Gene Hackman's wife died from hantavirus, autopsy confirms
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Betsy Arakawa, the concert pianist who was married to actor Gene Hackman, died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, according to an autopsy report that said that her lungs were heavy and congested.

Arakawa, 65, had fluid accumulation in her chest and mild hardening of the vessels that supplied blood to the heart and body, according to the autopsy reports on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST).

Hantavirus is a rare but potentially fatal disease spread by infected rodent droppings.

FILE – Actor Gene Hackman arrives with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, for the 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 19, 2003. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File) (AP)

Arakawa tested negative for COVID-19 and the flu and showed no signs of trauma, the autopsy report said. Her carbon monoxide levels were within normal range, and she tested positive for caffeine and negative for alcohol and intoxicating drugs.

Arakawa’s autopsy and toxicology reports were released two days after similar documents on Hackman’s death were made public, confirming his main cause of death was heart disease.

The 95-year-old actor also was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease and likely had not eaten for a long time, according to his autopsy. He tested negative for hantavirus.

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.

A photo provided by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office during the course of their investigation and search of the home of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa, where the two were found dead on Thursday, February 27, 2025, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. (Santa Fe County Sheriff via AP) (AP)

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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