Authorities in New Mexico have ruled that actor Gene Hackman died from a cardiovascular disease, while his wife died from a rare disease carried by rodents.

The couple’s mummified remains were discovered by two maintenance workers in separate rooms of their $3.8 million Santa Fe abode last Wednesday, February 26. 

Dr. Heather Jarrell, Chief Medical Investigator for the state of New Mexico, said on Friday that autopsies had been performed on the couple last Thursday. 

She ruled that Arakawa, 65, died from Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, a rare disease carried by rodents. 

In a new update on the timeline of their deaths, Arakawa is now believed to have died one week before her husband.  

Hackman, 95, died from hypertensive cardiovascular disease which was exacerbated by his Alzheimer’s.

His autopsy found no signs of internal or external trauma, but found severe heart disease and evidence of prior heart attacks. 

When questioned by reporters, Jarrell also said that it was likely that Hackman didn’t even realize his wife had died due to his advanced Alzheimer’s. 

Arakawa is said to have died first on February 11 due to her infection, which initially presents with flu like symptoms. 

Jarrell said there was no reliable method to get an exact time for death, but concluded that Hackman probably died around February 18. 

In a full timeline of events, officials said that Arakawa had picked up their dog Zena from a vet hospital after the dog underwent treatment on February 9. 

On February 11, they said she had an email conversation with her massage therapist before later in the afternoon going to a farmers market. 

She was caught on CVS surveillance footage shortly after the market, before then going to a local pet food store. 

Her car was then seen on surveillance entering the gated community at 5:15pm on February 11. 

Officials said that numerous emails went unopened on February 11, and that there was no further communication from her account after that day.

Detectives are still waiting on retrieving her full cell phone data, but said her last known activity was February 11.

Officials also said that Zena had been found dead inside a crate in their residence, and was likely put in it after her treatment.

Hackman was discovered lying on the ground of a mud room just off the kitchen with his sunglasses and cane nearby, indicating he may have fallen according to officials.

Jarrell said that there was no food inside Hackman, and that there was no signs of dehydration. 

His wife was found lying on her side in the bathroom with a space heater next to her head. 

On Friday, officials also said that prescription pills found strewn across a countertop have since been identified as those prescribed for treating a thyroid problem. 

Last week, Santa Fe officials said that Hackman’s last event noted on his pacemaker was recorded on February 17. 

Officials had also said that there was no trace of carbon monoxide in the bodies of the couple.

Hackman’s daughter Elizabeth had earlier floated a theory that the couple had died from carbon monoxide poisoning, which authorities officially quashed last week. 

She told TMZ that the family believed their deaths came about after inhaling the toxic fumes. 

Hackman shared three children with his first wife Faye Maltese. He and Arakawa, a classical pianist, had been married for the last three decades.

The gruff-but-beloved Hackman was among the finest actors of his generation, appearing as villains, heroes and antiheroes in dozens of dramas, comedies and action films from the 1960s until his retirement in the early 2000s.

He was a five-time Oscar nominee who won for The French Connection in 1972 and Unforgiven two decades later. 

Hackman met Arakawa, a classically trained pianist who grew up in Hawaii, when she was working part-time at a California gym in the mid-1980s.

They soon moved in together, and by the end of the decade had decamped to Santa Fe.

A naturally private man, Hackman was labelled a recluse as he remained out of the public eye for years on end following his retirement from the movie industry. He retired from acting in 2004. 

Friends occasionally shared glimpses of his post-acting life, including social media shots of fishing expeditions – while paying tribute to his silver screen triumphs. He would also occasionally be spotted pedaling around Santa Fe on a bicycle. 

In an interview with Empire in 2020, he said he enjoyed watching DVDs that Arakawa rented. 

Hackman said: ‘We like simple stories that some of the little low-budget films manage to produce.

‘Friday night is set aside for a Comedy Channel marathon, with particular attention paid to Eddie Izzard. The speed of thought is amazing.’