Santa Fe County officials announced that actor Gene Hackman died from heart disease with Alzheimer's disease as a contributing factor and that his wife, Betsy Arakawa, died of Hantavirus.
Hackman, 95 years old, probably died several days after his wife, the New Mexico medical researcher's office announced during a press conference on Friday. The contributing factors in the death of Arakawa, 65, are attributed to rodents, according to health researchers.
Officials of the Sheriff's Office of Santa Fe County, the Fire Department and the New Mexico Medical Researcher Office joined the press conference.
Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 65, were probably dead for several days when their bodies were discovered at their home in Santa Fe on February 26. Hackman's pacemaker was active until February 17, according to the Sheriff of Santa Fe County, Adan Mendoza.
Gene Hackman accepts his Oscar for Best Actor at the 44th Academy Awards in Los Angeles on April 10, 1972.
(Associated Press)
The Santa Fe County Sheriff Agents responded to the house and discovered Arakawa's body in a bathroom with prescription pills scattered in a nearby countertop. Hackman's body was found in another room, according to an affidavit of the search warrant filed in the Court of Magistrates of the County of Santa Fe. Both bodies showed signs that they had fallen abruptly and partially decomposed.
The authorities did not find forced entry signs in the property or trauma of forceful force in the couple's bodies.
One of the couple's dogs was found dead in a closet near Arakawa's body, and two other dogs found in the property were able to enter and leave the house through a door at the back of the residence, according to Mendoza.
The couple's bodies were discovered by maintenance workers in the housing community of the Summit of Santa Fe, where Hackman and Arakawa directed private lives, authorities said. They told the researchers that they had not talked to the couple in more than two weeks.
On Sunday, Hackman was commemorated at the Academy Awards ceremony by actor Morgan Freeman. The two co -stoking the films “Unforgiven” and “under suspicion”.
“Like all those who once shared a scene with him, I knew he was a generous artist whose gifts raised everyone's work,” Freeman said. “He received two Oscar, but the most important thing is that he won the hearts of cinema lovers worldwide.”
“Gene always said: 'I don't think about the legacy. I just hope people remember me as someone who tried to do a good job. I think I speak for everyone when I say: 'Gene, you will be remembered for that and much more.' Rest in peace, my friend, ”said Freeman.
