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

[priyaya]

Besty was trying to protect his privacy and legacy
but yeah, no matter how healthy you are, you need help with caretaking

 

[#JUSTICE4WILDER]

They died from different medical events about a week apart. So sad that Gene Hackman was wandering around with his wife dead in the house. Due to his age and Alzheimer's disease he was not capable of helping or calling for help it seems.

Gene Hackman And Wife Betsy Arakawa’s Causes Of Death Released

The couple died a week apart of different conditions, officials found.

www.huffpost.com

 

[#JUSTICE4WILDER]

Going back to the question of the dog autopsy, the Daily Mail in an article dated today says it has taken place.
"A necropsy has also been done on Zinna the dog, the results of which are not yet known."

It's an interview with a veterinary chiropracter who may or may not have some insight.
Briefly, her theory is that Gene's pacemaker stopped working and the dog became agitated, jumping at him and licking him, which is the reason Betsy put her in the crate. Betsy then suffered a medical emergency herself.

I know what happened on the day Gene Hackman and his wife died

At her Santa Fe clinic in New Mexico, animal chiropractor Dr Sherry Gaber was treating a four-legged patient when the phone rang. It was actor Gene Hackman 's wife Betsy Arakawa.

www.dailymail.co.uk

The Huffington Post link I shared says that the dog had been to see the veterinarian two days before Betsy died and that's why he was crated.

 

[JennieM]

Gene Hackman died of natural causes days after wife died of rare respiratory virus​

Cause of Betsy Arakawa’s death was hantavirus pulmonary syndrome while Hackman died of heart disease, with advanced Alzheimer’s disease contributing

Gene Hackman died of natural causes days after wife died of rare respiratory virus

Cause of Betsy Arakawa’s death was hantavirus pulmonary syndrome while Hackman died of heart disease, with advanced Alzheimer’s disease contributing

www.theguardian.com

 

[Warwick7]

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.

 

[Sunshynn]

BA had just picked up the dog from the vet after having a procedure. I think BA must have put the dog in the kennel when she arrived home, where the dog remained until being found by LE.

Zinna was picked up from her procedure February 9
Betsy’s last seen/answers emails/ is active February 11

2 days had went by since the dog was picked up.

 

[#JUSTICE4WILDER]

According to the Huffington Post link I shared Betsy died from hanovirus commonly from rodents. Gene died a week later due to cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's.

 

[Let’s Bagel]

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
.

From what I learned while dealing with both of my parents passing with dementia, what you mentioned is how they would diagnose Lewy Body Dementia. Pretty sure Alzheimer's can be diagnosed through scans.

 

[CityKid]

I loved him in the Royal Tenenbaums! that's my favorite Gene Hackman movie.

Yes! And I love a number of his other movies, but I need something lighter right now.

 

[SortaSleuthy]

All phone activity ceased on the 11th. It's a pretty good indicator that life ended on the 11th.
M00

They haven’t examined the phones yet. That is the next presser.

 

[NCWatcher]

My father died from Alzheimer's. A fairly definitive scan while he was alive showed extensive brain damage. A scan may be adequate, or perhaps the only choice due to PMI.

My sympathy for your loss.

From what I can see, scans are becoming more sophisticated & some PETs can measure biomarkers. As can spinal taps and some specialized blood work. But I've never seen sites saying a scan is definitive for diagnosis. Maybe there's a site out there though.

Medical Tests

Testing for Alzheimer’s or other dementias entails diagnostic, cognitive or blood tests, MRI, CT or PET brain imaging, neurological exams or other assessments.

www.alz.org

MOO

 

[MAHBOOBOO]

About 4 years ago I caught some mice scurrying around my kitchen, they got in through soffit gaps then came through a hole behind the oven where the gas line connects to the stove. For $1300 I had a company come in, kill all the mice and do an Exclusion on the house, placing Black expanding foam and mesh anywhere a mouse could come in. Plus I have a camera in the attic set to alert me to any motion detection.

I keep a box baited with poison outdoors constantly. The pest store people said it won't kill my dogs if they get ahold of it, it'll just upset their stomachs. I don't SEE rodents anymore now. I use to see them scurrying along the telephone line behind my house nightly.

My sister in law got Hantavirus once. We have a family member that's a hoarder and he gave my SIL a bunch of fabric patterns he'd been storing in an old car, that's where she picked it up from. She's okay but her intestines had a rough couple of months.

 

[NuttMegg]

Yes! And I love a number of his other movies, but I need something lighter right now.

