Chief medical examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell has officially confirmed the causes of death for Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa. The couple was discovered last week (February 26) in their Santa Fe home.

Initially, authorities deemed the circumstances of their deaths “suspicious enough” to warrant an investigation. A search warrant revealed that Hackman and Arakawa, who had been married since 1991, had been deceased for “some time” before they were found in separate rooms by maintenance and security workers, who then alerted the authorities.

In a press conference held today (March 7), Dr. Jarrell provided details on their causes of death.

She explained that Arakawa, 65, died from Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, stating: “The manner of death is natural.

“Autopsy examination and full body post-mortem CT demonstrated no findings of trauma internally or externally, with microscopic findings consistent with Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.

“Laboratory testing was positive for Hantavirus at a clinical lab, with required confirmation testing also coming back positive at the scientific laboratories division. Testing for Covid-19, influenza, and other common respiratory viruses was negative, as was testing for carbon monoxide.”

Regarding Hackman, she stated: “The cause of death for Mr. Gene Hackman, aged 95 years, is hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer’s disease as a significant contributory factor.

“Autopsy examination and a full body post-mortem CT showed no acute findings of internal or external trauma but revealed severe heart disease, including multiple surgical procedures involving the heart, evidence of prior heart attacks, and significant kidney damage caused by chronic high blood pressure.