Overview

• The New Mexico Medical Examiner confirmed Gene Hackman died from severe atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease, compounded by advanced Alzheimer’s and prolonged fasting.
• Hackman’s autopsy revealed a history of congestive heart failure, kidney changes, coronary stents, a bypass graft, and a bi-ventricular pacemaker implantation.
• Betsy Arakawa’s death was caused by a hantavirus infection, likely contracted through rodent exposure in their Santa Fe home.
• Investigators determined Hackman died around February 18, six days after his wife, based on pacemaker data and autopsy findings.
• The case has been closed as natural fatalities, with court-ordered privacy protections in place for sensitive investigation materials.