The Oscar-winning actor appears to have died a week after his wife
Gene Hackman and wife Betsy. Photo:Donaldson Collection/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty
Gene Hackman had advanced Alzheimers disease and may not have known that his wife was dead, authorities in New Mexico revealed during a press conference on Friday, March 7.
Hackman, 95, and his wife Betsy, 65, were found in their Santa Fe home on Feb. 26, and their bodies were discovered in advanced states of decomposition.
During the conference, New Mexico Chief Medical Examiner Heather Jarrell said that following an autopsy, the Oscar-winning actors brain showed he was suffering from advanced Alzheimers, as well as heart disease and hypertension, all of which contributed to his death.
Authorities said Friday that Hackman most likely died a week after his wife. Betsys cause of death was revealed as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare disease caused by a flu-like virus spread through rodent droppings. Her last outward communications were recorded on Feb. 11.
Hackmans pacemaker, meanwhile, showed activity six days later, on Feb. 17; Jarrell said it is reasonable to conclude Betsy died first and Hackman died seven days later on Feb. 18.
Hackman was in a very poor state of health, said Jarrell, and no food was found in his stomach, suggesting he had not eaten in a while, though he showed no evidence of dehydration.
I can tell you that he was in an advanced state of Alzheimers, and its quite possible that he was not aware that she was deceased, Jarrell noted.
The actor was found collapsed in a mudroom of the home, while Betsy was discovered in a bathroom, near a countertop scattered with pills.
The house owned by actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy. AP Photo/Roberto E. Rosales
Their dog Zinna was discovered dead in a crate nearby Betsy. The pet, who had recently had a procedure, will undergo a necropsy. Two other dogs were found alive on the property.
The couple were negative for carbon monoxide or other gases, and while a minuscule gas leak was discovered on one of their stove burners, it was not at a lethal level. Authorities dont believe foul play was involved.
Hackman enjoyed a prolific, decades-long acting career that netted him two Oscars before retiring to Santa Fe in the mid-2000s. He and Betsy, a classical pianist, had been married since 1991.
