Gene Hackman's cause of death finally confirmed in autopsy report
27 April 2025, 23:42 | Updated: 28 April 2025, 00:07
The cause of death of Hollywood legend Gene Hackman has been confirmed in an autopsy two months after his death.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
The actor, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 65, were found dead at their Sante Fe home on February 26 after security personnel saw their bodies through a window and alerted authorities.
Now, official documents confirmed the autopsy showed “severe atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease”, which refers to a build-up of plaque in the arteries and high blood pressure.
It spoke of large remote myocardial infarctions, where the heart's muscle has been damaged by a heart attack.
It also referred to coronary artery stents and a bypass graft previously placed in the heart, as well as an aortic valve replacement.
It later said: "Examination of the brain showed microscopic findings of advanced-stage Alzheimer's disease."
Earlier this month, New Mexico police released a heartbreaking bodycam video, showing officers discovering the couple's corpses in their $4 million mansion.
Deputies can be seen walking into the property's bathroom to find Ms Arakawa's body on the floor, with bottles of medication and other toiletries visible on the counter.
They also spotted the couple's German shepherd staring anxiously at her from a few feet away, leading one investigator to comment: "Poor guy, he's sad.
Read more: Harry Potter star Rupert Grint welcomes second child - as he reveals baby's name
"Piles of clothes, documents and pictures were also found scattered throughout various rooms as deputies continued to comb through the home.
Their search would eventually lead them to find Hackman's body on the other side of the house.
A 12-year-old Australian Kelpie mix was also found dead in a pet crate in a large walk-in closet.
The footage's release came as a new report revealed that Ms Arakawa died from the rodent-borne hantavirus.
The report, written by the New Mexico department of public health, also found Hackman’s house was surrounded by rat nests and droppings.
Police footage shows moment officers enter Gene Hackman’s home
Another report revealed the devastating internet searches by Gene Hackman’s wife Betsy Arakawa, made just days before her death.
Authorities released a lengthy investigation report detailing some of the last emails and internet searches done by Gene Hackman's wife in the days before her death.
The investigation report has now shown that Arakawa had been scouring the internet for information on flu-like symptoms and breathing techniques before she died.
The disease she died of, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, is a rare, rodent-borne disease that can lead to a range of symptoms that include flu-like illness, headaches, dizziness and severe respiratory distress, investigators have said.
