Details of Betsy Arakawa's final autopsy released following revelation of Gene Hackman's tragic medical history
Two days after Gene Hackman's final autopsy was released, further details about the cause of his wife Betsy Arakawa's death have been revealed.
On Monday (April 28), Hackman's post-mortem was shared to the public that detailed the late actor's extensive medical history.
Hackman died at the age of 95 on February 18, a week after Arakawa.
The couple were found in their Santa Fe home on February 25, sparking a police investigation into their deaths. It has since been concluded that they died on different days from separate health-related causes following initial fears that Hackman and Arakawa had been exposed to carbon monoxide.
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Their dog, Zinna, also died around the same time, but the couple's other two dogs lived. Their surviving dogs helped emergency responders locate Hackman's body in their property's mudroom after Arakawa had already been discovered in one of the bathrooms.
In documents shared earlier this week, the French Connection star was revealed to have 'severe atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease with placement of coronary artery stents and a bypass graft, as well as a previous aortic valve replacement'.
"Remote myocardial infarctions were present involving the left ventricular free wall and the septum, which were significantly large," the paperwork went on to detail. "Examination of the brain showed microscopic findings of advanced stage Alzheimer's disease."
Hackman had a 'bi-ventricular pacemaker' fitted in April 2019.
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Now Arakawa's final autopsy has been released, and it confirmed the concert pianist died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which is a rare but potentially fatal disease spread by infected rodent droppings.
It also revealed her lungs were heavy and congested.
Arakawa, 65, had fluid accumulation in her chest and mild hardening of the vessels that supplied blood to the heart and body, according to the report.
She tested negative for Covid-19 and flu and showed no signs of trauma, the post-mortem examination report said. Her carbon monoxide levels were within normal range, and she tested positive for caffeine and negative for alcohol and intoxicating drugs.
Records released earlier in the investigation showed Arakawa made phone calls and internet searches as she scoured for information on flu-like symptoms and breathing techniques.
Arakawa had googled things like 'can Covid cause dizziness?', as well as a search for 'flu and nosebleeds'.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact GrieveWell on (734) 975-0238, or email [email protected].
Topics: Gene Hackman, News, Celebrity, Health
Niamh Shackleton