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Gene Hackman’s Final Autopsy Confirms Cause of Death and Details Wife’s Hantavirus Fatality

The report reveals Hackman’s death from severe heart disease with Alzheimer’s and prolonged fasting, while his wife succumbed to a rodent-borne illness linked to their infested property.

FILE - Actor Gene Hackman arrives with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, for the 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., Jan. 19, 2003. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
Gene Hackman attends the premiere of the film "The Royal Tenenbaums" December 6, 2001 in Hollywood, CA. (Photo by Vince Bucci/Getty Images)
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Gene Hackman's hantavirus test result was negative. “Testing for carbon monoxide was less than 5% saturation, in keeping with a normal range,” the medical examiner noted.

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.