Hoosiers

 

[Cindizzi]

Oh man, I’m still processing the news that was released today on the autopsies. Was already so sad that they were deceased and not found for so longer. The details today leave me even more saddened. How horrible.

I’ve known all about hantavirus for years as I lived in Nevada for years and now Colorado for years and there have been fatal incidents in the news. I’ve always cautioned my husband about sweeping out a shed or his pop up camper that’s rarely opened. I guess breathing the dust from any deer mice droppings or urine is how one gets the virus into their lungs.
You’re supposed to spray and wet the area down using bleach and wear a mask.
Rest in peace and loving thoughts to the family.

 

[Warwick7]

Summary of today's press conference, AI generated.

On March 7, 2025, Santa Fe County, New Mexico officials held a press conference to provide updates on the investigation into the deaths of actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, who were found dead in their Santa Fe home on February 26, 2025, along with one of their dogs. The press conference included Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza, New Mexico Chief Medical Investigator Dr. Heather Jarrell, and New Mexico State Public Health Veterinarian Dr. Erin Phipps.

Here’s a summary of the key points:

• Causes of Death: Dr. Heather Jarrell announced that Betsy Arakawa, aged 65, died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare and potentially fatal disease spread by rodents, likely contracted days before her death. Gene Hackman, aged 95, died of natural causes, specifically hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with advanced Alzheimer’s disease as a significant contributing factor. His death occurred approximately seven days after Arakawa’s, with the last activity recorded by his pacemaker on February 17, 2025.

• Timeline: Sheriff Mendoza provided a timeline indicating Arakawa was last known to be alive on February 11, 2025, based on her use of a fob to enter their gated community and unopened emails found on her computer. Hackman’s death is estimated around February 18, 2025, aligning with the pacemaker data. The couple’s bodies were discovered by a maintenance worker on February 26, suggesting they had been deceased for some time.

• Investigation Details: The deaths were initially deemed “suspicious” due to the circumstances—Arakawa was found in a bathroom with scattered thyroid medication pills (not a factor in her death) and a dead dog nearby, while Hackman was found in a mudroom with a cane and sunglasses. However, no signs of foul play or external trauma were found. Tests ruled out carbon monoxide poisoning, and the home showed no evidence of a gas leak or struggle.

• Additional Findings: One of the couple’s three dogs was found dead (initially identified as a German shepherd but later clarified as possibly an Australian kelpie mix named Xena), potentially from starvation given the timeline, as dogs do not contract hantavirus. The other two dogs were found alive. A necropsy on the deceased dog was pending to determine its cause of death.

• Health Context: Hackman’s advanced Alzheimer’s and prior heart issues (including a triple bypass) were noted, suggesting he may have been unable to seek help after Arakawa’s death. Arakawa’s last known activities on February 11 appeared normal, with no clear signs of illness reported from surveillance footage.

• Public Health Note: Dr. Phipps emphasized that hantavirus cases are not unusual in New Mexico, with no abnormal patterns observed, and the case did not indicate a broader public health threat.

The officials concluded that both deaths were from natural causes, resolving the initial suspicion, though some questions, like the exact source of Arakawa’s hantavirus exposure, remain unanswered pending further investigation. The press conference aimed to clarify the circumstances and reassure the community of no ongoing danger.

BBM
:0(

 

[Steelhead]

Where was the dog crate kept before it was in the house? Maybe in one of their outbuildings where she may have had to sweep up a bit to retrieve it.

 

[Trebor5591]

imo the caregiver didn't show any respect at all, of any type in seeking her 15 minutes of fame from the media in burning both BA and her mother. Whose on earth's business was it - the publicly detailed failing of the 91 year old patient"s memory. Maybe BA had excellent personal reasons for keeping the blabbermouth out of her information loop


Not criticizing you for your post, but what kind of loving caretaker does that.

Do you have a link that discusses the caregiver "seeking her 15 minutes of fame" from the media? Because I haven't seen this anywhere. Wasn't Arakawa Hackman the caregiver? Do you mean the housekeeper?

 

[NuttMegg]

Where was the dog crate kept before it was in the house? Maybe in one of their outbuildings where she may have had to sweep up a bit to retrieve it.

Very good deduction

 

[NuttMegg]

Do you have a link that discusses the caregiver "seeking her 15 minutes of fame" from the media? Because I haven't seen this anywhere. Wasn't Arakawa Hackman the caregiver? Do you mean the housekeeper?

I meant the caregiver of BA's 91 year old mother in Hawaii.

 

[Sulamith]

The Birdcage.