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

[JTribley]

Does it mean the mice droppings/urine were inside the main house? If so, how did Gene avoid getting sick too?

They stated at the press conference earlier, that you have to be super careful when you “clean up the droppings” of these mice - even cautioned to wear a mask - seems like she would have been the one more exposed to that (cleaning?) And that it does not pass person to person. Maybe he was more contained in the home due to his Alzheimer’s. IMHO.

 

[priyaya]

And that's hard. You live somewhere backing onto wilderness or in a rural area, and you're going to have to deal with rodents. We've never had them living in urban areas (and we have lived in some real dumps, five star crap heaps), but when we lived in a rural area in the central west of NSW? We had rats literally chewing through our kitchen walls. And we had cats who were in that room happy to catch rodents. Didn't deter them.

MOO

if only they had a cat

 

[arielilane]

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

rsbm
my sentiments too. So heartbreaking. Though, well done press conference.

 

[justtrish]

Another thought... if she just started feeling unwell on the 11th, maybe she ran a few errands thinking she might be unwell so she wanted to be prepared. She then rests for a day or two and isn't feeling well enough to check emails or communicate in ways she normally would. Maybe she was up trying to get Gene his medicine when she collapsed some days after the 11th.

 

[JTribley]

If she was responsible for the cleaning (which I imagine, given he had advanced Alzheimer's, she was) she would be the one more likely to be coming into contact with rodents and their detritus.

Even just disposing of mice from traps or cleaning droppings can be a risk. Once stuff gets stirred up, and you breathe it in, that's all it takes.

MOO

I had no idea how bad hantavirus was until someone mentioned it here, and I looked it up a few days ago. And hearing today about the way one should clean up the droppings.

 

[whitelilac]

Hantavirus, bird flu, news strains of Covid, other deadly viruses...it's frightening....you never know.

 

[formerreddingrunner]

when i learned about it (hanta virus) it was kinda like, oh only poor dirty people out in the middle of nowhere get it.

yeah, I think that's the misconception...

these are my thoughts

1. 63, while very young (too young to die!) and certainly everyone said BA was healthy and physically active - it still is a lot to take care of another person (Gene) and cook & clean a 9,000 square foot houses.
2. Having 3 active dogs going in and out of your home in the country may lead to some rodents getting in as well.
3. Rodents will find a way They need a very small hole to get into your house.
4. Even though BA sounds healthy and active, she may have made caretaking GH her primary goal. If GH was very high needs (as he sounds he was) with advanced dementia, she could have procrastinated getting rodent "pathways" filled in.


overall, I think - even though they are very wealthy - rodents just need a small pathway into your home.

 

[Sadi]

And that's hard. You live somewhere backing onto wilderness or in a rural area, and you're going to have to deal with rodents. We've never had them living in urban areas (and we have lived in some real dumps, five star crap heaps), but when we lived in a rural area in the central west of NSW? We had rats literally chewing through our kitchen walls. And we had cats who were in that room happy to catch rodents. Didn't deter them.

MOO

I wonder if the mice came in through the dog door?

 

[ClearAhead]

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

And a pharmacy too but Sheriff didn’t know the reason. However he did state nothing seemed amiss by observing her movements on video. She had sent and read emails the evening of the 11th, so that was the last date she was known to be alive.

 

[priyaya]

FULL PRESSER HERE

 

[iamshadow21]

if only they had a cat

I just said that I had two cats and still couldn't prevent rats chewing their way into my home when I was living rural.

Having a cat isn't a WMD against rodents.

MOO

 

[Maat99]

Ah man. A sad ending. I am going to watch The Royal Tannenbaums tonight and try to forget his ending and just remember his great acting.

 

[Cherwell]

They stated at the press conference earlier, that you have to be super careful when you “clean up the droppings” of these mice - even cautioned to wear a mask - seems like she would have been the one more exposed to that (cleaning?) And that it does not pass person to person. Maybe he was more contained in the home due to his Alzheimer’s. IMHO.

They said it wasn't found in the main house though, but in other buildings on the property.

Another thought... if she just started feeling unwell on the 11th, maybe she ran a few errands thinking she might be unwell so she wanted to be prepared. She then rests for a day or two and isn't feeling well enough to check emails or communicate in ways she normally would. Maybe she was up trying to get Gene his medicine when she collapsed some days after the 11th.

She probably thought she had flu, or even just a bad cold.
So very sad. I saw a couple of people mentioned hantavirus earluer, but I'd never heard of it and hadn't got round to looking it up.

And what a shame neither of them was able to let the poor dog out.

 

[ClearAhead]

yeah, I think that's the misconception...

these are my thoughts

1. 63, while very young (too young to die!) and certainly everyone said BA was healthy and physically active - it still is a lot to take care of another person (Gene) and cook & clean a 9,000 square foot houses.
2. Having 3 active dogs going in and out of your home in the country may lead to some rodents getting in as well.
3. Rodents will find a way They need a very small hole to get into your house.
4. Even though BA sounds healthy and active, she may have made caretaking GH her primary goal. If GH was very high needs (as he sounds he was) with advanced dementia, she could have procrastinated getting rodent "pathways" filled in.


overall, I think - even though they are very wealthy - rodents just need a small pathway into your home.

They did investigate the home and said risk level of contacting hantavirus was low. But the impression was left an out building might’ve been the source but safe to say the actual where and when will never be known as BA didn’t seek medical help.

 

[priyaya]

getting the feeling the isolation and the state of gene really must have taken a toll on betsy. i hope she didn't suffer

 

[formerreddingrunner]

if only they had a cat

Will cats prevent hantavirus? Maybe several?

 

[Sarahlou]

getting the feeling the isolation and the state of gene really must have taken a toll on betsy. i hope she didn't suffer

She was certainly dealing with a lot. Both her husband and mother having dementia

 

[NCWatcher]

Yes a scan of his brain showed he had advanced Alzheimers.

Hmm. That's not usually how a diagnosis of Alzheimer's is done on autopsy. I think brain slices are still examined. If it could be done that way with a simple scan, it seems it could be done on living persons too with scans. But I think it's still a "rule out" diagnosis for living people. The assessment may include scans but doesn't stop there. And for severity labels, more than a scan is definitely needed. Memory tests and other assessments are needed.
MOO
.

 

[tlcya]

I hope that Gene wasn't alone for too long after his beloved fell ill. I think it is logical to assume that she died first and he died shortly after. Just because we last know that Betsy was alive on the 11th doesn't mean that is when she died. For the last week we've heard from many that she was somewhat reclusive and didn't really care to use cell phones, sticking primarily with email to communicate. So it is my hope that she died closer to the 17th, when Gene's pacemaker activity stopped.

RIP to them both and prayers for their loved ones.

 

[SortaSleuthy]

Do we know how active she normally was digitally?

Not yet