Autopsy results showed that Gene Hackman's wife Betsy Hackman (Betsy Arakawa) died of infection with hantavirus on February 11. After that, 95-year-old Gene Hackman supported a hellish week alone and finally died of a heart attack.
Investigators said on Friday local time that Arakawa went out for errands on February 11 and left video records in supermarkets and pharmacies. He returned to the community at 5 p.m. that day and has not been heard from since. Hackman's pacemaker was still active as of February 17, and an abnormal rhythm appeared on February 18. There was no data after that, indicating that Hackman died on that day.
The autopsy results showed that Hackman suffered from severe heart disease. His heart had undergone many surgeries, his kidneys were severely damaged due to chronic hypertension, and his brain showed advanced Alzheimer's disease (dementia) lesions. He was probably indifferent to his wife's death.
After Gene Hackman retired from acting, he moved into a gated management community in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and lived a life of near seclusion, with his wife taking care of his daily life.
Investigators previously announced that they found no signs of carbon monoxide poisoning. The natural gas company came to conduct a thorough investigation and stated that there was only a trace leak and would not affect people. This ruled out the claims of relatives and friends that the Hackmans died of gas poisoning.
The crime scene showed that Arakawa died on the bathroom floor, and prescription drugs for treating thyroid disease were left on the dressing table. The autopsy results showed that Arakawa died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. The virus is transmitted by mouse-like rodents. The early symptoms are similar to influenza. After 4-6 days, the condition takes a turn for the worse. The virus invades vascular endothelial cells and causes renal syndrome and pulmonary syndrome. The mortality rate is high at this stage. There is no specific drug and it will not be transmitted from person to person.
An Australian Shepherd also died with the Arakawa couple. The puppy had recently undergone surgery and was kept alone in an indoor cage, isolated from two large dogs in the yard. When investigators entered the scene, they found that the two dogs were still alive in the yard.
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