The pair were found dead at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico last month, prompting all manner of conspiracy theories and wild speculation.
Though it was initially reported that foul play was not suspected in the deaths of the couple – married more than 30 years – later updates suggested that aspects of the scene had been peculiar enough to warrant a full investigation.
In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, it was assumed by many that Hackman and Arakawa had succumbed to some sort of gas leak. After all, though Hackman was 95, his wife was only 63, and the fact both of them were found dead without signs of struggle – along with one of their three dogs – implied that they must have passed at the same time.
Indeed, one of Hackman’s daughters, Elizabeth Jean Hackman, went on record to state the family’s early belief that carbon monoxide poisoning was to blame.
“The house is fairly modern, built in 2000,” Elizabeth explained to TMZ. “But we don’t know if there were any issues with gas leaks or if there were any recent service calls to the property.”
Yet as part of the investigation into the deaths, Santa Fe City Fire department ruled out carbon monoxide leak or poisoning as they found no signs present at the home.
It was reported that the New Mexico Gas Company also found no signs of this after carrying out tests on the gas line and around the residence.
On Friday last week, authorities in Santa Fe finally revealed the causes of death for both Hackman and Arakawa, going on to offer a haunting image of the events that occurred in their home.
As per The Guardian, Arakawa had become Hackman’s primary caregiver in recent years. The two-time Oscar winning actor had developed Alzheimer’s disease and was incapable of carrying out simple tasks. As such, Arakawa ran their household and ensured her husband stayed active and safe.
Tragically, Arakawa is said to have died from a rare viral infection on or around February 11 (when she was last seen or heard from) thus leaving her vulnerable husband alone in the house they shared for days.
The Guardian paints a bleak picture indeed, suggesting that celebrated movie star Hackman would have been disorientated and unable to seek help. Investigators claimed in a subsequent press conference that he likely wasn’t even aware that his wife had died.
Hackman’s pacemaker last recorded a heartbeat on February 18, indicating that he may have died a full week after Arakawa. The couple’s partially mummified bodies were discovered on February 26 after a maintenance worker called security after no one answered the door.
New Mexico’s chief medical examiner confirmed that Arakawa had succumbed to hantavirus, an exceedingly rare and often fatal illness contracted from exposure to rodent droppings or urine.
Meanwhile, Hackman’s Alzheimer’s, combined with his age and declining physical state, was listed as a contributing factor in his death.
Dr Heather Jarrell, New Mexico’s chief medical investigator, said: “Autopsy examination and a full body postmortem CT examination demonstrated no acute findings of internal or external trauma, and showed severe heart disease including multiple surgical procedures involving the heart, evidence of prior heart attacks, and severe changes of the kidneys due to chronic high blood pressure.”
Rest in peace, Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa.
