Gene Hackman, Renowned Actor, Passes Peacefully in New Mexico Home

The celebrated Oscar-winning actor, Gene Hackman, has passed away due to natural causes, just a week after his wife, Betsy Arakawa. Betsy had succumbed to a rare virus, according to a report from a New Mexico medical examiner.

At 95, Hackman died at his residence in Santa Fe, with coronary artery disease cited as the cause. Advanced Alzheimer’s disease was also a contributing factor to his passing.

Betsy Arakawa, aged 65, departed from the same household, victim to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a severe respiratory condition caused by contact with infected rodent excreta. Her demise, too, was cataloged as natural causes.

Officials suspect that she predeceased her husband by about a week. The couple shared over three decades of marriage, with Hackman earning two Oscars during his illustrious career for “The French Connection” and “Unforgiven.”

Dr. Heather Jarrell from the New Mexico Medical Investigator’s Office suggested that Arakawa likely died on February 11, with Hackman following on February 18. Her last known activities included trips to a grocery store, a pharmacy, and a pet shop before returning home that evening.

Considering Hackman’s advanced Alzheimer’s, Dr. Jarrell remarked that he “may not have realized” his wife had died. She was unaware of his routine daily functioning abilities.

Hackman, suffering from substantial heart issues, ultimately succumbed to them, Dr. Jarrell noted, alongside high blood pressure. Though he hadn’t eaten, no signs of dehydration were evident.

At a press briefing, Erin Phipps, a public health veterinarian, highlighted the rarity of hantavirus infections, transmitted through contaminated dust from rodent droppings, urine, or saliva. Although 136 cases were recorded in the state over the past half-century, the fatality rate stood at 42%.

Rodent traces detected on the property prompted an investigation into how Arakawa contracted the disease, although Hackman tested negative for the virus. The home showed minimal risk of exposure.

After neighborhood security performed a welfare check, the couple was discovered inside their home. Their bodies were found in advanced decomposition stages through a window.

Details surface in the search warrant affidavit, describing Hackman found near a kitchen side room with a walking cane and sunglasses. Arakawa, meanwhile, was found in the bathroom with pills scattered nearby.

Medications for thyroid issues, blood pressure, and pain management were uncovered by deputies, though the recipients’ identities remained private.

Of their three dogs, one was discovered deceased in a crate by Arakawa; the other two survived. The cause for the dog’s death is yet to be determined. Dr. Phipps reassured that dogs aren’t susceptible to hantavirus.

Investigations reported no forced entry or foul play signs at the couple’s $3.8 million home; no carbon monoxide or significant gas leaks were detected.

Hackman’s legacy survives through three adult children from his previous marriage.

His path to meeting Arakawa was recounted by the New York Times, as she worked part-time at a Californian gym in the mid-1980s.

Hackman took home the Best Actor Oscar for his role as Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle in the 1971 crime thriller “The French Connection.” He claimed another Oscar for Best Supporting Actor playing Little Bill Daggett in the 1992 Western “Unforgiven.”

Arriving late on the Hollywood scene, Hackman’s breakout came in his 30s with an Oscar nomination for “Bonnie and Clyde” in 1967 and “I Never Sang for My Father” in 1970, both acknowledging him in the supporting actor category. In 1988, he received a leading actor nod for his portrayal of an FBI agent in “Mississippi Burning.”

Over the span of his career, Hackman undertook more than 100 roles, notably portraying Lex Luthor in the “Superman” films of the 1970s and 80s.

His on-screen partnerships included starring with icons like Al Pacino in “Scarecrow” and Gene Wilder in “Young Frankenstein.” His final appearance was as Monroe Cole in “Welcome to Mooseport” in 2004, after which he gracefully exited the Hollywood scene for a quieter life in New Mexico.