Overview

• Betsy Arakawa, wife of actor Gene Hackman, died on or around February 11, 2025, from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare and often fatal disease transmitted through rodent droppings or saliva.
• Gene Hackman, 95, passed away about a week later on February 18, 2025, due to hypertensive cardiovascular disease, with advanced Alzheimer's disease as a contributing factor.
• Authorities believe Hackman, debilitated by Alzheimer’s, may not have realized his wife had died and was unable to seek help before his own death.
• Investigators confirmed no foul play or carbon monoxide exposure, but signs of rodent activity were found in structures on the couple's property in New Mexico.
• Hantavirus, while rare, has a high mortality rate of 38-50% in the American Southwest and is preventable by avoiding exposure to rodent droppings and contaminated areas.