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

[NCWatcher]

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.

I'm not. Medical sites don't seem to say that either so far as I can see and so far as a definitive diagnosis goes. (See my response above and link to the Alzheimer's Association.) But you are probably right the same tests are used to diagnose many different brain diseases including other kinds of dementia. Different results on the tests will point to different diagnoses.

My sympathy on your losses.
MOO

 

[SortaSleuthy]

@CStewartNews


So Betsy Arakawa dies on 2/11…Gene Hackman dies on 2/18…and they wouldn’t be found until 2/26 when a worker showed up at their home.




5:09 PM · Mar 7, 2025

She was seen shopping on the 11th. Last proof of life. We don’t know when she died.

 

[Cherwell]

So Betsy Arakawa dies on 2/11…Gene Hackman dies on 2/18…and they wouldn’t be found until 2/26 when a worker showed up at their home.
5:09 PM · Mar 7, 2025

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

NO.
It's not known for sure when Betsy died. She seemed to be in good health on the 11th. Just because she didn't send any emails or texts doesn't mean she died then.

They said that typically people are ill for 3 to 6 days with hantavirus before it turns fatal, and the symptoms are like flu. So it's entirely possible that Betsy soldiered on for a few days thinking she had a flu-like virus, but not that it was anything fatal.

 

[SortaSleuthy]

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

She was seen shopping on the 11th. Last proof of life. We don’t know when she died.

 

[Sadi]

The press conference has also left me with a very heavy feeling.

Such a tragic end to three lives that were all a separate cause but because of each others.

I hope Gene, Betsy and Zinna are resting peacefully with each other.

Agreed.

 

[Friday Fan]

IMO … For Betsy, they said the last proof of life was on 2/11. That doesn’t mean she died on the 11th. The media is jumping on the 11th. She could have died on the 18th.

Yeah, I'm kinda thinking that too. Considering that she was running all those errands, doesn't sit right with someone who is feeling sick.

She likely came home felt sick later that day and cocooned. I wouldn't be surprised if she thought she had the flu.

 

[Sunshynn]

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.

I think that’s a reasonable deduction. IMO.

Zinna came home two days before Betsy’s last known movements so knowing that Zinna was going to require crate rest she goes to an outbuilding and cleans the kennel in anticipation.
That would, sadly, give the hantavirus time to work through her system and the retrieval of the kennel would put Betsy in contact with mice droppings.
This scenario makes sense. Smart thinking @Steelhead!

 

[NuttMegg]

Was she on email on a cellphone or on a pc? I'm confused at what they are still evaluating on the 2 cell phones.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

It's so important to always check on elder people, though Betsy was not old.

But there really should have been a two-way safety plan to get help...one way or another.

 

[LittleSeaTree]

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

Same! The scene with Ben Stiller in the closet when Ben yells a question at him and he yells the answer back is SO funny to me.

 

[SortaSleuthy]

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.

She was seen shopping on the 11th. Last proof of life. We don’t know when she died.

 

[MerlinFalcon]

I guess there were no cameras in or around the home.

As someone who was a caregiver, the burden is really hard. I had a lot of help and it was still physically and emotionally exhausting

 

[ttjo]

Very good deduction

Didnt she also have her pianos in a separate building? I thought I read that somewhere? I could be wrong,
found it,
source All About Gene Hackman’s Wife, Classical Pianist Betsy Arakawa, Who Died Alongside the Actor and Their Dog
Aaron's mother, Barbara Lenihan, added, “Gene was as proud of Betsy as she was of him. She had been a concert pianist. Over at their house, she had a special building, a studio that half of it was her grand pianos [and] another half was Gene's art studio.”

 

[Betty P]

There is no mention of a facility in my post. I’m referring to being at home with the caregiver, not in a facility. A mother with 4 children who works full time while trying to be a caregiver for her parent living in the home is going to take a toll on her entire family.

Private people with wealth statistically remain in their home. They bring in extensive hospital equipment and staff.

Agree, sometimes in these situations (Alzheimer patient living at home with family caregiver), family arranges to have a nurse's aide or nurse visit once or twice a week to help with bathing, shampooing, etc. and a general check up.

 

[ClearAhead]

There is no mention of a facility in my post. I’m referring to being at home with the caregiver, not in a facility. A mother with 4 children who works full time while trying to be a caregiver for her parent living in the home is going to take a toll on her entire family.

Private people with wealth statistically remain in their home. They bring in extensive hospital equipment and staff.

No you didn’t mention it. But we don’t know what type of agreement the couple between them regarding his health. Maybe he didn’t want healthcare attendants tending to him and she agreed to care for him alone? Thats not as outlandish as it may seem for couples to agree to how they live their remaining days together.

His deteriorating heart and liver conditions probably meant he didn’t have long to live and advanced alzheimer’s might not have been their impending concern.

Only in this case they couldn’t have predicted her fate due to hantavirus. She could be blamed for not attending to her own health needs as well, but that serves no worthwhile purpose. JMO

 

[Quill]

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

They said in the presser that they didn't find evidence of rodents in the main house, but did in other buildings on the property. I had a horrible thought about Betsy retrieving a dog crate out of storage for Zinna's recovery from the procedure; possibly coming into contact with the droppings at that point. Of course, we have no way of really knowing, and I am a bit "in my feelings" about this at the moment. I'm incredibly sad. Having had a close family member who suffered from dementia I know the kind of care they can need. Just thinking of Betsy putting herself last behind Gene and the dogs and then Gene being alone for all those days has me extremely sad.

 

[Cherwell]

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.

I doubt it.
Crate-trained dogs generally regard them as their safe space and go in them to sleep, so their crates were almost certainly kept in the house. It was a big house so plenty of room.

 

[Steelhead]

Poor Gene. I can just imagine him coming across Betsy's body over and over again, and then immediately forgetting, over and over again. That could surely throw his already ailing heart over the edge.

 

[Friday Fan]

Very advanced Alzheimer's and very advanced heart disease for Gene. Hantavirus for Betsy. But where she was exposed was not clear. They said the Main House showed no evidence of rodent infestation, but that another building on the property did-- but that was not gone into.

We have rats. The garage and attic are where we have droppings. The other building would need tending to also.

They also had a pest control service. It's not unusual for them to clean up droppings in the process. We've been told numerous times by pest control companies that they don't see evidence....Hello??? Many times we have already cleaned up the garage etc.

 

[MrsEmmaPeel]

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.

Wow. That is the first thing that makes sense. The crate in a outbuilding. Betsy brings it in for the dog who is recovering and gives it a good scrub. omg. My husband and I are going to have a new routine at our NM house. He's constantly clearing out mice nests from our car engine and his workshop. But I would have done exactly like Betsy with something from the barn or shed.

But the pianos in another building make sense too. If mice can nest in our car engine regularly, they could nest in a piano. Thanks for these ideas. The press conference did not follow up on how BA may have contracted Hanavirus, so this at least makes it seem plausible.