Autopsy confirms Gene Hackman died from heart disease, notes his Alzheimer's and prolonged fasting
The main cause of Gene Hackman's death was heart disease, but he was also in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease and likely had not eaten for a long time, according to a new autopsy report.
The report documents the 95-year-old actor’s poor heart health, noting he had experienced congestive heart failure, an aortic valve replacement and an irregular heartbeat. He was given a pacemaker in April 2019.
Hackman’s carbon monoxide concentration was less than 5 per cent saturation, which is within the normal range. He tested negative for the hantavirus, which is a rare but potentially fatal disease spread by infected rodent droppings.
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Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa are pictured in 1989. Ralph Dominguez/MediaPunch /IPX/AP
Authorities have said Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, likely died February 11 at home from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
Her autopsy report hasn’t yet been released.
A toxicology report says Hackman tested negative for alcohol and intoxicating drugs, but that he had a low concentration of acetone in his system that indicates prolonged fasting.
Hackman appeared to have outlived Arakawa at home by about a week, possibly unaware of his wife's death. Hackman’s pacemaker showed an abnormal heart rhythm on February 18 — the day he likely died, according to the state's chief medical examiner.
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.
Recently released videos outline the scope of the investigation into the deaths of Hackman and Arakawa.
Before they understood how Hackman and Arakawa died, authorities recorded themselves conducting interviews with workers and returning to Hackman’s home to search for more evidence.
Detectives searched the home in early March for Arakawa’s laptop and other clues.
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A photo taken by investigators during the search of the home of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa. Santa Fe County Sheriff
Arakawa's computer showed that between February 8 and the morning of February 12, she was researching medical conditions related to COVID-19 and flu-like symptoms, according to the records released by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office.
In an email to her masseuse, she said Hackman woke up on February 11 with flu or cold-like symptoms and she'd have to reschedule her appointment for the next day.
Her search history on the morning of February 12 showed she was looking into a medical concierge service in Santa Fe. A call with the service lasted less than two minutes, and she missed a return call later that afternoon, according to investigators.
Redacted police body camera images showed officers going through the home and finding no signs of forced entry or anything out of the ordinary with the home's contents. Investigators took note of prescription medication on a bathroom counter as one of the couple's dogs barked in the background.
Initially, all photos, video and documents from the investigation were sealed by a temporary court order.
Hackman's estate and Arakawa's mother asked a judge to extend that order, citing privacy concerns.
The Associated Press, CBS News and CBS Studios intervened in the matter, saying in court filings that they would not disseminate images of the couple's bodies.
The court cleared the way for the release of investigative records as long as there were no videos or photos of the couple's bodies.
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