Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa Hackman’s last few days were retraced by New Mexico authorities as they worked backward to solve the mystery of their deaths.
On Friday, officials revealed Gene’s cause of death was hypertensive atherosclerosis cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer’s disease as a significant contributing factor. Betsy died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a disease transmitted from animals to humans that commonly found in rodents, the New Mexico Department of Health confirmed.
Betsy’s autopsy determined the manner of death as natural, and authorities believe Betsy died on about Feb. 11. Gene was likely alone in their Santa Fe home for about a week until he died around Feb. 18, the last day activity was recorded on his pacemaker.
During a news conference Friday, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza walked through what investigators had pieced together of Gene and Betsy’s final days before their deaths.
GENE HACKMAN DIED OF HEART DISEASE, ABOUT ONE WEEK AFTER WIFE DIED OF HANTAVIRUS: INVESTIGATORS
During the investigation, officers discovered Betsy had picked up their family dog, Zinna, from Gruda Veterinary Hospital in Santa Fe Feb. 9.
“There was a procedure that was done with the dog which may explain why the dog was in a crate,” Mendoza explained.
Detectives discovered email communications between Betsy and her massage therapist from 11:21 a.m. Feb. 11.
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“Moving on into the afternoon, Ms. Arakawa was at the Sprouts farmers market between 3:30 and 4:15 p.m.,” Mendoza said. From there, surveillance video captured Betsy at the local CVS Pharmacy at around 4:20 p.m.
She made one final stop at a pet food store at about 4:54 p.m. before returning home. Mendoza noted that a control clicker assigned to her vehicle was used to enter her gated community at 5:15 p.m.
Numerous emails received Feb. 11 remained unopened on her computer.
“There was no additional outgoing communication from her, or known activity, after Feb. 11, 2025,” Mendoza said. “The cellphone information and the cell phone data is pending.”
Mendoza previously confirmed that the last recorded activity on Hackman’s pacemaker occurred Feb. 17. Authorities assumed this was Gene’s last day alive, and the Oscar winner’s body was not discovered for nine more days.
WATCH: BETSY ARAKAWA HACKMAN VISITED SANTA FE SPROUTS LOCATION BEFORE HER DEATH
“According to the pathologist, I think that is a very good assumption that that was his last day of life,” Mendoza said at the time.
Updated information recovered from Gene’s pacemaker indicated “abnormal rhythm of atrial fibrillation” Feb. 18.
Chief Medical Investigator Dr. Heather Jarrell said it was “reasonable to conclude” Betsy died the week before Gene, with the actor’s death likely on Feb. 18.
“Based on the circumstances, it is reasonable to conclude that Miss Hackman passed away first, with Feb. 11 being the last time that she was known to be alive,” Jarrell said during the news conference.
WATCH: NEW MEXICO OFFICIALS CONFIRMED THE CAUSE OF GENE HACKMAN AND WIFE BETSY’S DEATHS
When asked if authorities believed the Oscar-winning actor was able to live on his own and survive after his wife died, Jarrell noted that the actor was in “a very poor state of health.”
“Mr. Hackman showed evidence of advanced Alzheimer’s disease,” Jarrell said. “I’m not aware of what his normal daily functioning capability was. He was in a very poor state of health, and he had significant heart disease. And I think ultimately that is what resulted in his, in his death.”
Gene and Betsy were found Feb. 26 by maintenance workers Jesse Kesler and Roland Lowe Begay. Kesler, who had worked as a personal contractor for the couple for 16 years, made a frantic 911 call.
Betsy was found on the floor in a bathroom of the couple’s home near a space heater, showing “obvious signs of death,” according to the search warrant affidavit. Gene’s body was discovered in the mudroom nearby. His cane and sunglasses were near his body.
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Officials revealed Betsy’s body was found decomposed with bloating in her face and mummification in her hands and feet. Gene was also found to have the same signs of decomposition as his wife.
LISTEN: GENE HACKMAN 911 CALL
Paul Mauro, a retired NYPD inspector and Fox News contributor, told Fox News Digital it appeared Santa Fe detectives were putting all their resources into solving Gene and Betsy’s case.
“I’m seeing a lot of work and resources going into this,” Mauro said. “Managing to pull data from a garage door opener is pretty deep. They’re going all out.”
He noted that pending cellphone data “could show if she was making doctor’s appointments” or provide further information about communication with friends about how she could have been feeling now knowing she had hantavirus.
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Hantavirus is characterized by “flu-like symptoms consisting of fever, muscle aches, cough, sometimes vomiting and diarrhea that can progress to shortness of breath and cardiac or heart failure and lung failure,” Jarrell explained during the news conference.
“A deep dive would likely track Gene’s descent,” he said. “When were his last coherent communications? Did he have full-on dementia? Did he try to call for help?”
Mauro also mentioned that investigators are likely looking at motions that coincide with carrying a cellphone around the house.
“For instance, if Gene had his phone on him, you could track his moves after her death,” he said. “Phones will show when they last left the house, too.”
