Overview

• Gene Hackman, 95, died from severe atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease with advanced Alzheimer’s, confirmed by final autopsy results released April 27, 2025.
• Toxicology findings indicated prolonged fasting, with elevated acetone levels in Hackman’s system, suggesting he may not have eaten for days before his death.
• Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, 65, died a week earlier from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare and often fatal rodent-borne disease.
• A New Mexico public health inspection documented extensive rodent infestation across the couple’s property, described as a hantavirus ‘breeding ground.’
• Authorities continue a criminal investigation into the circumstances of their deaths, though no external trauma or foul play has been identified.