartbreaking That makes me feel sad that things ended this way for them. Especially Gene all by himself and the poor dog too.

 

[formerreddingrunner]

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.

I wasn't leaning towards Hantavirus either ~ !!!

I thought *most likely* it would be something more common, but I still thought Betsy had a medical event first.

 

[arielilane]

So sad he was alive for a week after she passed.

I dont know Mr. Hackman, but I suspect his heart broken. moo

Very sad ending.

 

[priyaya]

Heartbreaking That makes me feel sad that things ended this way for them. Especially Gene all by himself.

wow this was my first guess initially of what happened with her
I learned about hantavirus when i lived out west but there is no way i would have guessed it could happen to someone like them

 

[Sunshynn]

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

This was asked and ME said this was not likely - thinking pretty instantaneous - MOO.

 

[MassGuy]

Press conference concludes

I think the only thing that surprised me was her specific cause of death. I figured he had wandered around for days due to dementia (logical guess on my part), but never would have guessed she died from a virus like that.

 

[whitelilac]

Yeah I’m guessing she thought she just had flu when in fact it was more serious. IMO.

If only, if only....she had sought med attention. She was only 63.

 

[Luna20]

Based on this and how he looked in the most recent photos, I don’t think there was a lot of yoga or exercise going on. He was in very poor health.

I believe it was one of the daughters that said he was healthy and was still exercising and I believe biking too?

He must have been so confused about Betsy not being alert to care for him. Sad.

 

[NoeticSoul]

dbm already posted

 

[ClearAhead]

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

The Sheriff very adeptly turned the ridiculous speculation about LE body cam being shown into if there was camera coverage in or outside the Hackmans home. Answer - no.

 

[justtrish]

If she was out on the 9th to pick up her dog from the vet and to go to the pharmacy, I think she must have felt well enough that day to be out. It seems she was very cautious about Gene's health in recent years. If she really felt unwell, I wonder if she would have sought medical care for herself even if it was just as a precaution because she was his caregiver and wouldn't want to expose him to anything respiratory. It makes me wonder if maybe she didn't feel that unwell for some reason up until the very end when she passed away.

 

[Joe Friday]

Sometimes you wish you never watched a press conference. This is one of those times.

Heartbreaking to learn how and when she died and that Gene was there alone, without the one that took such good care of him, for what must have seemed to him like an eternity, if he even realized she was gone at all.

JMO

 

[MrsEmmaPeel]

First off, I've very proud of my NM and Santa Fe Sheriff's Department and Medical Investigation. I thought the press conference was dignified and sensitive.

To clarify, I did not hear Dr Jarrell give cause of death. I heard that it was likely from heart disease or Alzheimer's, but that they could not conclude definitely.

Question: What did they say about the location of Hantavirus on the property?? Didn't they say there was no evidence of possible contamination in the home, but there was in other buildings on the property? I was dying for someone to ask more about that!

 

[Sunshynn]

If she was out on the 9th to pick up her dog from the vet and to go to the pharmacy, I think she must have felt well enough that day to be out. It seems she was very cautious about Gene's health in recent years. If she really felt unwell, I wonder if she would have sought medical care for herself even if it was just as a precaution because she was his caregiver and wouldn't want to expose him to anything respiratory. It makes me wonder if maybe she didn't feel that unwell for some reason up until the very end when she passed away.

She went to a Farmers Market, CVS and a pet food store on the day of her (suspected) death - February 11th.